Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2477

Introduced
1/20/26  
Refer
1/20/26  
Report Pass
2/5/26  
Engrossed
2/18/26  
Refer
2/19/26  
Report Pass
3/4/26  
Enrolled
3/13/26  

Caption

Requiring the Kansas department of agriculture to publish a map on the department's official website that shows the location of all applied for diversions of water, including requested changes in the point of diversion by more than 300 feet, and expanding the current individual notice requirement to apply to all landowners that are within half a mile of such applied for diversions or changes.

Impact

If enacted, HB 2477 will amend existing legislation, specifically K.S.A. 82a-745 and K.S.A. 82a-1906, thereby affecting how water rights and diversions are monitored and communicated. The amendments are designed to provide more comprehensive access to information about water diversions, improving compliance and management among water right owners. The bill removes certain requirements that could have led to delays in the notification processes, aiming to streamline communication and oversight within the Kansas water management framework.

Summary

House Bill 2477 aims to enhance the transparency and management of water diversion applications within the state of Kansas. The bill mandates that the Kansas Department of Agriculture publish a detailed map on its official website, depicting the locations of all applications for water diversions that exceed a change of 300 feet. Additionally, it expands the notification requirements to inform all landowners within a half-mile radius of these applied-for diversions, removing previous stipulations requiring individual notice coordination with groundwater management districts. This move seeks to improve stakeholder awareness and participation regarding water resource management.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding HB 2477 appears to be predominantly positive, with supporters highlighting its potential to foster better communication among water users and to enhance public trust in water management practices. While specific opposition is not heavily documented, there could be concerns related to the increased administrative responsibilities for the Department of Agriculture and how effectively they can manage the anticipated influx of public inquiries and compliance requests. Overall, it is viewed as a proactive step toward responsible water usage in agriculture.

Contention

Despite the bill's generally favorable reception, there could be points of contention regarding the administrative burden that may arise from the expanded notification requirements. Critics may argue that this increase in transparency could lead to conflicts among water users, especially if neighboring landowners become more aware of each other's water diversion activities. Thus, while the bill aims to improve transparency, it raises questions about how such information will be utilized and the potential for disputes over water rights and usage.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS SB4

Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

KS SCR1601

Informing the Governor that the two houses of the Legislature are organized and ready to receive communications.

KS SB8

Exempting the sale of firearms, firearms accessories, ammunition, firearm safes and firearm safety devices from the retatilers' sales tax.

KS SCR1602

Approving the creation of a port authority in Wyandotte County Kansas.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.