Kansas Senate Bill SB36

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/16/25
• Refer: 1/17/25
• Report Pass: 1/30/25
• Engrossed: 2/13/25
• Refer: 2/13/25
• Report Pass: 3/12/25
• Enrolled: 3/21/25
• Passed: 4/10/25

Caption

Increasing the cap on the amount of moneys disbursed by the division of conservation to conservation districts and providing an increased matching basis for state moneys disbursed to conservation districts based on amounts allocated by the board of county commissioners for such districts.

Summary

SB 36 updates Kansas law governing the financing of conservation districts. The bill raises the maximum amount of state money the Division of Conservation may request and disburse for each conservation district from $25,000 to $50,000, and it changes the timing of the annual county certification deadline from September 1 to November 1. It also updates the matching formula so state funds are distributed on a $2 state-to-$1 county basis, subject to the new per-district cap and available appropriations. In practical terms, the bill is designed to increase state support for local conservation districts and align state aid with county funding commitments. It amends K.S.A. 2-1907c and repeals the existing version of that statute, meaning the new funding cap and matching requirements become the operative law once enacted. The bill applies to conservation districts, county commissioners, and the Division of Conservation, and it affects how public funds are budgeted, certified, matched, and distributed for conservation district activities. The available voting history suggests strong bipartisan support and little opposition. The Senate passed the bill 39-0, and the House passed it 119-2, indicating broad agreement that conservation districts should receive greater financial flexibility and a higher state match. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate significant concerns or amendments beyond the text itself. The main point of policy change is the increased fiscal commitment to conservation districts, which may help local districts fund soil and water conservation work, land stewardship, and related operations. The bill also shifts the administrative timeline for county certifications, likely giving counties and districts more time to finalize budgets before submitting funding requests. Any contention appears minimal and, based on the vote totals, was not enough to prevent passage.

Impact

SB 36 amends K.S.A. 2-1907c to increase the statutory cap on state disbursements to conservation districts from $25,000 to $50,000 per district and to revise the matching structure for state aid tied to county allocations. It also changes the annual certification deadline for conservation districts from September 1 to November 1. The bill affects the Division of Conservation, county commissioners, and conservation districts by changing how annual funding requests are calculated, matched, and distributed under state law.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment around SB 36 appears strongly positive and largely noncontroversial. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and the House by a wide margin, suggesting broad bipartisan support for increasing conservation district funding and improving the state match. The absence of committee transcript material means there is no documented floor or committee debate showing organized opposition.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantial contention in the available record. The only likely areas of discussion would have been the fiscal impact of doubling the per-district cap, the change in the state-to-county matching formula, and whether the higher cap should be subject to appropriations. However, the near-unanimous votes indicate that any concerns about state spending or budget priorities did not generate meaningful opposition.