Legislative News
The Kansas Water Office (KWO), as the primary water planning agency, provides support to the Governor and Legislature on water resource issues.
Among its other duties, the Kansas Water Authority (KWA) advises the Governor and Legislature on water policy issues and priorities for funding the State Water Plan.
Both KWO and KWA provide legislative testimony throughout the session on relevant bills before the Kansas House and Senate Committees.
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2026 Legislative Session
The House Committee on Water meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m.
Legislative Presentations 2026
Kansas Water Office Budget Overview
Kansas Water Office Update, House Water Committee, Jan 13
KWO Certified System Irrigation Assessment, House Water Committee, Jan 20
Kansas Water Plan and State Water Plan Fund, House Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget, Jan 21
Water Injection Dredging Update, House Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget, Feb 24
Upcoming Legislative Committee Meetings Concerning Water
No meetings currently scheduled.
Tracking Legislative Bills Concerning Water
The following table lists water-related bills and their statuses below.
| Bill Number | Subject | First Chamber Action | Second Chamber Action | Other Action | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB 2558 | AN ACT concerning water; relating to funding for the state water plan and water infrastructure projects; increasing the amount of moneys transferred from the state general fund to the state water plan fund; requiring the Kansas water office to transfer appropriations for the water technical assistance fund and the water projects grant fund; | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
| HB 2625 | AN ACT concerning water; relating to rural water districts; requiring rural water districts to award purchases or contracts in excess of $25,000 through a public letting process; creating exceptions therefor. | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
| SB 400 | AN ACT concerning data centers; relating to water consumption; requiring data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems to mitigate water consumption. | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
| HB 2495 | AN ACT concerning water; relating to counties; authorizing counties to adopt resolutions to regulate activities on or within navigable rivers; relating to crimes involving property; adding navigable rivers to the crime of criminal trespass | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
| HB 2477 | AN ACT concerning water; relating to the Kansas department of agriculture; requiring the department to publish a map on the department's official website that shows the location of all applied-for diversions of water and requested changes of more than 300 feet; | Passed by the House | Passed by the Senate | Signed by the Governor | ||
| HB 2424 | Establishing a pump installation contractor license and requiring additional examination, qualification and record-keeping requirements for licensed pump installation contractor and water well contractors. | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
| HB 2433 | AN ACT concerning the regulation of water use; clarifying county authority over the transfer or appropriation of water; placing such authority with the chief engineer and water transfer hearing panel | Passed by the House. | Passed by the Senate | Signed by the Governor |
||
| HB 2462 | AN ACT concerning water; requiring the secretary of health and environment to adopt rules and regulations by July 1, 2028, allowing for the direct and indirect potable reuse of treated wastewater | Passed by the House. | Passed by the Senate. | Signed by the Governor | ||
| SB 317 | AN ACT concerning water; relating to the water technical assistance fund and the water projects grant fund; establishing additional criteria for the operation of such funds; requiring municipalities to demonstrate a current 25-year water supply in applications related to water distribution, unless application is for new water supply 1320 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE source that will extend the current supply beyond 25 years; prohibiting grants for issues related to water rights impaired by another water right; prioritizing applications based on public health, resource management, population trends, funding sources, regional cooperation and weather resiliency; requiring applications to be submitted annually by September 15, with grants subject to revocation and repayment under certain circumstances | Passed by the Senate. | Contents inserted in HB 2462. | |||
| HB 2063 | Establishing various conservation funds, allocating state moneys for conservation, requiring reports to the Governor and legislature, and authorizing fund transfers and providing for the use of such funds by the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. | Killed after Turnaround. |
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| HB 2113 | Transferring $5,000,000 each July 1 to match federal funding for soil conservation districts, providing for the enhanced transfer of moneys from the State General Fund to the State Water Plan Fund and sunsetting such enhancements and the Water Technical Assistance Fund and the Water Project Grant Fund on July 1, 2028. | Passed by House | Referred to S. Ways and Means | |||
| HB 2095 | Establishing a pump installation contractor license and requiring additional examination, qualification and record-keeping requirements for licensed pump installation contractor and water well contractors. | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
| HB 2114 | Authorizing the Chief Engineer to adopt rules and regulations under the watershed district act and concerning fees and inspections of dams. | Passed by the House. | Passed by the Senate. | Signed by the Governor | ||
| HB 2112 | Requiring water supply system and wastewater treatment facility operator certification examination fees to not exceed the costs for such exams and eliminating the certification of operators through correspondence courses. | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
| HB 2153 | Specifying when boards of directors for irrigation districts of 35,000 or more acres may conduct board member elections by mail ballot and establishing the terms for such members. | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
| HB 2345 | Creating the Kansas office of natural resources within the executive branch and transferring certain duties of the Kansas water office, and the department of agriculture, division of conservation and division of water resources to such office. | Killed after Turnaround. | ||||
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