SESSION OF 2024
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2633
As Recommended by House Committee on
Water

Brief*
HB 2633 would make changes regarding the certification
exams for operators of water supply systems and wastewater
treatment facilities in the state.

Water Program Management Fund
The bill would authorize the Secretary of Health and
Environment (Secretary) to deposit certification exam fees for
operators of water supply systems and wastewater treatment
facilities into the Water Program Management Fund (Fund) of
the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
instead of the State General Fund (SGF).
The bill would authorize the Secretary to deposit the
fees under the provisions of this act and through adopted
rules and regulations. [Note: The Secretary may promulgate
rules and regulations for this purpose under existing authority
through KSA 65-4512.]

Exam Fee Cap
The bill would remove the $25 cap on individual operator
certification exam fees and allow the Secretary to charge an
exam fee that does not exceed the cost of an individual
operator certification exam. [Note: Continuing law requires

____________________
*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.kslegislature.org
the Secretary to establish a reasonable schedule of fees for
this purpose.]

Repeal of Statute
The bill would repeal KSA 65-4506, which allows for a
correspondence course to attain certification for operators of
water supply systems and wastewater treatment facilities
rather than classroom instruction and its fee.

Background
The bill was introduced by the House Committee on
Water at the request of Representative Pickert.

House Committee on Water
In the House Committee hearing, representatives of the
City of Garden City, KDHE, Kansas Municipal Utilities, and
League of Kansas Municipalities provided proponent
testimony. The proponents stated the laws regarding these
exams were passed in 1975 and have largely not been
updated since that time. The bill would allow KDHE to use an
up-to-date national exam. Fees paid to take the exam would
then be used to administer the exam.
Written-only proponent testimony was provided by a
representative of the City of Valley Falls.
Opponent testimony was provided by a representative
of the Kansas Rural Water Association (Association), stating
the Association has been dissatisfied with the exam questions
and certification process through KDHE for many years and
asked for consideration of creating an advisory committee in
statute.
No other testimony was provided.

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Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, KDHE states the agency would only
increase the fees for the water supply systems exams to
$125 (third party cost of the exam), and the wastewater
treatment facilities exams would remain at $25. Certification
renewal fees would also be charged at $25. While there are
currently no SGF expenditures for operator certifications, the
bill would allow for these costs to be paid from the Water
Program Management Fund revenues. KDHE estimates
these expenditures would be $72,250 in FY 2025 and FY
2026, based on the number of exams in FY 2023, which
included approximately 490 water supply systems exams and
440 wastewater treatment facilities exams. The agency notes
that local governments and water utilities would see an
increase in fees for water operator exams in the future, but
the redirection of the fees should improve service and
reliability in handling the needs of local utilities and their
operators. Any fiscal effect associated with the bill is not
reflected in The FY 2025 Governor’s Budget Report.
Water; water supply systems; wastewater treatment facilities; Water Program
Management Fund; certification; examinations


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Statutes affected:
As introduced: 65-166b, 65-4513, 65-4514, 65-4506