The bill establishes a new state conservation fund within the state treasury, which will receive $2,500,000 annually from the state general fund starting July 1, 2025, to support conservation programs and domestic water quality sampling. The Kansas Department of Agriculture's division of conservation is tasked with managing the fund and ensuring that the funds are used to supplement existing appropriations rather than replace them. Additionally, the bill mandates that conservation districts provide water quality sampling data to the state geological survey.

Furthermore, the bill amends existing laws regarding the state water plan fund, increasing the annual transfers from the state general fund to $55,000,000 for the fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027. It also outlines the allocation of these funds to various water-related projects and technical assistance, while ensuring that the funds are not used to supplant existing funding sources. The provisions of this act are set to expire on July 1, 2028, at which point remaining funds in certain accounts will be transferred back to the state water plan fund.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 74-5
As Amended by House Committee on Water: 74-5
As introduced: 74-5
As Amended by House Committee: 74-5