This bill establishes the Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Council, which will replace the existing Kansas Firefighters Memorial Advisory Committee. The new council will consist of nine members appointed by the governor, representing various firefighter associations and organizations. The council is tasked with making recommendations to the governor and legislature regarding activities to honor and memorialize Kansas firefighters, including the maintenance and updates of the official fallen firefighters memorial located at the Kansas Firefighters Museum in Wichita. The bill also allows the council to solicit funds for the memorial and mandates that all expenditures from the Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Fund be authorized by the council.

Additionally, the bill designates the existing memorial at the Kansas Firefighters Museum as the official state memorial for fallen firefighters and outlines the responsibilities of the state fire marshal in reporting the names of firefighters who have died in the line of duty. It amends existing law to streamline the process for funding and maintaining the memorial, ensuring that expenditures can be made for various purposes related to honoring firefighters. The bill repeals previous sections of law that pertained to the advisory committee and memorial, thereby consolidating the governance and funding of the memorial under the new council.

Statutes affected:
As introduced: 75-36
As Amended by House Committee: 75-36