SESSION OF 2019
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE BILL NO. 138
As Recommended by Senate Committee on
Transportation

Brief*
SB 138 would designate a portion of US-77 in Cowley
County, from 212th Road to 22nd Road, as the Capt. Donald
Root Strother Memorial Highway.
The Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) would be
required to place highway signs at proper intervals to indicate
such designation. Under continuing law, the Secretary is
precluded from placing these signs until the Secretary has
received sufficient moneys from gifts and donations to
reimburse the Secretary for the cost of placing such signs,
plus an additional 50.0 percent of the initial cost to defray
future maintenance or replacement of the signs. The
Secretary may accept and administer gifts and donations to
aid in obtaining and installing suitable signs.
The bill would remove this portion of US-77 from
designation as the Robert B. Docking Memorial Highway.

Background
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Transportation at the request of Senator Alley.
At the Senate Committee hearing, Senator Alley
provided proponent testimony, stating Captain Strother was
the first Cowley County Army Air Corps pilot to lose his life in
action in World War II. Captain Strother was awarded the
____________________
*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
Distinguished Service Cross and the Order of the Purple
Heart. The portion of highway to be so designated would be
near Strother Field, also named for Captain Strother. No other
testimony was provided.
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, the Kansas Department of
Transportation (KDOT) estimates it would cost $7,360 to
manufacture and install two signs showing the designation on
the portion of highway identified in the bill. Including an
additional 50.0 percent of the initial cost to defray future sign
maintenance, the Secretary would need to receive a total of
$11,040 from donations to install the signs. KDOT indicates
implementation of the bill would require an increase of $7,360
to the expenditure limitation for the agency operations
account in FY 2020. Any fiscal effect associated with
enactment of the bill is not reflected in The FY 2020
Governor’s Budget Report.


2- 138


Statutes affected:
As introduced: 68-1010