[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6327130,"mediaKeyId","2323019-f1570ff292d2bd94697ffe7ab62aab73","parentId",2323019,"title","Committee narrows tax collection and restores penalty limits in amended Senate Bill 184","audioSeconds",933,"startMs",1063265,"endMs",1997195,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323019-f1570ff292d2bd94697ffe7ab62aab73&start=1063&end=1997","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323019-f1570ff292d2bd94697ffe7ab62aab73/thumbnail_1063265.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6327130/Kansas/Committee-narrows-tax-collection-and-restores-penalty-limits-in-amended-Senate-Bill-184","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6327130-c0f2f424829c41826ed36470f615f336/orig.mp4?Expires=1771060458&Signature=YVGmcXYFox7sEmAv8mPMd3aqZubeRReJbPexKMIm7QcvFNEuCZv2jxDyKhqt3k5aP0ElOcCsbh1IfbyuX7jTgvShC1r2XFMNHjnmNTSDF3H1LD3Cb5ebJ7Y4Om6EDEtixmUdYwLgWdQp79Xdmh0Nq~prEjXKFLikoT3fQnH5eY8SODIMQTNyR6Ov1SrXQ~ILndEGBuqx7v-4ufBjCyMXSMPBFrTiBRzit1X6DOm4tlczCwCO1PBcg6DCR8Y1j0cUu1a8HmY4msFhgr~frZzyjOPlJ2rrkuB0TAukYqJcWGf8DHRWTrTxvYljN2LHhHGpVm3V7A9z0bH5kBg2-4Q85Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kansas Legislature","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources on Feb. 12 advanced Senate Bill 184 with several amendments that limit tax‑collection authority, restore penalty language, clarify corrective action payment rules and add guardrails for site outreach.

Revisor Lawrence told the committee SB 184 would amend the Kansas Dry Cleaner Environmental Response Act to change penalties, the required deductible for corrective actions, the environmental surcharge and solvent fee, and delinquency penalties related to those surcharges and fees. Committee members proposed and adopted multiple amendments before voting to pass the bill out of committee favorably as amended.

Key changes the committee adopted included a substitute amendment offered by Senator Francisco that limited the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s ability to collect delinquent amounts to those “assessed pursuant to this act,” narrowing earlier language that would have broadly authorized collection; an amendment restoring the original civil‑penalty framework (including the previous $500 cap and statutory considerations) after concerns that the bill’s proposed cap raised penalties by roughly 20 times; revised language reinstating limited guardrails on agency outreach and site seeking while allowing standard public outreach and complaint response; and a clarification that payment for corrective action is authorized only where the action has been approved by the department and set out in a corrective‑action plan.

Senator Shane originally proposed striking the portion of the bill that would give KDHE broad authority to collect taxes; Senator Francisco offered a substitute that limited collection to taxes assessed under the dry‑cleaner act. Francisco said the substitute would ensure any collection authority was limited to fees and assessments specifically tied to the dry‑cleaner cleanup program rather than a general tax‑collection power. “If we’re giving the secretary that ability, we want it to limit it just to taxes related to this act,” Francisco said.

Committee members also debated the size of civil penalties. One member noted the department had not issued many penalties in recent years (the department cited 2017 as the most recent instance), and argued civil penalties are intended to be prohibitive rather than punitive. The committee restored the prior penalty language and cap while leaving room for future discussion about raising the cap if regular violations occur.

Other amendments clarified that the department may pay costs of corrective action only for activities that have received department approval and are documented in a corrective‑action plan, and that the agency may continue routine outreach and response to complaints but should not engage in unfettered site‑seeking without guardrails.

Following adoption of the amendments, Senator Bowser moved that committee pass SB 184 favorably as amended; the motion carried on a voice vote and the bill will advance from committee for further consideration.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources 02/17/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee amended Senate Bill 184 to restrict the Department of Health and Environment's authority to collect charges to amounts assessed under the Kansas Dry Cleaner Environmental Response Act, restored a lower civil penalty cap and clarified corrective‑action payment rules, then passed the bill out of committee favorably as amended.","taxTitle","Agriculture and Natural Resources, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Kansas","taxId",19120,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6327134,"Committee tightens tenant rule for landowner deer permits, then tables Senate Bill 80",1082,80,1082980,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323019-f1570ff292d2bd94697ffe7ab62aab73&start=0&end=1082","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323019-f1570ff292d2bd94697ffe7ab62aab73/thumbnail_80.jpg","/articles/6327134/Kansas/Committee-tightens-tenant-rule-for-landowner-deer-permits-then-tables-Senate-Bill-80","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6327134-f6175b444ab76bbbeaf87d2b9028c3da/orig.mp4?Expires=1771060458&Signature=WLYr1SCp3sgpuESuyyWZhCmksAAyetQjdu6nlzM6IV7kf13zKgLnKDoduzsLUx9lNT3XN16RuZm0WZHYWqexptND-yfACFaOCFnIMVyJoFAu4siTgI5FOCThCTRh2wMRtl5MrdjoYYYcuUPBh5FkZo3Sps0oV7Unispuk2Dy7JL1qAIwVCXQkHk5~-4yoWuHl2wRzKNn2ESA-j0IURhqXc2D7WRwSG1LWECkYtT~UG60mgNPI8NZChlw~gjbfRqyba7sEbvteJDQzmjidZciJPaQvIoEp~92b57lwljzw-Ut31H62JbVOpzKC0cInt2NY5e08pZE7YEBI~udFCu1bg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources on Feb. 12 amended Senate Bill 80 to narrow the definition of a tenant eligible for landowner deer permits and then tabled the bill for future consideration.

The amendment added a residency and activity requirement to the tenant definition in statute, specifying that a tenant must be a resident of Kansas and be “actively involved in agriculture,” and it created an exception for people who live in counties that border Kansas so long as they lease significant acreage in the state. The committee adopted that amendment on a voice vote before later rejecting separate language offered from the Nature Conservancy and ultimately voting to table the bill.

Why it matters: The bill and the amendment affect how the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks allocates landowner deer permits, a practice that has drawn criticism from law enforcement and stake‑holders for enabling people who are not actively managing land to claim tags. Supporters said the changes would curb misuse of tenant tags; opponents said the amendment does not address broader wildlife management and allocation questions.

The committee chair said the amendment was drawn after concerns from the Kansas Livestock Association and law enforcement that the existing tenant definition allowed anyone leasing land to claim tenant status and obtain landowner deer tags. “Currently tenant would allow pretty much anyone to say they are leasing land and then have a deer tag,” the chair said while offering the balloon amendment. The change adds the words “a resident of Kansas” and requires active agricultural involvement for tenant eligibility.

Centra Blue, who represents outfitters in his district, raised concerns that out‑of‑state hunters were not receiving tags through the lottery and asked whether land purchasers or managers leasing land would be limited to hunting only on land they own. The chair responded that the amendment did not change current statute regarding where hunting may occur.

Senator Shane urged a broader approach to deer management, saying narrowing tenant eligibility “doesn’t get to the heart of addressing wildlife and deer management in the state” and recommended the committee consider allocation rules that reflect per‑acre hunting pressure rather than broad prohibitions.

After the tenant amendment passed, Senator Francisco moved to replace section K with language submitted by the Nature Conservancy that would have limited nonresident landowner permits to lands enrolled in “qualified management activities that promote improved native habitat,” and would have directed the Department of Wildlife and Parks to publish a list of qualifying programs and accept conservation organization requests for qualification. That motion failed on a voice vote.

Following the failed Nature Conservancy substitute, Senator Shane moved to table Senate Bill 80; the motion to table carried on a voice vote and the bill was set aside with no date for further consideration.

Discussion in the committee noted enforcement difficulties for the Department of Wildlife and Parks in verifying that tenants who claim tags are actually engaged in agricultural operations and that tightening the tenant definition was intended to address those law‑enforcement concerns while leaving broader allocation questions to later discussion.

The committee will return after legislative turnaround to continue hearings on other bills and related budget items.

","The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee amended Senate Bill 80 to narrow who qualifies as a tenant for landowner deer permits and later voted to table the bill after debate and a failed Nature Conservancy amendment.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee narrows tax collection and restores penalty limits in amended Senate Bill 184

Committee tightens tenant rule for landowner deer permits, then tables Senate Bill 80