KBI seeks $93 million for new headquarters; legislators hear narrower governor recommendations for lab, cybersecurity and staffing

Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Mativi told the Legislative Budget Committee during a budget hearing that the agency needs a new headquarters and presented a 2026 funding package that includes a $93 million state general fund (SGF) request for a replacement facility, plus requests for lab equipment, cybersecurity staff and an offender-registration system.

Mativ i said the current Topeka headquarters — a converted middle school the agency now uses for administrative and information services functions — is “simply not a safe environment for our people to work in,” citing crumbling concrete, decaying pipes, lack of fire suppression and unsecured building perimeter. He said the agency’s capital request for a new building is the principal item in its 2026 budget package.

Why it matters: the KBI provides statewide investigative and forensic services used by local law enforcement. Director Mativi told lawmakers problems at the headquarters affect staff safety, long-term evidence storage and the agency’s ability to recruit and retain specialized personnel such as agents and forensic scientists.

In his presentation, Kyle, a legislative budget committee analyst, walked the committee through the fiscal 2025 revised and fiscal 2026 agency requests and noted spreadsheet calculation errors in the packet: “The approved value for 2025 should be 66,175,383 when you add those two numbers,” he told the committee, pointing to a printed table error. Kyle also summarized LBC and governor changes to the agency’s requests.

Key 2026 requests and committee actions - New KBI headquarters: $93,000,000 SGF request to replace the present facility; the LBC deleted the $93 million supplemental, and the governor’s recommendation did not restore that amount. Director Mativi urged lawmakers to pursue creative funding options, including long-term leasing or a wire-transfer fee modeled on Oklahoma’s program to generate a potential revenue stream for enforcement-related uses. Mativi said Oklahoma’s fee generates “between $8 and $10 million a year” and that a lease for a new headquarters would likely be “in the neighborhood of $9,000,000 a year.”

- Laboratory infrastructure: agency requested $1,200,000 (split in the packet as $132,338 for laboratory technician pay adjustments and $1,100,000 for capital outlay to replace GC–MS instruments). The LBC deleted the full request; the governor added back $500,000 for equipment but not the pay increase.

- Cybersecurity positions and pay: agency requested $1,100,000 SGF and two FTEs to implement Senate Bill 291’s cybersecurity staffing requirements (two executive cybersecurity positions). The LBC deleted the enhancement; the governor recommended funding the two FTEs (including $355,363 in wages) but not the larger pay increases proposed for the division.

- Storage area network replacement: $526,000 SGF requested to replace two aging SAN devices; deleted by LBC and not restored by the governor.

- Offender registration replacement (K‑SORT): $500,000 in special/state funds requested to procure a third‑party statewide offender‑registration platform to replace an aging system used by sheriffs and other law enforcement; LBC deleted the request but the governor recommended $500,000 toward the replacement.

- Career progression plan: the agency requested $239,626 SGF for annual salary progression funding for agents and forensic scientists; the governor recommended continued funding for the career progression plan. Director Mativi said the FY2024–25 pay enhancements helped recruitment and that career progression funding is needed to retain staff.

Budget and reorganization details Kyle told the committee that the FY2025 revision reflects a reappropriation of leftover meth lab cleanup funds (about $29,618 SGF moved from FY2024 to FY2025) and a reorganization that collapsed four divisions into two branches (criminal justice services and investigations). The reorganization is budget‑neutral for SGF and yields about $428,915 in all‑funds savings according to the packet. Kyle also identified an arithmetic discrepancy in the printed FY2025 totals and supplied corrected sums to the committee.

Capital budget The packet describes a FY2025 revised capital budget estimate of $4.6 million (about $3.4 million SGF), including a deferred Great Bend HVAC project ($1.2 million) and $300,000 SGF for rehabilitation and repairs across KBI facilities. The FY2026 capital request list was dominated by the $93 million headquarters request; the LBC removed that item.

Director’s safety and operational concerns Mativi described multiple operational problems at the current headquarters: insufficient evidence storage that risks exposure to flooding from aging pipes; an upper floor originally intended for storage that now houses staff and lacks fire suppression; and a campus layout that provides no secure perimeter for staff ingress/egress. He said the agency also lacks adequate dedicated training space and a firing range, forcing reliance on outside agencies for instruction. “We desperately need a new headquarters building,” Mativi said.

Funding alternatives and legislative proposals Director Mativi said the agency will continue to explore alternatives to an all‑SGF appropriation, including 30‑year lease agreements (with optional purchase), use of ARPA funds for a down payment, and a proposed wire‑transfer fee modeled after Oklahoma’s law that targets money‑transmission services (e.g., MoneyGram, Western Union) and exempts traditional banks; he said the Oklahoma model generates $8–$10 million annually. Mativi acknowledged the fee would be borne initially by senders but said legitimate filers would receive an annual tax credit to offset the cost.

Questions from lawmakers focused on costs, site options, laboratory capacity and statutory constraints. Mativi said the forensic laboratory on the Washburn campus would remain in place; the lab was described as largely modern but in need of a steadier equipment‑replacement cycle. He said most lab equipment was bought new in 2016 and that some instruments have exceeded their useful life.

What the committee did: the hearing recorded discussion, clarifications and follow‑up requests. The committee did not take a formal vote on the KBI headquarters request during this session.

Ending: Director Mativi offered to provide committee members the needs assessments prepared for the project (a statewide PGAV Architects assessment and a headquarters‑focused HTK Architects report) and said KBI staff will follow up with legislators on specific technical questions raised during the hearing.