Adjutant General outlines disaster payments, readiness consolidation and capital projects as LBC trims enhancements

The Adjutant General’s Department presented its FY2025 and FY2026 budget to the committee, highlighting disaster-relief reappropriations, federal-grant shortfalls and a slate of capital projects while the Legislative Budget Committee removed a number of supplemental and enhancement requests.

Kyle Anderson, fiscal analyst with the Kansas Legislative Research Department, said the agency’s initial FY2025 request represented a large overall increase tied to previously approved building projects and disaster-related reappropriations. Anderson told the committee the LBC removed approximately $1.5 million in a reappropriation tied to disaster funds and removed several enhancement requests, while leaving other major items — notably a $12.9 million pre-disaster mitigation ask and ARPA-related requests — unchanged.

Keith Marshall, legislative liaison for the Adjutant General’s Department, told the committee the disaster-relief figures reflect projected state matching obligations for federal disaster declarations. He described the state/federal process for disaster declarations and said the department’s base disaster-relief budget is $1.5 million; with carryover and enhancements the total estimated state obligation for FY2025 could approach $4.6 million. Marshall explained that some federal disaster funding requires state matching and said, as described in his testimony, the typical split is "75% federal, 25% state and local, of which 10% is a state of Kansas cost."

Why it matters: The department’s budget funds emergency response and facility readiness across the state, including National Guard operations, disaster recovery matching funds and capital projects that affect local communities and readiness posture.

Key reductions and continuations: Anderson walked through line items the LBC removed and those it left in place. Among the committee’s removals were a $400,000 SGF request for KDEM (Kansas Division of Emergency Management) state matching fees and a $1.6 million supplemental tied to state disaster relief; the LBC also removed a Trinity White Readiness Center request and other enhancements. The committee left in place a $12.9 million pre-disaster mitigation request and approved no change to a requested ARPA-funded remodel of the State Defense Building.

Capital projects and facility changes: Anderson reviewed capital projects the agency plans or is carrying forward. Those include a previously approved State Defense Building remodel ($22.9 million, including $472,862 SGF moved forward), a replacement Hays Armory ($15.8 million SGF) to remove a facility located in a flood plain, and a Forbes Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program request of $5.9 million (federal funds) to construct a 2-megawatt system with solar array, battery storage and emergency backup generator.

On the planned consolidation of regional readiness centers, Anderson told the committee the Fort Riley Readiness Center project would consolidate four regional readiness centers into two multiunit readiness centers, "resulting in a divestment of Clay Center, Junction City, and Building 59 at Fort Riley Army National Guard Enclave." The transcript records committee members asking for further details; the analyst said he would follow up.

Hays Armory site and schedule: When Representative Weigel asked whether Hays Armory construction was under way, agency testimony traced the timeline: the Kansas Military Board approved the site purchase on Dec. 5, 2023; utilities work required by the purchase agreement was completed in 2024; "The purchase was closed September 30, 2024," the agency said, and the department expects to break ground in the spring (March–April) when weather allows.

Grants and federal funding adjustments: Anderson said the department expects a reduction of $837,067 in Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funds tied to federal decreases and a $6.4 million reduction in National Guard operations federal fund expenditures due to timing of capital projects. Marshall told the committee some enhancement requests the agency submitted were not included by the LBC; he said the governor’s budget limited other items and the department supports the governor’s $500,000 makeup for KDEM grant funding in FY2026.

Operational coordination: In response to Representative Weigel’s question about how army and air National Guard assets are used during disasters, Marshall said, "we only respond when requested." He described the process: local authorities request National Guard response through KDEM, which coordinates required capabilities with the Guard’s joint operations center and then matches assets to the local need.

Next steps: The hearing record shows the LBC made multiple removals of supplementals and enhancements and that the committee will issue budget recommendations. The transcript does not include final appropriation votes in this hearing; the agency noted some items will require continued follow-up and clarification in committee communications.