Conference committee agrees to longer timeline for statewide water task force, debates membership and authority

The Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources discussed and revised plans for a statewide water task force, agreeing to a phased timeline that would produce a preliminary report in the first year and a final report due Jan. 31, 2027.

Committee leaders said the interim year will allow regional outreach and give lawmakers time to consider legislation next year. "This gives us this first year instead of trying to do regional," the chair said, explaining the plan for six regional meetings across the state timed around planting and harvest seasons. "The final report then would be done Jan. 31st of 2027," the chair added, noting a preliminary report would inform any legislation offered next year.

Why it matters: Lawmakers and agency leaders argued the additional time is intended to avoid rushing a long-term water plan while still producing usable findings for lawmakers. Committee members repeatedly said they wanted a substantive preliminary product rather than a perfunctory summary.

Most important decisions and debate

Timeline and outreach: Committee members described a two-step approach: regional listening sessions this year (six meetings statewide) to collect findings and a preliminary report this first year, followed by a final report due Jan. 31, 2027. The chair argued the delay was designed to avoid producing a flawed plan: "While time is of the essence, I don't want to do a bad plan," the chair said. Others on the committee urged that the preliminary report be concrete and "have some teeth," not merely an update.

Working group authority and reporting: Committee members agreed to change language that previously directed other work groups to work "jointly with and under the direction of the task force." The draft amendment removes the phrase and instead requires those groups to "submit ongoing reports to" the assembled task force, clarifying that the final decisions rest with the assembled task force. A member summarized the intent: the working group "is in a sense driving the bus," but the final decision should come from the assembled task force.

Membership and ex officio roles: Lawmakers debated whether three agency leadersthe state's chief engineer, the director of the Water Office, and the director of the Division of Environment at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)should be voting members, non-voting ex officio members, or eligible for appointment by legislative leaders. One committee member proposed restoring those three as ex officio, nonvoting resource members so they can provide technical perspective without altering the committee's partisan balance. That proposal prompted questions about how the speaker and senate president's joint appointments would be affected: if those agency leads are defined as ex officio, the leaders could not also appoint them as voting members.

Minority membership and appointments: The Senate version trimmed the task force membership and removed some ex officio slots; committee members noted the Senate had also removed two minority appointments. A compromise offered in committee would keep a 13-member task force while restoring parity by reducing the number of speaker/president appointments and adding joint minority appointments so minority representation matches the House position. Committee members discussed party math: if all legislative appointees were from the appointing member's party, the panel could end up with four Democrats and nine Republicans under the current proposal.

Budget and staff concerns: Members warned the extended timeline will place demands on staff time for assembling material and preparing early budgets, and that the working group must prioritize concrete, fundable actions.

What was said (selected quotes)

"This gives us this first year instead of trying to do regional. ... The final report then would be done Jan. 31st of 2027," the chair said.

"I don't want to do a bad plan. I'm afraid if we rush through this we're going to all be complaining in another 10 years," the chair said in urging a careful process.

"There are three that are really important to have at the table ... the chief engineer, the director of the water office, and then the director of the Division of Environment of KDHE," a committee member said, arguing those agency officials bring historical and technical perspective.

Next steps and outlook

Committee members agreed to continue negotiations in a conference setting and to reconvene after the morning floor session; leaders proposed meeting at 1 p.m. to work through remaining language, including a separate bill number (2111) that several members asked to review alongside the task force language. No formal vote was recorded in the transcript excerpt.

Ending

Lawmakers left the discussion with the broad outlines set: regional listening sessions, a preliminary product in year one and a final report on Jan. 31, 2027, and a clarified reporting line that ensures the assembled task force signs off on final decisions. Members asked staff to bring back refined language that preserves agencies' technical roles while maintaining the panel's appointed membership balance.