House committee forwards roughly $34.7 million in Build Kansas Fund requests for federal review

A House committee chaired by Chairman Waymaster on March 12 reviewed seven Build Kansas Fund applications and voted to forward all seven to the next step of federal award consideration, totaling $34,726,571 in state matching requests.

The Build Kansas Fund is used to provide state matching funds to unlock larger federal grants. Matthew Volts of the Kansas Infrastructure Hub, speaking for the Build Kansas steering committee, presented the applications and the committee recommended each application for approval after steering-committee review on March 12. "We have 7 applications to review today," Volts said. Several members asked questions about matching ratios and federal program status; Volts repeatedly noted that several federal grant programs are currently under review. "The grant program is paused right now. It's under the federal review, right now by the agency that's in charge of it," he said.

Why it matters: The committee's recommendations, if the federal agencies award the grants, would unlock roughly $104.98 million in combined federal funding and local contributions and support projects that range from water-treatment upgrades and a 69-mile pipeline to storm-sewer reconstruction and airport safety improvements.

Project summaries and committee action

- 2025-086, Rural Water District No. 5 (Crawford County). Build Kansas request: $356,250; local contribution: $18,750 (cash $10,000; $8,750 in-kind); federal funding to be unlocked: $1,125,000; total…