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House committee advances bill to classify trail rides as agricultural for property tax
Summary
The Kansas House Committee of the Whole voted to report House Bill 2,400 favorably after brief debate. The bill would expand agricultural property-tax classification to include agritourism activities such as trail rides, preserving tax treatment for landowners who operate those activities.
The House Committee of the Whole voted to report House Bill 2,400 favorably for passage after a short floor explanation and limited discussion. The measure would clarify and expand the classification of agricultural land for property-tax purposes to include agritourism activities, specifically listing trail rides as a recognized ranching activity so the land can retain agricultural classification and attendant tax benefits.
Supporters said the change would help small business owners who operate horse trail rides and similar agritourism ventures. Representative Williams, sponsor, told the committee the bill "helps small businesses" and described a constituent directly affected by the current tax treatment.
Representative Sawyer Clayton noted the bill’s procedural history, saying the measure had previously been heard in another committee under a different bill number (HB 2035) and then reintroduced as HB 2,400 after timing constraints. Sawyer Clayton expressed mixed feelings about the bill’s route to the floor but did not identify formal opposition during debate.
There were no recorded committee amendments during the floor consideration. After brief remarks from the sponsor and a call for questions, the committee adopted the committee report and the motion to report HB 2,400 favorably for passage carried on a voice vote.
Votes at the time of the committee report were taken by voice; no roll-call tally for the final report was recorded in the transcript.
