Board of Mortuary Arts budget advanced; committee notes healthy ending balance and asks for detail on complaints

The House Committee on Appropriations advanced the budget recommendations for the Kansas Board of Mortuary Arts for fiscal years 2025–2027 and asked the board for more detail on complaint volumes and the kinds of consumer issues the agency investigates.

Chairman Bueller reported the board is a fee‑funded agency requesting $346,000 for FY2025 with no supplemental requests and no changes to FTEs. Bueller said the agency had a “healthy ending balance” and later told the committee that amount was $123,468 (page 9 of the detailed summary).

Representative Walsinger asked why the balance was that size and suggested fee‑fund agencies returning excess funds or reducing fees should be considered if reserves substantially exceed statutory limits. Bueller said the board’s balance had fallen since 2023 and described it as a healthy operating balance rather than an excess reserve.

Committee members also asked for a clearer description of the complaints handled by the board. Bueller said national trends (unreasonable or unexpected funeral costs, unprofessional conduct, negligence, breach of contract) can cascade to state complaints; he agreed to follow up with the board for detail on complaint categories and counts.

For FY2026 and FY2027, the board’s budget increases modestly to reflect rent changes related to a new five‑year lease at Jayhawk Tower and some information technology services. The committee approved the Social Services Budget Committee recommendations by voice vote and forwarded them for inclusion in HB 2,007.

Ending: The board’s budgets were advanced and committee staff were asked to obtain more detail on complaint categories and the justification for the board’s ending balance.