Senate Ag committee backs returning Kansas Water Office FY26 request to agency level, flags State Water Plan over-appropriation

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources on Monday recommended that the committee return the Kansas Water Office’s FY2026 funding to the agency’s original request, reducing roughly $5 million in House-added increases and restoring a $2 million transfer from the Economic Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF) to the State Water Plan Fund.

Committee Chair (Mr. Chair) said the panel would “go back to the agency request,” recommending that the committee’s position match the Kansas Water Office’s proposed base rather than the larger House position. Luke Drury, senior fiscal analyst for Legislative Research, told the committee: “In FY 2026, that is over appropriated by about $12,200,000.”

Why it matters: reversing the House’s additional funding trims the proposed enhancement to water planning and project development and reduces pressure on the State Water Plan Fund, which staff flagged as over-appropriated if the House-level increases are retained.

What the committee approved and discussed - Committee recommendation to revert the…