Kansas Highway Patrol seeks hangar, aircraft replacement and campus reconfiguration; body-worn camera funding partially included

Kyle Anderson, fiscal analyst with the Legislative Research Department, reviewed the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) budget and told the committee the agency's FY2026 request had been reduced by legislative motions; House Bill 2007 reflects the current House position.

The patrol requested $2,600,000 in FY2025 supplemental funding for body-worn cameras; federal grant awards reduced the state need and the governor recommended $1,500,000 state highway fund to expand deployment. "The highway patrol does not currently use body worn cameras, which is rather unusual as this is increasingly becoming a professional standard for the use of body worn cameras," Executive Officer Merle Bridal told the committee. The House included $1,500,000 for body-worn cameras in the House substitute for HB2007.

KHP asked for $1,100,000 in FY2025 for urgent life-and-safety repairs at the Salina training academy (Marymount campus) to replace deteriorating concrete and collapsed stairs; the House recommended $1,000,000 of ARPA interest, but the Senate committee later removed ARPA interest funding. The agency's FY2026 enhancement list included a proposed $48,300,000 new headquarters request that has been withdrawn after the Department of Administration offered space at the Curtis State Office Building; the agency will pursue relocation timing with the legislature.

On aviation, KHP requested a $7,300,000 hangar at Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita to replace a leased hangar at Cook Airfield that lacks secure perimeter and full operational services. Bridal said the current hangar at Cook is year-to-year and Cook is listed for sale; the house recommended $7,000,000 of ARPA interest for a hangar, and the Senate position removed that ARPA interest funding. The agency also requested up to $4,000,000 to buy and outfit a replacement Cessna 206; the House did not add funding for aircraft replacement.

KHP also requested $1,400,000 for IT infrastructure upgrades; the governor recommended $800,000 state highway fund and the House retained $800,000 in HB2007. Bridal said KHP is working with the Office of Information Technology Services to migrate agency-owned services and that some needs can be met at lower state-highway-fund cost through that partnership.

Bridal closed by saying the Salina/Celina campus reconfiguration is a longer-term capital issue. A needs assessment estimated a partial reconfiguration on a new campus could cost about $416.6 million; KHP asked for up to $51,700,000 SGF in FY2026 for initial steps (dispatch center and troop headquarters relocations) and said further funding would be pursued over time, possibly including appraisals of the Marymount campus to offset costs.

Committee members asked about lease terms, cost comparisons between purchasing and leasing Cook Airfield, hangar capacity and how many aircraft would operate from a new Wichita hangar. Bridal said KHP currently operates six law‑enforcement aircraft and that a Wichita hangar would house approximately four aircraft.