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Committee moves several agency budgets after debate over reappropriations and enhancements
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Summary
The committee worked budgets for the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, Kansas State Board of Healing Arts, State Library and Kansas State Historical Society; the Behavioral Sciences and Healing Arts budgets were moved out with concurrence, the State Library budget was amended to restore a FY26 reappropriation and debated enhancements, and members approved targeted funding changes for the Historical Society.
The Committee on Higher Education Budget spent the bulk of its meeting reviewing and voting on agency budgets.
Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board: Dayton Lamonion, principal fiscal analyst, reported no changes to the FY2026 approved budget and one FY2027 adjustment to reflect an approved pay plan that had been omitted from last year’s bill. Representative Amick moved to concur with the committee recommendation; the committee approved the motion and the chair announced the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board budget was "in the books."
Kansas State Board of Healing Arts: Edgar Klein reported no changes to the board's FY2026 or FY2027 budgets other than an earlier pay plan; Representative Aiden moved to concur with the SBC recommendation and the committee approved the motion.
Kansas State Library: staff and the state librarian discussed a FY2026 reappropriation (about $124,000) and FY2027 enhancement requests including $483,000 for state grants-in-aid to libraries and a $96,000 courier subsidy. State Librarian Ray Walling said roughly $83,000 of the unspent funds were set aside for a new website that was not ultimately purchased and described how the restored reappropriation would be used (courier alignment, digital book content, expanded services for blind users and talking-books advertising). Walling provided a cost comparison for delivery methods: "To transfer a book by United States Postal Service, the first pound using library rate mail is $4.25 and then 71¢ per each additional pound. The courier service average is a dollar and 6¢ per item" — a difference members noted when debating the courier subsidy’s cost-effectiveness. Several substitute motions were offered; the committee ultimately approved a motion to move the state library budget out as amended (restoring the FY26 reappropriation while leaving some FY27 enhancements deleted); an attempt to add the courier subsidy for 2027 failed on a hand-raise vote.
Kansas State Historical Society: staff outlined multiple supplemental requests (museum opening $216,000 and 3 FTEs, Curtis House $41,000 and 1.5 FTEs, West Building rehabilitation $200,000). Committee members debated whether the projects should be funded now or deferred given timelines and ownership questions. Patrick Zollner, executive director of the Kansas Historical Society, told the committee the Quindaro Ruins task force had not yet convened and that the task force chair had not called a meeting. After multiple substitute motions and recorded debate over funding sources and timing, the committee approved a substitute motion that included archives rehabilitation funding (341,000 SGF) for FY2027 and adopted a modified approach to the museum opening consistent with the governor’s proposal.
Votes at a glance: - Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board: concurred and moved out (voice vote announced by chair). - Kansas State Board of Healing Arts: concurred and moved out (voice vote announced by chair). - Kansas State Library: committee approved motion to move the budget out as amended; FY26 reappropriation restored (approx. $124,000 SGF); addition of courier subsidy for 2027 failed. - Kansas State Historical Society: committee approved a substitute motion to add archives rehab (341,000 SGF) and to adopt the governor’s museum-opening approach for FY2027.
The committee adjourned after confirming upcoming hearings (WSU briefing) and staff confirmed publication of the performance-based budgeting document.
