Mortuary Arts board: fee-funded budget unchanged for FY26, small FY27 increase driven by pay-plan and contractual costs

The Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts told the Committee on Social Services Budget that its approved FY26 budget remains $359,000 and that the agency expects a modest increase to $364,000 in FY27 primarily from a pay‑plan adjustment and higher contractual services.

Edgar Klein, a fiscal analyst with KLRD, said the board’s FY26 appropriation includes three FTE and no supplemental requests. "There are no changes to the approved amount of $359,000 and 3 FTE," Klein said during his presentation.

JW Carey, executive secretary of the board, told the committee the agency is entirely fee funded and operates with a small staff and a single inspector who is statutorily required to inspect about 370 facilities across the state. "We're a pretty straightforward agency. We are completely fee funded," Carey said, describing travel for inspections and membership dues as significant recurring costs.

Members pressed the agency on the contractual‑services line and what it covers; staff identified OITS and vendor fees under "fees other services" on the agency shorthand and promised to circulate the agency narrative and a more detailed breakdown. Carey added that the agency recently extended a lease at the Jayhawk building, which modestly increased rent, and that the board is considering another modest fee increase in the near term.

The committee noted that because this is a biennial agency and session had not yet started, formal recommendations would be made later in the appropriations process. Staff will provide the narrative and a line‑by‑line explanation of contractual services to help appropriations and budget reviewers evaluate requests.

Next steps: staff will distribute the Mortuary Arts narrative and the Office of Accounts and Reports Policy Manual to members, and the committee will revisit this budget during its scheduled budget recommendation session.