Kansas committee hears bill to create AI task force; witnesses urge city and health representation

State Rep. Nick Hoheisel introduced House Bill 2592 on behalf of supporters at a Committee on Legislative Modernization hearing, saying the measure would create the Kansas Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies to study AI impacts, workforce implications and regulatory needs.

The bill, as described by the legislative reviser, would establish six voting members — three appointed by House leadership and three by Senate leadership — and five nonvoting members, including the attorney general (or designee), a State Board of Education appointee, a Board of Regents appointee, the secretary of commerce and a governor appointee who "has demonstrated expertise in AI, cybersecurity or advanced technologies." Appointments would have to be made by Aug. 1, 2026, the group would submit reports to the governor and the legislative leaders on Dec. 31, 2026 (and each Dec. 31 thereafter), and the statutory section would sunset on Jan. 1, 2028. Committee staff identified a fiscal note of about $30,000 based on four meetings a year to cover mileage and expenses.

"HB 2592 would create the Kansas Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies," Hoheisel said, adding he included "emerging technologies" to allow the group discretion to consider topics such as blockchain or cryptocurrency. Hoheisel told the committee he would welcome amendments to add additional sector representatives and said he was open "to getting into an odd number" of voting members to avoid tie votes.

Municipal leaders and a public-health analyst who testified urged changes to reflect local and sector-specific needs. "We'd like to see an amendment that would add a city representative to the task force as a nonvoting member since the bill specifically seeks to address local government efficiency," said Anne Marie Atsula, staff attorney with the League of Kansas Municipalities. Atsula told the committee cities of different sizes face varied resource constraints and asked the panel to consider rural as well as urban voices when selecting local representation.

Shelby Raul, an analyst at the Kansas Health Institute, provided an informational overview of state models and common designs for advisory AI bodies. KHI's review of 16 state bills found most bodies are advisory only, include a mix of legislative and executive representation plus technical experts, and typically require a written report and/or an annual report during a 12–24 month duration. "KHI does not take positions on legislation," Raul said, and the institute offered resources and an evidence table on state approaches.

Committee members asked questions about quorum (the bill specifies a quorum of four voting members), whether remote participation and remote voting would be permitted (the reviser said the task force chair would control those details), and whether the task force could itself introduce legislation (the reviser and sponsor said the group could make recommendations but not introduce bills). Lawmakers also raised concerns about rural impacts, energy use from data centers, and whether the governor's appointee should be a voting member to supply technical expertise.

The committee did not take a vote on HB 2592 during the hearing. Staff noted the bill’s fiscal estimate and the sponsor said the Legislature could extend the task force's life if the committee found it valuable. The hearing closed with the committee adjourning until Wednesday.