Senate committee approves Kansas Office of Veteran Services budget with reappropriations

A Senate committee voted to add reappropriations and pass the Kansas Office of Veteran Services budget for fiscal 2026–27 to the full Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Senator Owens moved to add SGF reappropriations for State Veterans Cemeteries R&R of $427,846 and VCAP service grants of $160,553, and to include funding items for relocating land/state office building and IT infrastructure upgrades as described in his motion. The motion was moved and seconded; the Chair called a voice vote and announced the motion carried.

Jenna, a member of the budget team, and Molly, an agency/budget representative, clarified how the bill as introduced handled capital project funds. Molly said, “The bill as introduced did not lapse those funds because they were specifically for capital improvement projects,” and explained that adding the motion would place the specified amounts into FY2026 for capital projects and the VCAP service grants.

After discussion and staff clarification that the motion was sufficient as presented, Senator Owens moved that the committee pass the Kansas Office of Veteran Services budget for FY26–27, as amended, out to the full Senate Ways and Means Committee for consideration. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the Chair announced the budget had passed out of the committee.

The committee did not take a roll-call vote in the transcripted record; actions were recorded as voice votes. Committee members indicated they would continue budget work as part of the broader Senate process.

What happens next: The budget package, as amended by the committee, will be considered by the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The committee record shows the matters were resolved by voice votes and the budget moves forward to the next stage of the Senate’s budget process.