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Panel approves pump‑installer licensing and $100 fee cap; KDHE warns cap may underfund program
Summary
The Committee on Water voted 10–4 to advance HB 24-24, which creates pump installation contractor licenses and requires water-quality sampling; an amendment set an annual statutory fee cap of $100, a change KDHE said could leave the program underfunded.
The Committee on Water advanced House Bill 24-24 by a 10–4 vote after adding an amendment that sets an annual statutory fee cap of $100 and requires the secretary to review fees annually.
Kyle, who summarized the bill for the committee, said HB 24-24 would establish licensing and qualifications for pump installation contractors, allow online examinations, require certain water-quality testing by Kansas-certified laboratories on request, and require pump installers to submit installation records within 30 days.
The committee considered an amendment proffered by the chair to clarify that the licenses are annual and to cap license and renewal fees at no more than $100. William Carr, director of the Bureau of Water at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, told the committee the program currently brings in about $50,000 a year while KDHE’s staffing and salary costs for the program are ‘‘over $200,000.’’ He said a statutory cap at $100 could constrain the agency’s ability to run the licensing program.
Members debated whether to give statutory flexibility for a higher cap. Representative Vaughn proposed a conceptual amendment to increase the cap to $150 to provide flexibility; the committee took a show-of-hands vote on that conceptual change (6 in favor, 9 opposed) and the amendment failed. The committee then voted to adopt the original amendment (annual review, $100 cap) by hand count (9 in favor, 4 opposed). Chair then called a final hand vote on HB 24-24 as amended; the bill passed 10–4 and will move out of committee.
Supporters said licensing would improve sanitary practices and recordkeeping for wells and pump work and that industry requested the measure. Critics warned the new license and annual renewal could impose recurring costs and bureaucracy that may be passed to consumers or be difficult for small operators.
The committee recorded the amendment votes and the final 10–4 passage; members may register their votes on the record later.
