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Minutes for SB60 - Committee on Agriculture

Short Title

Extending the sunset of certain department of agriculture fees.

Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 8, 2017

Chair Hoffman opened the hearing on SB60 at 3:35pm.

Kyle Hamilton, Assistant Revisor, Office of The Revisor of Statutes, provided an overview of SB60 and the statutes that it affects.  (Attachment 1)  He answered questions from the Committee.

Chad Bontrager, Deputy Secretary, Kansas Department of Agriculture (KSDA), appeared before the Committee as a proponent of SB60.  He described the changes that were made to the bill in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.   They removed the proposed percentages from agriculture fees and reinstated the fees as fixed amounts, while extending the sunsets to 2025.  KSDA would like the language returned to the percentages so that we can recover transaction and administrative fees prior to distribution to the appropriate funds.  KSDA would also request an amendment to SB60 that will allow us to recover costs associated with our move to electronic filings.  (Attachment 2)

Mr. Bontrager answered questions from the Committee.

There are no opponents of SB60.

Erik Sartorius, Executive Director, League of Kansas Municipalities, appeared before the Committee as a neutral of SB60. We are concerned about the reduction of funds transferred to the State Water Plan (SWP).  The SWP needs additional funds, not a reduction.  Please keep this in mind as you are working SB60.  (Attachment 3)   Mr. Sartorius answered questions from the Committee.

Randy E. Stookey, General Counsel, KGFA and KARA, and Leslie Kaufman, President/CEO, Kansas Cooperative Council, submitted joint neutral written testimony of SB60(Attachment 4)  Mr. Stookey was in the gallery and stood for questions from the Committee.

Darci Meese, Manager Legal/Government Relations, WaterOne, submitted neutral written testimony of SB60(Attachment 5)

The hearing on SB60 was closed at 4:19pm.