Governor signs bill tweaking K-12 public school graduation rate calculations
By TIM CARPENTER
Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation Tuesday establishing a task force dedicated to developing a long-term investment strategy for Kansas water resources modeled after the state’s rolling 10-year transportation program.
The Democratic governor praised members of the Republican-led Legislature for approving House Bill 2172 to create a dedicated funding source for addressing the state’s water challenges. The task force with 13 voting members must work to get a better handle on evaluation of water appropriations and state water laws. The task force will submit to Kelly and the Legislature a preliminary report in 2026 and a final report in 2027.
“Developing a comprehensive, long-term and sustainable water program is long overdue and a significant step forward in ensuring Kansas’ water supply is preserved for generations to come,” Kelly said. “I commend the Legislature for advancing my proposal and acting on this critical issue.”
The bill passed the House on a vote of 116-8 and it received unanimous support in the Senate. In January, Kelly recommended the Legislature authorize the task force. The Kansas Water Authority and Kelly administration conducted 14 public meetings last year to gather input on water policy.
The task force, with members from each of the state’s five conservation regions, must work to evaluate major risks to Kansas’ water quality and quantity, including issues of current and future economic growth. It must evaluate water infrastructure needs in every corner of the state.
“This is a critical step forward in addressing Kansas’ water challenges by establishing a dedicated task force and work group to guide our state’s water policy and funding decisions,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover. “This bill reflects a bipartisan legislative commitment to ensuring sustainable water resources for future generations, and I’m proud to see it move forward with the governor’s support.”
Kelly also signed Senate Bill 45, which created an alternative school district graduation rate calculation that excluded students who transferred to homeschools and nonaccredited private schools or who enrolled as a credit-deficient student.
The governor signed Senate Bill 54 to require disclosure in court proceedings of third-party litigation funding agreements as well as House Bill 2118 requiring private entities that solicit a fee for filing or retrieving government documents to tell consumers the solicitations weren’t made on behalf of a government agency.
Kelly put a signature to House Bill 2030 to exclude dealers and manufacturers of nonmotorized trailers from the vehicle dealers licensing law. It wouldn’t apply to dealers of semitrailers and travel trailers.
Her signing of House Bill 2122 meant the annual license fee of electric and hybrid vehicles would increase. The fee for electric hybrid vehicles would go from $50 to $70, while the plug-in electric hybrid vehicle fee would rise from $50 to $100. The all-electric vehicle would be hit with a fee of $165, up from $100.
She placed into law contents of House Bill 2016 to give active military members, their spouses and dependents stationed in Kansas but maintaining residency in another state to serve as poll workers for Kansas elections. In addition, the bill permitted county election officers to rely on obituaries posted online to remove a voter’s name from registration books.
The governor agreed to sign House Bill 2168 to extend the time required for filing of public land surveys from 30 days to 90 days to comply with industry standards. Meanwhile, Kelly signed House Bill 2242 to authorize a Kansas governor to accept requests for concurrent jurisdiction from the federal government.