Session of 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 2372
By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
Requested by Representative Kessler
2-11
1AN ACT concerning state memorials; relating to the fallen firefighters
2memorial; designating the existing fallen firefighters memorial within
3the Kansas firefighters museum in Wichita as the official fallen
4firefighters memorial of the state of Kansas; creating the Kansas fallen
5firefighters memorial council; abolishing the existing Kansas
6firefighters memorial advisory committee and transferring such
7committee's powers, duties, functions, records and other property to the
8newly created council; requiring expenditures from the Kansas fallen
9firefighters memorial fund for the purposes of constructing, updating
10and repairing the memorial and allowing expenditures to be made for
11other purposes related to memorializing and honoring Kansas
12firefighters; amending K.S.A. 75-36,102 and repealing the existing
13section; also repealing K.S.A. 75-36,103.
14
15Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
16New Section 1. The Kansas firefighters memorial advisory committee
17is hereby abolished, and all powers, duties, functions, records and other
18property of the Kansas firefighters memorial advisory committee are
19hereby transferred to the Kansas fallen firefighters memorial council
20created by section 2, and amendments thereto.
21New Sec. 2. (a) There is hereby established the Kansas fallen
22firefighters memorial council, which shall be composed of nine members
23as follows:
24(1) A representative of the Kansas state firefighters association
25appointed by the governor;
26(2) a representative of the Kansas state association of fire chiefs
27appointed by the governor;
28(3) a representative of the Kansas professional fire chiefs association
29appointed by the governor;
30(4) a representative of the Kansas council of firefighters appointed by
31the governor;
32(5) a representative of the fire education association of Kansas
33appointed by the governor;
34(6) a representative of the Kansas chapter of the international
35association of arson investigators appointed by the governor;
1(7) a representative of the fire marshal's association of Kansas
2appointed by the governor;
3(8) the state fire marshal or the marshal's designee; and
4(9) the executive director of the Kansas state historical society or the
5executive director's designee.
6(b) The council shall make recommendations to the governor and the
7legislature regarding appropriate activities memorializing or
8commemorating the services of firefighters in Kansas, including, but not
9limited to, recommendations concerning the updating and repairing of the
10fallen firefighters memorial pursuant to K.S.A. 75-36,102, and
11amendments thereto. The council may solicit grants, gifts, contributions
12and bequests for the memorial and shall remit all moneys so received for
13deposit in the state treasury to the credit of the Kansas firefighters
14memorial fund in accordance with K.S.A. 75-36,102, and amendments
15thereto.
16(c) The members of the council shall organize annually by electing a
17chairperson and vice chairperson. The council shall meet at least once each
18year upon the call of the chairperson. The secretary of administration, or
19the secretary's designee, shall serve as secretary for the council. Members
20of the council appointed by the governor under this section shall serve at
21the pleasure of the governor.
22Sec. 3. K.S.A. 75-36,102 is hereby amended to read as follows: 75-
2336,102. (a) There shall be placed on state property within the state capitol
24plaza area a memorial to Kansas firefighters who have lost their lives in
25the line of duty in the service of the state. Such memorial shall be located
26at a site to be selected by the director. Such memorial shall be constructed
27in accordance with the design and architectural drawings approved by the
28director. The memorial shall be of such a design that the names of the
29firefighters to be honored, both past and future, may be inscribed thereon.
30The fallen firefighters memorial located at the Kansas firefighters museum
31at 1300 S. Broadway Wichita, KS 67211, is hereby designated as the
32official fallen firefighters memorial within the state of Kansas. Annually,
33the director shall cause annually the name or names of any firefighters
34who have lost their lives in the line of duty in the service of the state to be
35inscribed upon the memorial. The memorial for Kansas firefighters is
36subject to the provisions, procedures and approvals required under K.S.A.
3775-36,102 through 75-36,106, and amendments thereto, except that such
38memorial for Kansas firefighters is hereby authorized by the legislature for
39purposes of subsection (b) of K.S.A. 75-36,106, and amendments thereto.
40(b) It shall be the duty of the state fire marshal on or before the 15th
41day of March of each year to notify the secretary of administration of the
42name or names of any firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of
43duty during the preceding calendar year. The state fire marshal shall
1assemble gather the necessary information regarding any such firefighter
2and report the same such information to the director.
3(c) The secretary of administration Kansas fallen firefighters
4memorial council is hereby authorized to receive any grants, gifts,
5contributions or bequests made for the purpose of financing the
6construction of such memorial or for its upkeep and the addition of names
7thereto and to expend the same for the purpose for which received
8expenditures authorized pursuant to subsection (d).
9(d) There is hereby established in the state treasury the Kansas fallen
10firefighters memorial fund. Expenditures from the fund may shall be made
11for the purposes of constructing, updating and repairing such the fallen
12firefighters memorial, and may be made for other purposes related to
13memorializing and honoring Kansas firefighters and for such purposes as
14may be specified with regard to any grant, gift, contribution or bequest. All
15such expenditures shall be authorized by the Kansas fallen firefighters
16memorial advisory committee council and made upon warrants of the
17director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by
18the secretary of administration or the secretary's designee.
19(e) On or before the 10th of each month, the director of accounts and
20reports shall transfer from the state general fund to the Kansas fallen
21firefighters memorial fund interest earnings based on:
22(1) The average daily balance of moneys in the Kansas fallen
23firefighters memorial fund for the preceding month; and
24(2) the net earnings rate for the pooled money investment portfolio
25for the preceding month.
26Sec. 4. K.S.A. 75-36,102 and 75-36,103 are hereby repealed.
27Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
28publication in the statute book.