As Amended by House Committee
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.
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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
29firefighters museum appointed 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
33Wichita park board appointed by the governor;
34(6) a representative of the Kansas chapter of the international
35association of arson investigators state funeral assistance team appointed
1by the governor;
2(7) a representative of the fire marshal's association of Kansas
3appointed by the governor;
4(8) the state fire marshal or the marshal's designee; and
5(9) the executive director of the Kansas state historical society or the
6executive director's designee.
7(b) The council shall make recommendations to the governor and the
8legislature regarding appropriate activities memorializing or
9commemorating the services of firefighters in Kansas, including, but not
10limited to, recommendations concerning the updating and repairing of the
11fallen firefighters memorial pursuant to K.S.A. 75-36,102, and
12amendments thereto. The council may solicit grants, gifts, contributions
13and bequests for the memorial and shall remit all moneys so received for
14deposit in the state treasury to the credit of the Kansas firefighters
15memorial fund in accordance with K.S.A. 75-36,102, and amendments
16thereto.
17(c) The members of the council shall organize annually by electing a
18chairperson and vice chairperson. The council shall meet at least once each
19year upon the call of the chairperson. The secretary of administration, or
20the secretary's designee, shall serve as secretary for the council. Members
21of the council appointed by the governor under this section shall serve at
22the pleasure of the governor.
23Sec. 3. K.S.A. 75-36,102 is hereby amended to read as follows: 75-
2436,102. (a) There shall be placed on state property within the state capitol
25plaza area a memorial to Kansas firefighters who have lost their lives in
26the line of duty in the service of the state. Such memorial shall be located
27at a site to be selected by the director. Such memorial shall be constructed
28in accordance with the design and architectural drawings approved by the
29director. The memorial shall be of such a design that the names of the
30firefighters to be honored, both past and future, may be inscribed thereon.
31The fallen firefighters memorial located at adjacent to the Kansas
32firefighters museum at 1300 S. Broadway Wichita, KS 67211, is hereby
33designated as the official fallen firefighters memorial within the state of
34Kansas. Annually, the director shall cause annually the name or names of
35any firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty in the service
36of the state to be inscribed upon the memorial. The memorial for Kansas
37firefighters is subject to the provisions, procedures and approvals required
38under K.S.A. 75-36,102 through 75-36,106, and amendments thereto,
39except that such memorial for Kansas firefighters is hereby authorized by
40the legislature for purposes of subsection (b) of K.S.A. 75-36,106, and
41amendments thereto.
42(b) It shall be the duty of the state fire marshal on or before the 15th
43day of March of each year to notify the secretary of administration of the
1name or names of any firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of
2duty during the preceding calendar year. The state fire marshal shall
3assemble gather the necessary information regarding any such firefighter
4and report the same such information to the director.
5(c) The secretary of administration Kansas fallen firefighters
6memorial council is hereby authorized to receive any grants, gifts,
7contributions or bequests made for the purpose of financing the
8construction of such memorial or for its upkeep and the addition of names
9thereto and to expend the same for the purpose for which received
10expenditures authorized pursuant to subsection (d).
11(d) There is hereby established in the state treasury the Kansas fallen
12firefighters memorial fund. Expenditures from the fund may shall be made
13for the purposes of constructing, updating and repairing such the fallen
14firefighters memorial, and may be made for other purposes related to
15memorializing and honoring Kansas firefighters and for such purposes as
16may be specified with regard to any grant, gift, contribution or bequest. All
17such expenditures shall be authorized by the Kansas fallen firefighters
18memorial advisory committee council and made upon warrants of the
19director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by
20the secretary of administration or the secretary's designee.
21(e) On or before the 10th of each month, the director of accounts and
22reports shall transfer from the state general fund to the Kansas fallen
23firefighters memorial fund interest earnings based on:
24(1) The average daily balance of moneys in the Kansas fallen
25firefighters memorial fund for the preceding month; and
26(2) the net earnings rate for the pooled money investment portfolio
27for the preceding month.
28Sec. 4. K.S.A. 75-36,102 and 75-36,103 are hereby repealed.
29Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
30publication in the statute book.