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Minutes for SB58 - Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Short Title
Modifying the requirements and allocations for multi-year flex accounts.
Minutes Content for Thu, Jan 30, 2025
Chairman Peck opened he hearing for SB58.
Tamera Lawrence, Revisor, presented an overview of the bill and stood for questions. (Attachment 1)
Lane Letourneau Water Appropriation Program Manager, Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA), spoke in support to SB58. The bill requests modifications to the state's multi-year flex account (MYFA) term permit statute. The significant changes proposed by this bill would modifying the calculations that determine a MYFA's multi-year quantity allocation in two important ways. First, allocation calculations would no longer rely on past average water us. Second, the proposed changes will eliminate the possibility for the same acres to essentially be counted twice in determining the quantity allocation.(Attachment 2)
Mr. Letournau stood for questions.
Aaron Popelka, V.P. of Legal and Governmental Affairs, Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) spoke in support to SB58. KLA policy supports a multi-year allocation system for water permits. KLA believes the changes contained in the bill will improve the program. (Attachment 3)
Mr. Popekla stood for questions.
Kent Askren, Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) provided written only testimony in support of SB58. KFB policy supports the concepts of water right use flexibility that align with the basic principles of Kansas water law. (Attachment 4)
Tom Taylor, on behalf of Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5 provided neutral testimony on SB58. (Attachment 5)
Mr. Taylor stood for questions.
Chairman Peck closed the hearing on SB58 at 8:37 a.m.
