HB 2779

 Session of 2026
                        HOUSE BILL No. 2779
                   By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
                     Requested by Representative Waggoner
                                     2-13
1 AN ACT concerning the Kansas state fair board; relating to membership
2   thereof; requiring at least one member to be a resident of Reno county;
3   amending K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-520a and repealing the existing
4   section.
5
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
7     Section 1. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-520a is hereby amended to read as
8 follows: 74-520a. (a) On and after March 15, 1995, The Kansas state fair
9 board is hereby established. The Kansas state fair board shall consist of the
10 following members:
11     (1) The secretary of agriculture or the successor of the secretary of
12 agriculture, or the secretary's designee;
13     (2) the secretary of commerce, or the secretary's designee;
14     (3) the director of extension of Kansas state university of agriculture
15 and applied science, or the director's designee;
16     (4) one person appointed by the governor from three persons
17 nominated by the Kansas chamber of commerce and industry;
18     (5) one person appointed by the governor from three persons
19 nominated by the travel industry association of Kansas;
20     (6) one person appointed by the governor from three persons
21 nominated by the Kansas fairs association; and
22     (7) seven people persons from the general public appointed by the
23 governor. Of such people persons appointed, one shall be from each of the
24 five extension areas, as established in subsection (e), and two shall
25 represent the state at large. Directors of each extension area shall submit
26 three nominations to the governor. Such persons nominated shall be
27 actively involved in agriculture production or agribusiness. One of the
28 persons appointed to represent the state at large shall be a resident of
29 Reno county.
30     (b) Of the persons initially appointed by the governor under
31 subsection (a), three shall have a term of one year, three shall have a term
32 of two years and three shall have a term of three years and until a
33 successor is appointed and qualified. Thereafter, all members shall have
34 terms of three years and until a successor is appointed and qualified.
35     (c) Any vacancy occurring on the Kansas state fair board shall be
 HB 2779  2
1 filled as the original appointment was made.
2     (d) If any of the members able to appoint a designee does so, the
3 designee shall be appointed for a term of not less than one year.
4     (e) For the purpose of this section the state shall be divided into five
5 extension areas.
6     (1) The northwest extension area shall include the following counties:
7 Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Phillips, Smith, Osborne, Rooks,
8 Graham, Sheridan, Thomas, Sherman, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis,
9 Russell, Barton, Rush and Ness.
10     (2) The southwest extension area shall include the following counties:
11 Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Pawnee, Hodgeman, Finney, Kearny,
12 Hamilton, Edwards, Ford, Gray, Haskell, Grant, Stanton, Morton, Stevens,
13 Seward, Meade, Clark, Comanche and Kiowa.
14     (3) The south central extension area shall include the following
15 counties: Lincoln, Ottawa, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Saline, Rice, McPherson,
16 Marion, Reno, Harvey, Butler, Kingman, Sedgwick, Cowley, Sumner,
17 Harper, Barber, Pratt and Stafford.
18     (4) The southeast extension area shall include the following counties:
19 Morris, Chase, Lyon, Osage, Franklin, Miami, Coffey, Anderson, Linn,
20 Bourbon, Allen, Woodson, Greenwood, Elk, Wilson, Neosho, Crawford,
21 Chautauqua, Montgomery, Labette and Cherokee.
22     (5) The northeast extension area shall include the following counties:
23 Jewell, Republic, Washington, Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan,
24 Mitchell, Cloud, Clay, Riley, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Atchison, Jefferson,
25 Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson, Douglas, Shawnee, Wabaunsee and
26 Geary.
27     (f) (1) The Kansas state fair board is authorized to establish a
28 nonprofit corporation organized under section 501(c)(3) of the internal
29 revenue code of 1986. The board of directors of the nonprofit corporation
30 shall consist of the members of the executive committee of the fair board,
31 the general manager and other directors designated by the fair board.
32     (2) The purpose of the nonprofit corporation shall be to receive gifts,
33 donations, grants and other moneys and engage in fundraising projects for
34 the benefit of the Kansas state fair.
35     Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-520a is hereby repealed.
36     Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
37 publication in the statute book.