Image courtesy Canva
Governor Laura Kelly visited Hays on Wednesday for the ceremonial signing of Senate Substitute for House Bill 2172, which officially creates a water program task force aimed at developing a long-term, sustainable investment strategy for Kansas water resources.
The newly formed task force is charged with designing a water program supported by a dedicated revenue source and evaluating the state’s current water funding and planning laws. It will submit a preliminary report to the governor and Legislature by January 31, 2026, and a final report by January 31, 2027.
The 16-member group is led by a bipartisan team, including Senator Kenny Titus and Representative Jim Minnix, and includes six citizen appointees. A separate five-member work group will focus on modernizing the State Water Resources Planning Act.
The task force’s creation follows 14 public meetings held across Kansas in 2024 to gather input on local water priorities. Feedback from those meetings was compiled in the state’s Strategic Implementation Framework, which will help guide the task force’s work.
