§ 65-166b — Water program management fund

(a) There is hereby created in the state treasury the water program management fund. The secretary shall remit to the state treasurer, in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto, all moneys collected or received by the secretary from the following sources:
(1) Water pollution control permit system fees imposed pursuant to K.S.A. 65-166a, and amendments thereto;
(2) operators of water supply system and wastewater treatment facility certification fees imposed pursuant to K.S.A. 65-4513, and amendments thereto;
(3) water well contractor fees imposed pursuant to K.S.A. 82a-1206, and amendments thereto;
(4) interest attributable to investment of moneys in the water program management fund;
(5) gifts, grants, reimbursements or appropriations intended to be used for the purposes of the fund, but excluding federal grants and cooperative agreements; and
(6) any other moneys provided by law.
Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit in the state treasury any amount remitted pursuant to this subsection to the credit of the water program management fund.
(b) Moneys in the water program management fund shall be expended for the following purposes:
(1) Monitoring and investigating the quality of waters of the state;
(2) payment of the state's share of the clean water act matching costs, as required by the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. § 1256(d);
(3) payment for emergency action by the secretary as necessary or appropriate to assure that the public health or safety is not threatened whenever there is a release from a wastewater treatment facility;
(4) payment of the administrative, technical and legal costs incurred by the secretary in carrying out the provisions of K.S.A. 65-159 through 65-171y, 65-4501 through 65-4517 and 82a-1201 through 82a-1219, and amendments thereto, including the cost of any additional employees or increased general operating costs of the department attributable therefore; and
(5) development of educational materials and programs for informing the public about water issues.
(c) Expenditures from the water program management fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the secretary or a person designated by the secretary.
(d) On or before the 10 th day of each month, the director of accounts and reports shall transfer from the state general fund to the water program management fund interest earnings based on:
(1) The average daily balance of moneys in the water program management fund for the preceding month; and
(2) the net earnings rate of the pooled money investment portfolio for the preceding month.
(e) The water program management fund shall be used for the purposes set forth in this act and for no other governmental purposes. It is the intent of the legislature that the fund shall remain intact and inviolate for the purposes set forth in this act, and moneys in the fund shall not be subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 75-3722, 75-3725a and 75-3726a, and amendments thereto.
(f) The secretary shall prepare and deliver to the legislature, on or before the first day of each regular legislative session, a report that summarizes all expenditures from the water program management fund, fund revenues and recommendations regarding the adequacy of the fund to support necessary water program management programs.

Legislative History

L. 2014, ch. 30, § 1; L. 2024, ch. 10, § 2; July 1.