§ 74-520a — Establishment of state fair board; membership; division of state for districts; establishment of nonprofit corporation

(a) On and after March 15, 1995, the Kansas state fair board is hereby established. The Kansas state fair board shall consist of the following members:
(1) The secretary of agriculture or the successor of the secretary of agriculture, or the secretary's designee;
(2) the secretary of commerce, or the secretary's designee;
(3) the director of extension of Kansas state university of agriculture and applied science, or the director's designee;
(4) one person appointed by the governor from three persons nominated by the Kansas chamber of commerce and industry;
(5) one person appointed by the governor from three persons nominated by the travel industry association of Kansas;
(6) one person appointed by the governor from three persons nominated by the Kansas fairs association; and
(7) seven people from the general public appointed by the governor. Of such people appointed, one shall be from each of the five extension areas, as established in subsection (e), and two shall represent the state at large. Directors of each extension area shall submit three nominations to the governor. Such persons nominated shall be actively involved in agriculture production or agribusiness.
(b) Of the persons initially appointed by the governor under subsection (a), three shall have a term of one year, three shall have a term of two years and three shall have a term of three years and until a successor is appointed and qualified. Thereafter, all members shall have terms of three years and until a successor is appointed and qualified.
(c) Any vacancy occurring on the Kansas state fair board shall be filled as the original appointment was made.
(d) If any of the members able to appoint a designee does so, the designee shall be appointed for a term of not less than one year.
(e) For the purpose of this section the state shall be divided into five extension areas. The northwest extension area shall include the following counties: Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Phillips, Smith, Osborne, Rooks, Graham, Sheridan, Thomas, Sherman, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, Barton, Rush and Ness. The southwest extension area shall include the following counties: Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Pawnee, Hodgeman, Finney, Kearny, Hamilton, Edwards, Ford, Gray, Haskell, Grant, Stanton, Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade, Clark, Comanche and Kiowa. The south central extension area shall include the following counties: Lincoln, Ottawa, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Saline, Rice, McPherson, Marion, Reno, Harvey, Butler, Kingman, Sedgwick, Cowley, Sumner, Harper, Barber, Pratt and Stafford. The southeast extension area shall include the following counties: Morris, Chase, Lyon, Osage, Franklin, Miami, Coffey, Anderson, Linn, Bourbon, Allen, Woodson, Greenwood, Elk, Wilson, Neosho, Crawford, Chautauqua, Montgomery, Labette and Cherokee. The northeast extension area shall include the following counties: Jewell, Republic, Washington, Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan, Mitchell, Cloud, Clay, Riley, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Atchison, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson, Douglas, Shawnee, Wabaunsee and Geary.
(f) (1) The Kansas state fair board is authorized to establish a nonprofit corporation organized under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code of 1986. The board of directors of the nonprofit corporation shall consist of the members of the executive committee of the fair board, the general manager and other directors designated by the fair board.
(2) The purpose of the nonprofit corporation shall be to receive gifts, donations, grants and other moneys and engage in fundraising projects for the benefit of the Kansas state fair.

Legislative History

L. 1994, ch. 311, § 1; L. 2003, ch. 154, § 24; L. 2011, ch. 104, § 10; L. 2019, ch. 34, § 1; July 1.