Requiring at least one member of the Kansas state fair board to be a resident of Reno county.

2025-2026 Regular Session

The bill requires the state-at-large seat on the Kansas State Fair Board to be filled by a Reno County resident.

Died in Committee

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Purpose and intent

HB 2779 proposes to amend the membership requirements of the Kansas State Fair Board.

The core change is to ensure that at least one member appointed to represent the state at large is a resident of Reno County. The bill also includes general, technical amendments to the board’s statutory framework.

Key provisions and changes

Amended statute: K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 74-520a would be revised to reflect the new requirement.

Board composition (existing framework maintained):

Ex officio or designated members: Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, and Director of Extension at Kansas State University (or their designees).
Appointees by the Governor from three nominees each from:
Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Travel Industry Association of Kansas
Kansas Fairs Association
Seven public members appointed by the Governor:
Five extension-area representatives (one from each of the five extension areas)
Two at-large representatives
Among the at-large at-large representatives, one must be from Reno County (new requirement).

Extension areas: The bill retains the five extension regions with their respective county delineations.

Terms:

Initially, three appointees would have one-year terms, three would have two-year terms, and three would have three-year terms.
After initial appointments, all board members serve three-year terms.

Vacancies: Fill vacancies in the same manner as the original appointment process.

Nonprofit corporation: The board may establish a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity whose board would include the fair board’s executive committee, the general manager, and other designated directors to receive gifts and manage fundraising.

Who would be affected

The Kansas State Fair Board and its governance structure would be directly affected.

The requirement changes who can be considered for the “state at large” at-large seat, mandating Reno County residency for that particular seat.

Regions and nomination processes remain aligned with current extension-area structures, impacting nominating bodies (extension area leaders) and the composition of the board.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Effective date: The act would take effect upon publication in the statute book.

Implementation: The change would apply to appointments made under the amended statute; initial terms would follow the existing three-year pattern after the first set of staggered terms.

Fiscal note: The Division of the Budget states that the bill would not have a fiscal effect on Kansas State Fair operations.

Status: As of the provided record, the bill died in committee (April 10, 2026). It was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs earlier in February 2026.

Practical impact and considerations

Representation: The Reno County residency requirement aims to ensure geographic diversity or a specific local representation on the state-at-large seat at the Kansas State Fair Board.

Governance and fundraising: The optional nonprofit arm could enhance fundraising capacity, subject to future board decisions and governance rules.

Administrative continuity: Most of the board’s existing structure and nomination processes would remain intact, preserving current relationships with state agencies, extension services, industry groups, and extension-area leadership.