2-2129. Plant pest emergency response fund.
2-2129
2-2129. Plant pest emergency response fund. (a) There is hereby created a plant pest emergency response fund in the state treasury. Such fund shall be funded by a fee assessed in addition to the fees assessed a live plant dealer under article 21 of chapter 2 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated. The additional fee shall be fixed by rule and regulation promulgated by the secretary of agriculture, except that such additional fee shall not exceed $5 annually on each live plant dealer license. The secretary is authorized and empowered to collect the fees provided in this section. When the total amount of fees deposited in the fund is equal to or exceeds $15,000, the secretary shall not collect any such fees as provided in this section. When expenditures made from the fund result in the total amount of the fees deposited in the fund to be less than $15,000, the secretary may resume the assessment and collection of such fees as provided in this section.
(b) The secretary is authorized and empowered to make expenditures from the plant pest emergency response fund and that in the discretion of the secretary mitigate pests that have been identified by the secretary as high risk pests having the potential to damage agriculture, horticulture or the environment. Such expenditures may include the costs of enforcement to protect against high risk pests identified by the secretary. All expenditures from such 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 by a designee of the secretary.
(c) The plant pest emergency response fund shall be a fund separate and distinct from the entomology fee fund referred to in K.S.A. 2-2128, and amendments thereto.
(d) The provisions of this section shall be part of and supplemental to this act.
History: L. 2001, ch. 175, § 1; L. 2002, ch. 91, § 15; July 1.