Kansas increases weights and measures fees, mandates annual electric vehicle charger inspections, and regulates service companies

Original title: AN ACT concerning the Kansas department of agriculture; relating to weights and measures; consolidating chapter 83 definitions into a single section; defining device for weighing, measuring or both; increasing the minimum fee per invoice from $50 to $70; authorizing licensed service companies and city or county departments of weights and measures to remove rejection tags for test or repair purposes; requiring any such entity to replace the rejection tag with a substitute if the device or equipment cannot be repaired and notify the secretary; requiring persons desiring to operate as a service company to obtain a license; establishing fees and procedures for such licensure; requiring nonresident service companies to designate a resident agent; requiring technical representatives to be licensed, attend continuing education seminars and pass an examination; authorizing the secretary to charge a fee for continuing education seminars; prohibiting service companies from receiving or renewing a license until their weights or measures, or both, are tested and sealed; authorizing the secretary to accept a calibration certificate in lieu of a test; authorizing the secretary to revoke, suspend, decline to renew or decline to issue a service company or technical representative license after notice and hearing for certain violations; requiring weights or measurers, or both used commercially to be tested and inspected annually by a licensed technical representative, an authorized city or county representative or the secretary; requiring test weights or equipment used in grain elevators to be approved and sealed annually, or every three years for those with a nominal capacity of 250 pounds or greater; requiring reports of tests and inspections to be furnished to the owner or operator and the secretary within 10 days; relating to the Kansas conservation reserve enhancement program; increasing the acreage cap for CREPs from 40,000 to 60,000 acres; clarifying the county acreage cap for CREPs and that the last eligible offer for enrollment exceeding applicable acreage caps may be approved; removing the limitation on acres eligible for CREP enrollment based on expired federal contracts; adding a general ineligibility criterion based on federal ineligibility; allowing CREP contracts for dryland farming or limited irrigation for water quantity goals; removing the prohibition on participation in CREP for government-owned water rights; clarifying current CREP criteria related to water right usage, sanctions and reporting; allowing exceptions to eligibility criteria based on factors such as location in high-priority water conservation areas, high-flow capacity wells, circumstances like bankruptcy or probate and enrollment in other water conservation programs; modifying the reporting requirements to cover the preceding five years; amending K.S.A. 2-1933, 83-201, 83-202, 83-207, 83-208, 83-214, 83-215, 83-216, 83-217, 83-218, 83-219, 83-220, 83-221, 83-222, 83-224, 83-225, 83-304, 83-305, 83-404, 83-405 and 83-501 and repealing the existing sections; also repealing K.S.A. 83-149, 83-154, 83-155, 83-301, 83-302, 83-303, 83-308, 83-311, 83-326, 83-401, 83-402, 83-403, 83-407, 83-409, 83-410, 83-411 and 83-502.