CHAPTER 10

House Bill No. 2624

An Act concerning fire districts; authorizing the disorganization of a county fire district by the board of county commissioners when such district contains no territory; amending K.S.A. 19-3604 and repealing the existing section.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

Section 1. K.S.A. 19-3604 is hereby amended to read as follows: 19-3604. (a) Any fire district may be disorganized by the board of county commissioners at any time after four years from the date of the publication of the final resolution for the first organization of such district upon a petition to the board and the making of an order in like manner as in the case of organizing any fire district under K.S.A. 19-3603, and amendments thereto.

(b) Any fire district that has been altered by the exclusion of lands such that the district has no territory may be disorganized at any time upon motion by the board of county commissioners and the making of an order in like manner as in the case of organizing any fire district under K.S.A. 19-3602, and amendments thereto.

(c) Subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 19-270, the territory of any organized fire district may be subsequently altered by the inclusion of new lands or by the exclusion of lands therein within the territory of such district upon a petition to the board of county commissioners signed by the owners of at least 10% of the area of the lands sought to be included or excluded, which. Such petition shall conform, as near as may be possible, to the petition required for the organization of a fire district. If the board of county commissioners finds the petition is sufficient, the board may adopt and publish a resolution attaching or detaching the lands described in the petition to or from the fire district. The resolution shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the lands are located. Such publication shall include a map showing the territory of the district and the lands proposed to be attached to or detached therefrom from such district. If within 30 days after the last publication of the resolution and map, a petition protesting the inclusion or detachment of such lands, signed by the owners, whether residents of the county or not, of more than 19% of the area of the lands sought to be included in or excluded from the fire district is filed with the county clerk, the resolution shall have no force or effect. If such a protest petition shall not be filed within such time, the resolution shall become final, and the lands shall thereupon be deemed attached to or detached from the fire district. In any case where lands are included in or excluded from a fire district as provided herein pursuant to this section, the board shall declare the new boundary of the district by the adoption and publication of a resolution in like manner as the boundaries were declared at the time of the original organization thereof of such district.

Sec. 2. K.S.A. 19-3604 is hereby repealed.

Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the statute book.

Approved March 20, 2026.