Proposal would let a Kansas authority manage football stadiums

The proposal would establish a state authority to acquire, build, finance, and manage sports facilities and related infrastructure. The proposal defines professional sports as the National Football League. Facilities could include a stadium, practice site, or connected event venue. The authority’s bonds would require the commerce secretary’s approval and would be obligations of the authority, not the state. The act would take effect after publication in the statute book. Initial authority members would have to be appointed by August 31, 2026.

The authority could take over an existing sports facility and make agreements for its operation and use. The facility could be owned by a public or private entity. A lease, use, or management agreement would generally make the user, tenant, or manager responsible for liabilities tied to operating or using it, unless the agreement says otherwise. The facility’s governing body would have to request the transfer and agree with the authority on its responsibilities, including debts, funding, management, and upkeep. If the governing body and the main team user are separate, both would have to recommend the transfer. The authority would have to find that taking over the facility would not harm the authority or state general fund or create a state obligation.

The authority would report to legislative committees each year and agree with the professional team on minimum time for state and community events. Reports would cover the authority’s facilities, infrastructure, actions, and operations. The facility-use agreement would cover events hosted by the state or its designees. Community events must not compete with the team’s events, and the team would have scheduling priority. At a committee’s request, the authority chair and executive director would have to testify about the report. Reports would begin by January 15, 2027, and be due by January 15 each year after that.