Volume 44 - Issue 28 - July 10, 2025
State of Kansas
State Library of Kansas Board
Notice of Hearing on Proposed Administrative Regulations
A public hearing will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 17, 2025, via Zoom to consider the adoption of proposed regulations, K.A.R. 54-1-8, 54-1-15, and 54-1-17, of the State Library, on a permanent basis. Members of the public who wish to attend the public hearing can do so at https://kslib.zoom.us/j/81690521898?pwd=UA5b4b0iO5GXxVofEad8QkfbjApOwi.1.
All interested parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to present their views orally regarding the adoption of the proposed regulations during the public hearing. In order to provide all parties an opportunity to present their views, it may be necessary to request that each participant limit any oral presentation to five minutes.
This 60-day notice of the public hearing shall constitute a public comment period for the purpose of receiving written public comments on the proposed permanent regulations. Public comments will be accepted through 4:00 p.m. September 16, 2025 to Catherine Hitch, Executive Administrative Assistant, State Library of Kansas, 300 SW 10th Ave., Room 312-N, Topeka, KS 66612 or by email at KSLIBbusiness@KS.gov.
Any individual with a disability may request an accommodation in order to participate in the public hearing and may request the regulations and economic impact statement in an accessible format. Requests for accommodations to participate in the public hearing should be made at least 10 business days in advance of the hearing by contacting Catherine Hitch, Executive Administrative Assistant, State Library of Kansas, 300 SW 10th Ave., Room 312-N, Topeka, KS 66612 or by phone at 785-296-4254.
Summaries of the proposed regulations and their economic impact follow. Copies of the regulations and economic impact statement may be viewed at https://library.ks.gov/regulations.
K.A.R. 54-1-8. Provision for free service. The proposed amendment to this regulation clarifies that when a regional system of cooperating libraries’ board believes a participating library’s rules limiting free service are unreasonable or discriminatory, it may raise the concern to the State Library of Kansas Board for consideration and, if appropriate, corrective action. The amendment prohibits the system from sanctioning one of its participating libraries directly for violating this regulation.
K.A.R. 54-1-15. Same: transfer of property. The proposed amendment to this regulation would remove the requirement that a library withdrawing from a regional system of cooperating libraries return property purchased with state funds to the system. Further, the amendment would require the system’s board to submit a list of requested property purchased with system funds to the State Library of Kansas Board, which would determine what property shall be returned by the withdrawing library to the system.
K.A.R. 54-1-17. Exclusion from regional system of cooperating libraries. The proposed amendment would require a petition to exclude a library taxing district from the taxing district of a regional system of cooperating libraries to be added to the agenda of the next State Library of Kansas Board’s regular meeting. The amendment to this regulation would permit the state board to issue a binding statement regarding manifest harm up to four years prior to receiving a petition from a library taxing district to be excluded from the taxing district of a regional system of cooperating libraries. When determining manifest harm, the amendment requires an opportunity for the system to share its position on the matter to the state board.
The proposed regulations will have no identifiable economic impact, and any costs associated with complying with the regulations should be absorbed within the normal course of business of the State Library of Kansas Board.
Ray C. Walling
Secretary
State Library of Kansas Board
Doc. No. 053300
