Section 74-5005 - Powers and duties of departmentThe department shall be the lead agency of the state for economic development of commerce through the promotion of business, industry, trade and tourism within the state. In general, but not by way of limitation, the department shall have, exercise and perform the following powers and duties:
(a) To assume central responsibility for implementing all facets of a comprehensive, long-term, economic development strategy and for coordinating the efforts of both state agencies and local economic development groups as they relate to that objective;(b) to coordinate the implementation of the strategy with all other state and local agencies and offices and state educational institutions which do research work, develop materials and programs, gather statistics, or which perform functions related to economic development; and such state and local agencies and offices and state educational institutions shall advise and cooperate with the department in the planning and accomplishment of the purposes of this act;(c) to advise and cooperate with all federal departments, research institutions, educational institutions and agencies, quasi-public professional societies, private business and agricultural organizations and associations, and any other party, public or private, and to call upon such parties for consultation and assistance in their respective fields of interest, to the end that all up-to-date available technical advice, information and assistance be gathered for the use of the department, the governor, the legislature and the people of this state;(d) to enter into agreements necessary to carry out the purposes of this act;(e) to conduct an effective business information service, keeping up-to-date information on such things as manufacturing industries, labor supply and economic trends in employment, income, savings and purchasing power within the state, utilizing the services and information available from the division of the budget of the department of administration;(f) to support a coordinated program of scientific and industrial research with the objective of developing additional uses of the state's natural resources, agriculture, agricultural products, new and better industrial products and processes, and the best possible utilization of the raw materials in the state; and to coordinate this responsibility with the state educational institutions, with all state and federal agencies, and all public and private institutions within or outside the state, all in an effort to assist and encourage new industries or expansion of existing industries through basic research, applied research and new development;(g) to maintain and keep current all available information regarding the industrial opportunities and possibilities of the state, including raw materials and by-products; power and water resources; transportation facilities; available markets and the marketing limitations of the state; labor supply; banking and financing facilities; availability of industrial sites; and the advantages the state and its particular sections have as industrial locations; and such information shall be used for the encouragement of new industries in the state and the expansion of existing industries within the state;(h) to publicize information and the economic advantages of the state that make it a desirable place for commercial and industrial operations and a good place in which to live;(i) to establish a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information concerning the number and location of public and private postsecondary vocational and technical education programs in areas critical to economic development;(j) to acquaint the people of this state with the industries within the state and encourage closer cooperation between the farming, commercial and industrial enterprises and the people of the state;(k) to participate in economic development and planning assistance programs of the federal government to political subdivisions;(l) to assist counties and cities in industrial development through the establishment of industrial development corporations, including site surveys, small business administration situations, and render such other similar assistance as may be required; and in those instances where it is deemed appropriate, to contract with and make a service charge to the county or city involved for such services rendered;(m) to render assistance to private enterprise on planning problems and site surveys upon request and shall make a reasonable service charge for such services rendered; and any moneys received for services rendered, as provided in this subsection, shall be deposited in the fund and expended therefrom, as provided in subsection (n);(n) to make agreements with other states and with the United States government, or its agencies, and to accept funds from the federal government, or its agencies, or any other source for research studies, investigation, planning and other purposes related to the duties of the department; and any funds so received shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of a special revenue fund which is hereby created and shall be known as the "economic development fund" or used in accordance with or direction of the contributing federal agencies; and expenditures from such fund may be made for any purpose in keeping with the responsibilities, functions and authority of the department; and warrants on such fund shall be drawn in the same manner as required of other state agencies upon vouchers signed by the secretary;(o) to do other and further acts as shall be necessary and proper in fostering and promoting the industrial development and economic welfare of the state;(p) to organize, or cause to be organized, an advisory board or boards representing interested groups, including industry, labor, agriculture, scientific research, the press, the professions, industrial associations, civic groups, etc.; and such board or boards shall advise with the department as to its work and the department shall, as far as practicable, cooperate with such board or boards, and secure the active aid thereof in the accomplishment of the aims and objectives of the department;(q) to perform the duties imposed under the Kansas venture capital company act;(r) to serve as the central agency and clearinghouse to collect and disseminate ideas and information bearing on local planning problems; and, in so doing, the department, upon request of the board of county commissioners of any county or the governing body of any city in the state, may make a study and report upon any planning problem of such county or city submitted to it;(s) to disseminate to the public information concerning economic development programs available in the state, regardless of whether such programs are administered by the department or some other agency and the department shall make available audio-visual and written materials describing the economic development programs to local chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, banks and public libraries and shall take other measures as may be necessary to effectuate the purpose of this subsection;(t) to perform the duties imposed under the individual development account program act, K.S.A. 74-50,201 through 74-50,208, and amendments thereto;(u) except as otherwise provided by law, perform the duties and carry out the purposes of K.S.A. 74-8102 through 74-8104 and 74-8107 through 74-8111, and amendments thereto; and(v) to encourage and promote the traveling public to visit this state by publicizing information as to the recreational, historic and natural advantage of the state and its facilities for transient travel and to contract with organizations for the purpose of promoting tourism within the state, and the department may request other state agencies, including, but not limited to, the Kansas water office, the Kansas department of transportation and the Kansas department of wildlife and parks, for assistance and all such agencies shall coordinate information and their respective efforts with the department to most efficiently and economically carryout* the purpose and intent of this subsection.Amended by L. 2023, ch. 7,§ 122, eff. 7/1/2023.Amended by L. 2012, ch. 47,§ 96, eff. 7/1/2012.Amended by L. 2011, ch. 104,§ 12, eff. 7/1/2011.L. 1963, ch. 407, § 5; L. 1974, ch. 350, § 12; L. 1975, ch. 427, § 242; L. 1976, ch. 350, § 1; L. 1976, ch. 349, § 1; L. 1980, ch. 284, § 18; L. 1983, ch. 255, § 1; L. 1986, ch. 296, § 7; L. 1987, ch. 304, § 1; L. 1989, ch. 118, § 181; L. 1990, ch. 283, § 4; L. 1994, ch. 122, § 1; L. 2001, ch. 5, § 322; L. 2005, ch. 104, § 9; Apr. 21.