Bill > SB531

This bill prohibits the development or operation of any new "large load data center," defined as a data center with an expected monthly electrical demand of 10 megawatts or more, in any Kansas county that has had a drought emergency declared within the preceding three years under the Kansas Emergency Management Act. The bill also clarifies that existing data centers or those with permits or agreements in place before July 1, 2026, are exempt, and counties can still enact stricter land-use regulations. Additionally, the bill amends existing law (K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 19-101a) to explicitly prevent counties from exempting themselves from these new data center restrictions, and repeals the old version of that law.