In December 2016, Kansas legislators on the State Finance Council voted to privatize the Kansas Bioscience Authority (KBA). Privatization of the KBA was first proposed in January 2016 by then-Governor Sam Brownback as part of a plan to address shortfalls in the state budget.
The KBA was established in 2004 to support research in the bioscience sector, and received annual funding from the state, totaling $232 million over its twelve-years of operation. The KBA faced intense criticism after a 2012 audit revealed that its former head had misspent funds. This, combined with shortfalls in the state budget, reportedly led to the KBA’s sale.