Topeka ? A Senate subcommittee plans to begin work next week on legislation reorganizing the state’s food-safety programs, with control over restaurant inspections emerging as the biggest issue.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Derek Schmidt appointed the three-member subcommittee and said Thursday he thought Gov. Kathleen Sebelius did not include enough details in a reorganization order she issued last week.

Sebelius wants to transfer the responsibility for inspecting grocery stores, vending machines, conveniences stores, bakeries, food wholesalers and some other businesses from the Department of Health and Environment to the Department of Agriculture.

However, KDHE would continue to inspect restaurants. The Department of Agriculture already inspects dairies and meat and poultry processors.

A bill before Schmidt’s committee would transfer restaurant inspections to the Department of Agriculture as well, and Schmidt favors the change, arguing it would make food-safety programs more efficient.

“That’s the big policy issue that has to be resolved,” said Schmidt, R-Independence. “I’m hoping that within two weeks we can have all the issues resolved and a bill ready for the entire committee to vote on.”

Meanwhile, the House Agriculture Committee was scheduled to conduct a hearing Monday on the Sebelius order.

KDHE estimates it has issued between 17,000 and 18,000 food-service licenses, and about 4,000 of them would fall under the Department of Agriculture after the reorganization. Some businesses hold more than one license.

Some public health advocates think all food-safety programs should be consolidated at KDHE, arguing that it would jeopardize food safety to turn more inspections over to a state agency that also promotes Kansas agriculture. But Schmidt has said such fears are unfounded.

Sebelius’ order will take effect July 1, unless one legislative chamber adopts a resolution rejecting it.

But Schmidt said even with the order, some administrative issues remained. For example, Schmidt said he wanted to make sure the Department of Agriculture would create a new Division of Food Safety.

Schmidt and legislators had been pushing for a reorganization for a year, arguing it would allow the state to put more of its resources into inspections. While Sebelius also has been working on a plan for months, she issued her order three weeks after federal officials confirmed the first-ever American case of mad cow disease, in Washington state.

Schmidt is chairman of the subcommittee. The other members are Sens. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, and Janis Lee, D-Kensington.