WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 2495

Authorizing counties to adopt resolutions to regulate activities on or within navigable rivers and adding navigable rivers to the crime of criminal trespass.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas bill authorizes counties to regulate navigable river activities and criminalizes unauthorized river access, shifting control from state to local level with enforcement implications.

Died in Committee
#counties #water
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2495

Legislative bill overview

HB 2495 empowers Kansas counties to adopt resolutions regulating activities on or within navigable rivers within their jurisdictions. The bill also expands the criminal trespass statute to include unauthorized access to navigable rivers, making such violations a criminal offense rather than a civil matter.

Why is this important

This legislation shifts control over river access and usage from the state level to individual counties, potentially creating a patchwork of local regulations. It also criminalizes river trespassing, which could affect recreational activities like fishing, boating, and hunting while providing counties new enforcement tools for river management.

Potential points of contention

  • Property rights vs. public access: Dispute over whether navigable rivers constitute public waterways with traditional public access rights or private/county-controlled resources
  • Recreational impact: Concern that criminal trespass designation may disproportionately affect hunters, fishermen, and recreational boaters who currently use rivers freely
  • Enforcement fairness: Questions about how counties will enforce varying regulations and whether this creates unequal access across county lines
  • Jurisdictional clarity: Uncertainty about how county regulations interact with state water law and interstate river agreements

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.