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HB 2505

Providing an exception for Kansas department of wildlife and parks records regarding the location of any species that is threatened, endangered or in need of conservation from the disclosure requirements of the Kansas open records act.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Will Carpenter

HB 2505 exempts Kansas wildlife agency location records for threatened and endangered species from public disclosure to prevent poaching and habitat disturbance.

Died on Calendar
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Bill Summary · HB 2505

Legislative bill overview

HB 2505 creates an exemption from Kansas's open records law (KORA) for information held by the Department of Wildlife and Parks regarding the specific locations of threatened, endangered, or species-in-need-of-conservation. This would allow the agency to withhold location data from public disclosure requests without having to justify each denial individually.

Why is this important

Wildlife location information can directly enable poaching, illegal collection, or habitat disturbance that threatens species recovery. However, this exemption also reduces government transparency and public access to information about conservation efforts funded by taxpayers, potentially limiting citizen oversight and scientific collaboration.

Potential points of contention

  • Conservation vs. Transparency trade-off: Balancing genuine wildlife protection needs against the public's right to know how government agencies manage natural resources and spend conservation funds
  • Scope definition: The bill's language ("any species...in need of conservation") may be broadly interpreted, potentially allowing agencies to withhold more information than necessary for actual protective purposes
  • Precedent concerns: Broad exemptions from open records laws can establish templates for other agencies to restrict information disclosure, gradually eroding government accountability

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

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