WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 2147

Requiring the Kansas department of wildlife and parks to offer discounted resident senior combination hunting and fishing passes to residents of this state who are 65 years of age or older and removing the expiration date for Kansas kids lifetime combination hunting and fishing licenses.

2025-2026 Regular Session

HB 2147 reinstates a discounted senior hunting-fishing pass for 65+ and removes age limits/expiry for Kansas kids lifetime licenses, pricing to meet federal paid license thresholds

Died in Committee
#wildlifeandparks
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2147

HB 2147 — Summary

Status: Referred to Committee on Federal and State Affairs (introduced Jan 28, 2025).
Introduced by: Rep. Tony M. McCombie.
Primary subject: Wildlife — senior discounted passes and Kansas kids lifetime licenses.

Purpose

HB 2147 would (1) reinstate the Department of Wildlife and Parks’ authority to offer a discounted resident senior combination hunting-and-fishing pass for Kansas residents age 65 and older, and (2) remove the expiration date and age-based limits for the Kansas kids lifetime combination hunting-and-fishing license. Both fees would be set so they do not exceed the amount required to qualify as a “paid” hunting or fishing license under federal law (16 U.S.C. §669 and 16 U.S.C. §777).

Key provisions

  • Revives and amends K.S.A. 32-9,100 to require the Department to offer a resident senior combination hunting and fishing pass to residents age 65 or older. The fee for this pass must not exceed the amount necessary to qualify as a paid hunting or fishing license under the cited federal statutes. (Note: prior authority expired June 30, 2020; earlier state law capped the fee at 1/8 of the general lifetime fee.)
  • Amends K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 32-9,101 to:
    • Remove the current age-specific pricing structure for the Kansas kids lifetime combination license (currently up to $300 for age ≤5 and up to $500 for age 6–7).
    • Eliminate the statutory expiration date that would otherwise terminate issuance (previously set to expire July 1, 2032).
    • Require the kids license fee to be an amount not to exceed the federal “paid license” threshold (16 U.S.C. §669, §777).
  • Repeals and replaces specified existing statutory sections and session-law provisions tied to these authorities.
  • Effective: upon publication in the statute book (per introduced text).

Who is affected

  • Kansas residents age 65+ who hunt and/or fish (would gain access to a discounted combination pass).
  • Children (and purchasers on their behalf) eligible for Kansas kids lifetime combination licenses; the bill broadens fee applicability by removing age bands and extends availability by removing the expiration.
  • Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (administration and fee-setting within federal-qualification constraints).
  • State fee funds and federal grant calculations that rely on license sales.

Fiscal impact (from Fiscal Note — Division of the Budget, Feb 20, 2025)

  • The Department indicates potential decreases in state fee fund revenue:
    • Reintroducing a senior combination pass priced lower than current senior license fees could reduce revenues by an unknown amount.
    • Changing kids lifetime license pricing (and removing age bands) could also reduce revenues; removal of the expiration alone was judged to have no direct fiscal effect.
  • License sales are used to calculate some federal funding; any resulting change in federal receipts is uncertain and not estimated.
  • Any fiscal effects are not reflected in the FY 2026 Governor’s Budget Report.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Introduced Jan 28, 2025; referred to Committee on Federal and State Affairs. Committee and floor actions listed in the bill file include hearings, reports, and multiple readings; consult the legislative journal or official website for the bill’s current status and any amendments.

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

Sign in to ask a question.