Legislative News

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is a cabinet-level agency with a Secretary appointed by the Governor. Agency staff testify before various legislative committees throughout the year to inform policy makers. 

The 2026 Legislative Session began on January 12, 2026. 

These bills relate to agency operations and Kansas's wildlife, natural resources, and outdoor recreation. 
Bills Introduced in 2026:

HB 2423 Allowing hunters who are federally licensed drone operators to use drones to locate wounded or recently deceased deer.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
  • House Hearing: Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S

 

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.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Local Government.
  • House Hearing: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 281-N

 

HB 2502  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.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
  • House Hearing: Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • Final Action: Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • On February 16, 2026, the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs recommended the bill be passed as amended.
  • On February 19, 2026, the Kansas House of Representatives passed the bill as amended, Yea: 111, Nay 11

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks took a neutral stance on this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

  • On February 26, 2026, the Kansas Senate received and referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.

 

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.

  • Bill referred to Committee on Federal and State Affairs
  • House Hearing: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • Final Action: Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • On February 17, 2026, the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs recommended the bill be passed as amended.
  • On February 18, 2026, the Kansas House of Representatives passed this bill as amended, Yea: 124 and No: 0.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is a proponent of this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

  • On February 25, 2026, the Kansas Senate referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.
  • Senate Hearing: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 8:30 AM Room 144-S
  • On March 11, 2026, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources recommend the the bill be passed as amended.

 

HB 2507 Removing the requirement for migratory waterfowl stamps to be validated by a signature across the face of each such stamp and increasing the fees for such stamps.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs
  • House Hearing: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • Final Action: Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • On February 17, 2026, the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs recommended the bill be passed.
  • On February 18, 2026, the Kansas House of Representatives passed this bill, Yea: 122 and Nay: 2.
  • On February 18, the Kansas Senate received and introduced the bill.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is a proponent of this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

  • Bill referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resrouces
  • Senate Hearing: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 8:30 AM Room 144-S
  • On March 3, 2026,  the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources recommend the the bill be passed as amended.

 

HB 2511 Permitting moneys received from agricultural production on a state-owned property to be used for the management of all state-owned properties.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs
  • House Hearing: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • Final Action: Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • On February 17, 2026, the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs recommended the bill be passed as amended.
  • On February 18, 2026, the Kanas House of Representatives passed this bill as amended, Yea: 122, Nay: 2.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is a proponent of this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

  • Bill referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Senate Hearing Thursday, March 5, 2026, 8:30 AM Room 144-S
  • On March 11, 2026 the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources recommend the bill be passed and placed on the Consent Calendar.

 

HB 2543 Requiring an annual reimbursement to the Kansas department of wildlife and parks for lost revenue from free or discounted hunting and fishing licenses, permits or passes that were established by legislative enactment on or after July 1, 2027.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Appropriations.
  • House Hearing: Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 112-N

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks took a neutral stance on this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

 

HB 2547 Requiring a valid upland game bird stamp prior to taking any upland game bird in this state, except on private land, establishing the upland game bird restoration fund and requiring the department of wildlife and parks to use moneys from such fund for the procurement and release of upland game birds.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Hearing: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 3:30 PM Room 112-N

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks took a neutral stance on this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here and view the 2025 Upland Bird Forecast here.

 

HB 2568 Authorizing the adoption of certain rules and regulations related to fees, registrations and other charges by the department of wildlife and parks.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs
  • Hearing: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S
  • On February 17, 2026, the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs recommended HB 2568 be passed as amended.
  • On February 19, 2026, the House passed the bill as originally introduced, Yea: 120, Nay: 2

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is a proponent of this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

  • Bill referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Senate Hearing: Hearing: Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 8:30 AM Room 144-S
  • On March 5, 2026, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources recommended the bill be passed as amended.

 

HB 2687 Prohibiting any governmental agency from regulating landings, takeoffs or the operation of aquatic aircraft on waters of the state.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs
  • Hearing: Thursday, February 12, 9:00 AM Room 346-S

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks took a neutral stance on this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

 

HB 2633 Increasing the service charge fee for each license, permit, stamp or other issue of the department of wildlife and parks to an amount of not to exceed $2.00 and, in the case of each migratory waterfowl habitat stamp, an amount of not to exceed $1.00.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Hearing: Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 3:30 PM Room 112-N
  • On February 17, 2026, the House Committee on Agricultural and Natural Resources recommended HB 2633 be passed as amended.
  • On February 19, 2026, the Kansas House of Representatives passed this bill as amended, Yea: 119, Nay: 3.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks took a neutral stance on this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

  • Bill referred Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources

 

SB 364 Requiring the department of wildlife and parks to offer a discounted resident senior combination hunting and fishing license to residents of Kansas who are 65.

  • Bill referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Hearing: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 8:30 AM Room 144-S
  • The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources recommended SB 364 be passed.
  • On February 10, 2026, the Kansas Senate passed this bill as amended Yea: 40, Nay: 0 
  • On February 13, 2025, the bill was received and introduced to the Kansas House of Representatives and referred to the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks took a neutral stance on this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs
  • House Hearing: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 9:00 AM Room 346-S

 

SB 511 Requiring the secretary of wildlife and parks to prepare and present any plans to reorganize the Kansas department of wildlife and parks to certain legislative committees and legislative approval of any such plans.

  • Bill referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means 
  • Bill withdrawn from Senate Committee on Ways and means and referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Senate Hearing: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 8:30 AM Room 114-S

 

2025 Bills Still in Committee:

HB 2063 Establishing various conservation funds, allocating state moneys for conservation, requiring reports to the governor and legislature, and authorizing fund transfers and providing for the use of such funds by the Kansas department of agriculture and the Kansas department of wildlife and parks.

  • Bill referred to House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget
  • Discussion and Action: Friday, February 6, 2026, 3:30 PM Room 112-N
  • The Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget recommended HB 2063 be passed as amended.
  • On February 19, 2026, this bill was stricken from the House calendar by rule 1507.

 

HB 2097 Providing for approval by the department of wildlife and parks for qualified program or management plans to qualify for the nongame and endangered species habitat credit.

Bill referred to House Committee on Taxation
Hearing: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 

 

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