KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, PARKS AND TOURISM
This report will be updated regularly with bills in the 2019 Kansas Legislature that potentially affect the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT). If KDWPT has provided testimony on the bill, the bill summary includes the Department’s position as of the date of this report. The 2019 session is the start of a new two-year cycle, so no bills are carried over from last year’s session.
SB = Senate Bills
HB = House Bills
The latest information update for each bill is shown in bold.
The full text of a bill may be obtained online at the Kansas Legislature’s website.
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2019 Bills:
SB49 – This is a KDWPT-sponsored bill that would allow the Secretary of Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to set fees for cabins and campsites without the approval of the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission. The Secretary would be allowed set an amount for each fee that encourages the used of such cabins and campsites and that enables the department to maintain and operate such cabins and campsites. This bill was referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. A hearing was held for the bill on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. This bill passed the Senate 29-11 on Feb. 27, 2019. This bill was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture and had a hearing on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. Committee Report recommended the bill be passed on March 15, 2019. Bill was withdrawn from Calendar, and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
SB50 -This is a KDWPT-sponsored bill that would adjust fee limitations on certain Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism licenses, permits, stamps and other issues. Fees are approved by the KWPT Commission within limitations established in statute. This amendment would accommodate future incremental fee changes, if and when they become necessary. The bill was referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.
HB2062 – This bill would amend K.S.A. 58-3212, relating to recreation trails; applicability of conditions for operating such trails and time deadlines for completion. The bill was referred to the Committee on Agriculture and had a hearing on Jan. 30, 2019.
HB2099 – This bill would affiliate the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism with the Kansas Police and Firemen’s Retirement System for membership of certain law enforcement officers and employees. The bill was referred to the Committee on Financial Institutions and Pensions and had a hearing on Feb. 6, 2019. Committee Report recommended bill be passed on Feb. 12, 2019. Bill was stricken from Calendar by Rule 1507.
HB2167 – This bill would require the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to establish a system to approve and administer the transfer of regular landowner or tenant hunt-on-your-own-land big game permits to a nonresident of the state of Kansas solely for the purpose of hunting white-tailed deer. The transfer would not occur until all nonresident permits were issued in the management unit where the landowner/tenant permit was issued. The Department opposes this bill. This bill was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development. A hearing was conducted on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019 and this bill passed as amended out of committee. The bill passed on House Final Action 63-60 on Feb. 27, 2019. The bill was withdrawn from the Senate Committee on Commerce and referred the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. Hearings were conducted on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 to hear neutral and proponents of the bill; and on Thursday, March 14, 2019 to hear opponents of the bill. The Senate committee recommended that substitute bill be passed on March 22, 2019 using the original bill as a shell vehicle. The bill now contains provisions related to Commercial Industrial Hemp. The substitute bill passed as amended on Senate Emergency Final Action 39-0 on March 27, 2019.
HB2397 – This bill would amend K.S.A 2018 concerning public health and safety relating to dangerous regulated animals, adding nonhuman primates and wolves to the list of dangerous, regulated animals and additional requirements related to allowing animals on that list to be in proximity to members of the public. This bill was referred to the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
(KDWPT)
Website Link: www.ksoutdoors.com
Article Link: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Legislative-Update-Report
