Kansas hunting and fishing license bill fails to pass after veto, what that means
TOPEKA (KSNT) - A bill to restore discounted hunting and fishing licenses to older adults in Kansas and make big changes for non-resident waterfowl hunters is dead in the water this year after it was vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly.
Lawmakers failed to pass House Bill 2028, a bill package that would've impacted hunting and fishing licenses along with the waterfowl hunting season for out-of-state residents, during the 2025 session of the Kansas Legislature. Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the bill earlier this week, sending it back to the Kansas House for review. However, lawmakers chose not to have a veto override session on the bill, meaning the governor's veto was sustained.
Had House Bill 2028 been passed successfully, it would've made several changes to hunting and fishing licenses, waterfowl season hunting days and migratory waterfowl habitat stamps. The bill's original purpose was to allow the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) to sell discounted combination hunting and fishing licenses again to older adults after it had to halt sales of these licenses in 2024 due to an error.
Lawmakers added in language to the bill after its initial introduction that would've severely limited where and when out-of-state waterfowl hunters could participate in hunting activities in Kansas. Additional amendments added to the bill would've also changed the cost of the migratory waterfowl habitat stamp and altered the age range for the children's lifetime hunting and fishing licenses.
Kelly disagreed with the changes lawmakers made to the original bill. Specifically, she found the added limitations to hunting for out-of-state residents to be a large concern.
"While this bill touches on a variety of hunting and fishing issues, I am particularly concerned with how this bill severely limits non-Kansas residents from hunting waterfowl on public lands. More specifically, this prohibition could have a detrimental impact on the prosperity of our communities and businesses by denying the many positive outcomes from the economic activity generated by non-residents coming into our state for hunting purposes.
"I will not support a bill that could harm the economic vitality of rural Kansas communities across the state."
Governor Laura Kelly veto statement on House Bill 2028
Kansas lawmakers in the Senate previously approved of the bill at a vote of 40-0 on March 26 while representatives in the House approved of the bill at a vote of 65-59 on March 27. You can learn more about the different types of hunting and fishing licenses Kansas has to offer by clicking here.
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