Page 6 - Kansas Sportsman

Rep. Ken Corbet requested introduction of HB 2582 that would change
the makeup of the Commission. The bill was advanced to the House floor
but not scheduled for floor debate (see SB 347).

HB 2608 AN ACT concerning agriculture; relating to animal
health; poultry disease control; establishing an
annual participation fee not to exceed $50 for par-
KANSAS ticipation in the national poultry improvement plan;
a certification fee not to exceed $50 for persons per-
LEGISLATURE REPORT forming testing and diagnostic services; a testing fee
not to exceed $100 per visit to each location partici-
pating in the plan when testing or diagnostic services
related to pullorum typhoid are provided; allowing the
The Kansas Legislature formally ended the 12th week of the session on commissioner to revoke any national plan hatchery or
Thursday, March 28 with a pro forma day after considering dozens of bills
U.S. pullorum-typhoid clean designation for failure to
on the floor Monday through Wednesday this week. The Legislature will pay the annual plan participation fee within a 60-day
be on a short Easter recess until Monday, April 1 when the final week of grace period.
the session gets underway.
The Kansas Sport Hunting Association worked with the House Agri-
March 28 was the Second House of Origin deadline, marking the date in culture and Natural Resources Committee and Kansas Department of
which bills have to be advanced out of the second chamber in which intro- Agriculture to seek clarification of this bill to ensure its impact on game-
duced (e.g., a House bill has to be out of the Senate and vice versa). There bird breeders was understood and not overly onerous. As amended in
are parliamentary maneuvers to keep bills alive or consider them if they Committee, the bill’s focus was clarified for application to U.S. Pullorum
only passed one chamber but by and large, both chambers have to consid- Typhoid. The bill was passed by the House on a vote of 113-2. The bill
er a bill in one form or another before it can get to the Governor’s desk. was held for hearings before the Senate Committee on Agriculture and
Natural Resources but did not advance. It remains possible this bill can
Friday, April 5 is First Adjournment and will mark the end of the regular
be adopted through a House/Senate Conference Committee.
session. Legislators are scheduled to return on Monday, April 29 for a
Veto Session to wrap up the year for the legislature. HB 2817 AN ACT concerning wildlife; relating to controlled
shooting areas; removing the maximum fee amount
As reported in February, we have seen a number of Wildlife & Parks-re-
for controlled shooting area operator licenses;
lated bills introduced this year, with most of them falling by the wayside.
allowing the secretary of wildlife and parks to adjust
There were several holdover bills from the 2023 session, but none were
such license fee amount on an annual basis to cover
revisited this year. My report focuses on W&P-related bills that were
any projected loss of revenue caused by an enactment
introduced and considered during the 2024 session.
concerning wildlife fees by the legislature during the
current or previous fiscal year.
SB 347 AN ACT concerning wildlife and parks; relating to
the wildlife and parks commission; requiring senate
This legislation was introduced somewhat as a protest to what the spon-
confirmation of appointees thereto.
sor felt were other bills targeting the Kansas Department of Wildlife and
Parks which if passed, would have a detrimental impact on the agency’s
SB 437 started as a bill to require Senate confirmation of appointees to
funding. The bill was not scheduled for a hearing.
the Wildlife and Parks Commission. The bill passed the Senate on a vote
of 24-16. The House amended the bill with some of the provisions of HB
HB 2524 AN ACT concerning wildlife and parks; relating to
2582 (see next bill), which would reduce the Governor’s appointment
cabins and camp sites; elimination of certain fees for
authority to four members and give the Speaker of the House, Senate senior citizens.
President, and Kansas Attorney General each a selection. The House
Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget made amendments to the No hearings were held on this bill that would provide senior citizens with
Senate version of the bill with provisions from HB 2582 and sent the reduced fees for state cabin rentals.
bill to the floor, where it was sent to the House Federal and State Affairs
Committee for further consideration. The bill advanced to the floor but HB 2541 AN ACT concerning natural resources; relating to
was not scheduled for floor debate before the Easter recess and is likely state moneys for conservation; establishing the state
considered dead. conservation fund, the working lands conservation
fund, the wildlife conservation fund and the Kansas
HB 2582 AN ACT concerning wildlife and parks; relating to outdoors fund; providing for the use of moneys in
the Kansas wildlife and parks commission; increasing such funds by the Kansas department of agriculture
the membership of the Kansas wildlife and parks and the Kansas department of wildlife and parks;
commission from seven to nine; granting membership requiring certain reports regarding such funds be
appointment authority to multiple state officers; made to the governor and the legislature; authorizing
prohibiting more than three commissioners from certain transfers from the state general fund and the
being residents of the same congressional district. lottery operating fund to the state conservation fund;

6 THE KANSAS SPORTSMAN | SPRING 2024