SESSION OF 2023
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2039
As Amended by Senate Committee on
Agriculture and Natural Resources

Brief*
HB 2039, as amended, would require the Secretary of
Wildlife and Parks (Secretary), or the Secretary’s designee, to
issue a free permanent hunting and fishing license to any
person residing in the state upon providing proof to the
Secretary that such person is a disabled veteran.
“Disabled veteran” would be defined as a member of the
armed services, separated from such service under
honorable conditions, who has a service-connected disability
certified by the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs
Office of at least 30 percent.
Persons receiving a license pursuant to the bill would be
subject to rules and regulations related to hunting and fishing
and to applicable hunter education requirements established
elsewhere in statute.
The bill would remove sunset provisions applicable to
residents aged 75 years or older in sections of law exempting
certain persons from hunting and fishing license
requirements. [Note: The 2012 Legislature passed SB 314,
which included sunset provisions that caused this exemption
for senior residents to expire on June 30, 2020.]
The bill would also amend the statute authorizing the
Secretary to set fee amounts for various types of licenses and
permits to exempt any person who is a disabled veteran, as
____________________
*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.kslegislature.org
defined in the bill, from paying applicable hunting and fishing
license fees.
The bill would also make technical changes.
The bill would be in effect upon publication in the
Kansas Register.

Background
The bill was introduced by Representative Waymaster.

House Committee on Veterans and Military
In the House Committee hearing on January 24, 2023, a
representative of the Military Officers Association of America
testified as a proponent of the bill and requested an
amendment to make the definition of “disabled veteran”
contained in the bill consistent with federal regulation.
Written-only proponent testimony was provided by
Representative Waymaster.
Written-only neutral testimony was submitted by a
representative of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.
The Secretary testified as an opponent of the bill,
expressing concerns related to enforcement of the bill’s
provisions and the potential for the Kansas Department of
Wildlife and Park’s (KDWP) loss of revenue and loss of
federal funding as a result of the amendments proposed in
the bill.
On February 7, 2023, the House Committee amended
the bill to:
● Remove a sunset provision on the exemption for
persons aged 75 or older;

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 ● Reinsert current statutory language regarding half-
priced licenses for persons aged 65 to 74; and
● Create a new section of law providing for a free
permanent license for veterans with a disability
rating of at least 30 percent. [Note: As introduced,
the bill would have exempted veterans with
service-connected disabilities of at least 50 percent
from obtaining annual hunting, fishing, or
combination licenses or lifetime license and would
have prohibited KDWP from charging such
disabled veterans any associated fees.]
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
In the Senate Committee hearing on March 22, 2023,
written-only proponent testimony was provided by
Representative Waymaster. A representative of KDWP
provided written-only neutral testimony.
No other testimony was provided.
The Senate Committee amended the bill to change the
effective date to upon publication in the Kansas Register.

Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, KDWP estimates a loss
of $28,158 in federal funds each year starting in FY 2024
based on the bill’s change from 30 percent to 50 percent
disability rating. KDWP also stated that if current license
holders who fall between 30 and 50 percent disabled do not
purchase a license under this bill, then KDWP would see a
reduction in federal funds each year; however, the agency
cannot estimate the amount of fee and federal funds that
could be lost if the bill is enacted. [Note: The amendment

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changing the disability rating was not retained by the House
Committee on final action.]
For the removal of half-priced licenses for those 65 to 74
years of age, KDWP estimates that it would receive an
additional $8,888 each year in license fees that would be
deposited into the Wildlife Fee Fund. [Note: The amendment
removing half-priced licenses for this age group was not
retained by the House Committee on final action.]
In addition, the agency stated that requiring those 75
years and older to obtain an annual hunting or fishing license
cannot be estimated since that age group currently is not
required to purchase a license. However, the agency does
anticipate this change would increase Wildlife Fee Fund and
federal fund revenues. [Note: The amendment removing the
senior license exemption was not retained by the House
Committee on final action.]
The Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office
states that enactment of the bill would not have a fiscal effect
because the agency already verifies the service-connected
disabled veterans who apply for hunting and fishing licenses.
Any fiscal effect associated with the bill is not reflected in The
FY 2024 Governor’s Budget Report.
Hunting and fishing licenses; disabled veterans; Kansas Department of Wildlife and
Parks


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Statutes affected:
As introduced: 32-906, 32-919, 32-988
As Amended by House Committee: 32-906, 32-919, 32-988
As Amended by Senate Committee: 32-906, 32-919, 32-988
Enrolled - Law effective April 27, 2023: 32-837, 58-3212, 32-906, 32-919, 32-988
Enrolled: 32-837, 58-3212, 32-906, 32-919, 32-988