Committee advances bill to restore senior combination hunting and fishing passes, adopts amendment to reimburse affected buyers
February 13, 2026 | Committee on Federal and State Affairs, Standing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Kansas
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The House Committee on Federal and State Affairs on an unspecified date voted to advance House Bill 2502, which would require the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to offer discounted resident senior combination hunting and fishing passes to Kansans aged 65 or older and to change statutory provisions governing Kansas kids lifetime combination licenses.
Kyle, committee staff, told members that the combination pass had been in statute but expired in 2020 and that the bill would also increase the maximum age to qualify and remove the expiration date for Kansas kids lifetime licenses. He said the bill had cleared both chambers previously but was vetoed after the Senate added more controversial provisions.
Representative Smoyer moved to pass the bill. Representative Corbett offered the Carpenter Amendment to "clean up" senior lifetime language, extend a relevant license length to 10 years and reimburse those who paid higher prices because five‑year licenses had been sold in error. Corbett estimated the provision would affect about 500 seniors.
Kyle explained the amendment would add a subsection requiring the Department of Wildlife and Parks to convert 5‑year resident senior fishing, hunting, and combination licenses sold between Sept. 11, 2025, and July 1, 2026, into resident senior combination lifetime licenses, filling a statutory gap created when the earlier statute expired in 2020. Members asked about timing and publication in the Kansas Register; staff said publication typically follows two weeks after governor approval and the sponsors indicated that time frame was acceptable.
The committee adopted the Carpenter Amendment by voice vote and then voted to pass HB 2502 favorably for passage. The committee did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript provided.
The bill next proceeds to the full House for further consideration and any subsequent steps required by the legislative process.
Kyle, committee staff, told members that the combination pass had been in statute but expired in 2020 and that the bill would also increase the maximum age to qualify and remove the expiration date for Kansas kids lifetime licenses. He said the bill had cleared both chambers previously but was vetoed after the Senate added more controversial provisions.
Representative Smoyer moved to pass the bill. Representative Corbett offered the Carpenter Amendment to "clean up" senior lifetime language, extend a relevant license length to 10 years and reimburse those who paid higher prices because five‑year licenses had been sold in error. Corbett estimated the provision would affect about 500 seniors.
Kyle explained the amendment would add a subsection requiring the Department of Wildlife and Parks to convert 5‑year resident senior fishing, hunting, and combination licenses sold between Sept. 11, 2025, and July 1, 2026, into resident senior combination lifetime licenses, filling a statutory gap created when the earlier statute expired in 2020. Members asked about timing and publication in the Kansas Register; staff said publication typically follows two weeks after governor approval and the sponsors indicated that time frame was acceptable.
The committee adopted the Carpenter Amendment by voice vote and then voted to pass HB 2502 favorably for passage. The committee did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript provided.
The bill next proceeds to the full House for further consideration and any subsequent steps required by the legislative process.
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