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, during the 2025 session of the Kansas Legislature. It was a bill package that would have impacted hunting and fishing licenses, along with the waterfowl hunting season, for out-of-state residents. Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the bill and lawmakers chose not to have a veto override session on the bill, meaning the governor’s veto was sustained.
The bill’s original purpose was to allow the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks 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 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. 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.
