Kentucky 2024 Regular Session

Kentucky House Bill HB106 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version

                            UNOFFICIAL COPY  	24 RS BR 12 
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AN ACT relating to hunting and fishing licenses. 1 
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2 
Section 1.   KRS 150.170 is amended to read as follows: 3 
(1) Except as provided in the following subsections of this section, and subject to 4 
administrative regulations promulgated under this chapter, no person, resident, or 5 
nonresident shall do any act authorized by any kind of license or permit or assist in 6 
any way any person in doing any act provided for in this chapter with respect to 7 
wildlife unless he or she holds the kind of license or permit, resident or nonresident, 8 
that authorizes the act. It shall be the specific purpose of this chapter to prohibit the 9 
taking or pursuing of any wildlife, protected or unprotected, or the fishing in any 10 
stream or body of water whether public or private, without first procuring the 11 
license provided for in KRS 150.175, except to the extent as may be otherwise 12 
provided in this section. 13 
(2) A person under sixteen (16) years of age may, without a sport fishing license, take 14 
fish by angling, or take minnows by the use of a minnow seine, minnow trap, or dip 15 
net. 16 
(3) A person under twelve (12) years of age shall be exempt from being required to 17 
obtain a sport hunting or sport trapping license as required by this chapter. 18 
(4) (a) A[The] resident landowner[owner of farmlands of five (5) or more acres] or 19 
his or her spouse or dependent children shall, without procuring any sport 20 
hunting license[or sport fishing licenses], have the right to[ take fish or] hunt 21 
during the open season, except trapping, on lands[farmlands of five (5) or 22 
more acres] of which they are bona fide owners. Tenants or their dependent 23 
children residing upon these lands[farmlands] shall have the same privilege. 24 
(b) Any person fishing on private property with the consent of the property 25 
owner shall have the right to take fish without procuring any sport fishing 26 
license. 27  UNOFFICIAL COPY  	24 RS BR 12 
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(5) Residents or nonresidents observing and participating in field trials, training 1 
exercises, or other competitions as authorized by the department may observe and 2 
participate without obtaining a hunting or guide's license so long as game is not 3 
taken. 4 
(6) Any resident serviceman on furlough of more than three (3) days in this state may, 5 
without any Kentucky sport hunting or sport fishing licenses, do any act authorized 6 
by the licenses, but while so doing he or she shall carry on his or her person proper 7 
identification and papers showing his or her furlough status. 8 
(7) Landowners, their spouses or dependent children, or their designee who must be 9 
approved by the commissioner, who kill or trap on their lands any wildlife causing 10 
damage to the lands or any personal property situated thereon shall not be required 11 
to have a hunting or trapping license and may do so during periods other than the 12 
open season for the particular species without a tag and dispose of the carcass on-13 
site. Tenants, their spouses, their dependent children, or other persons approved by 14 
the commissioner, shall also have the same privilege. Upon destruction of any 15 
wildlife by the above-specified individuals, the act shall be reported to a 16 
conservation officer within twenty-four (24) hours of the kill. Individuals wishing 17 
to transport the carcass from the property upon which it was killed shall contact 18 
personnel of the department to request a disposal tag or other authorization. 19 
Inedible parts from wildlife taken under the authorization of this section shall not be 20 
utilized for any purpose and shall be destroyed or left afield. The department shall 21 
promulgate administrative regulations establishing procedures for the designee 22 
appointment process, including request and approval deadlines. 23 
(8) If a reciprocal agreement is entered into by the commissioner, with the approval of 24 
the commission, and promulgated as an administrative regulation by the department 25 
and similar action is taken by the appropriate authority in Missouri, Tennessee, 26 
Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, or Illinois, persons holding a resident or 27  UNOFFICIAL COPY  	24 RS BR 12 
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nonresident fishing or a resident or nonresident hunting license issued in these 1 
states shall be permitted to perform the acts authorized by the license upon certain 2 
contiguous waters and land areas adjacent to the common boundaries of the above-3 
mentioned states and the State of Kentucky. A resident of the State of Kentucky 4 
shall purchase a proper Kentucky license to conform with the reciprocal agreement. 5 
(9) Any member of the Kentucky Army or Air National Guard, active duty or Reserve 6 
Component, in any branch in the United States Armed Forces that is based in the 7 
Commonwealth of Kentucky, shall have the right to take fish or hunt on any 8 
military property belonging to the Commonwealth without procuring any sport 9 
hunting or sport fishing license. 10 
(10) A person not otherwise exempted from hunter safety education or from procuring 11 
any sport hunting or sport fishing license shall be exempt from the department-12 
sanctioned live-fire exercise component of the hunter education course requirement 13 
if he or she: 14 
(a) Is a current member of the Armed Forces of the United States; 15 
(b) Has served in the Armed Forces of the United States and was discharged or 16 
released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable; or 17 
(c) Is a peace officer certified pursuant to KRS 15.380 to 15.404. 18