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Committee hears bill to raise vendor service fee on hunting and fishing licenses
Summary
The Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources heard House Bill 26-33, which would raise the vendor service charge on Department of Wildlife and Parks issuances to a maximum of $2 and increase the migratory waterfowl habitat stamp by up to $1; proponents said the change would help small license vendors recoup costs while the department would also see a modest revenue increase.
The Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources opened a hearing on House Bill 26-33, which would raise the per-issuance service charge for Department of Wildlife and Parks licenses, permits and stamps.
Kyle Hamilton, the reviser, told the committee the bill would "increase the service charge fee for each license, permit, stamp, or other issue of the Department of Wildlife and Parks to an amount not to exceed $2, and in the case of each migratory waterfowl habitat stamp, an amount not to exceed $1." He said the waterfowl habitat stamp is charged separately from other licenses.
Representative Chuck Smith, testifying as a proponent, said local vendors have not seen their per-issue commission rise since the 1980s. "John's Sporting Goods gets a dollar. We'd like to raise that to $2," Smith said, describing a $25 license that yields a $1 vendor commission under current law. He said some small vendors cannot accept credit cards without losing money under the present fee structure.
A Department fiscal staffer summarized the fiscal note: the two-year average receipts from the migratory waterfowl habitat stamp were $586; raising that fee to $1 could increase receipts there by $586 to $1,172. The two-year average for other issuances was $42,434; raising the vendor charge to $2 could increase that to $84,868, a roughly $42,434 increase. The staff estimated the department's revenues could increase by about $43,020 beginning in fiscal year 2027, and noted the change was not reflected in the governor's budget.
Members asked whether the fee would apply per issuance and how online sales and credit-card processing interact with the charge. Kyle Hamilton and sponsors clarified the service charge is assessed for each separate issuance and said adding express language to permit charging a credit-card transaction fee would be a separate drafting task.
No in-person opponents appeared; the committee recorded a written-only neutral submission from the secretary of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The chair closed the hearing and said the committee might "work" the bill on Monday or Thursday and could consider an amendment to address credit-card fees.
Next steps: The committee closed the public hearing on HB 26-33 without a vote and plans further consideration at an upcoming work session.
