Panel hears HB 25-85 to create Delta Waterfowl specialty license plate with royalties

The House Committee on Transportation heard House Bill 25-85, which would authorize a Delta Waterfowl distinctive license plate in Kansas. Committee staff summarized key bill provisions: the sponsoring organization’s board would set an annual royalty fee between $25 and $100; the plate would follow the statutory distinctive plate requirements, require 250 initial preorders before production, and the sponsoring organization must cover up to $5,000 in initial design costs. The bill’s effective date for statutory provisions is 07/01/2026, with license issuance beginning 01/01/2027.

Jeff Reed (Mississippi and Central Flyway), who submitted written testimony, appeared and offered to answer questions about the organization’s mission and the logistics of a specialty plate. Jordan Ford, chairman of the Wichita chapter of Delta Waterfowl, testified virtually about the group’s Kansas presence: "Delta Waterfowl has roughly 500 members, 4 chapters that are active with more than 40 volunteers," and volunteers have "put more than $50,000 back into the state" since 2016 through recruitment and outreach programs. Ford said a distinctive plate would help recruit conservation-minded hunters and raise funds for local conservation and youth programs.

Members asked limited procedural questions about assigning funds and whether the sponsoring organization could direct royalties to a 501(c)(3); Reed said shifting funding to the foundation arm would not be an issue. No opponents or neutral witnesses appeared in the record. The committee closed the hearing on HB 25-85.