Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB506: AN ACT relating to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Status: Chaptered, April 14, 2026
Amend KRS 15.460 to allow Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources game wardens to receive annual supplements from the Kentucky Law Enforcement Foundation Program fund; remove the requirement that a game warden's annual training stipend be paid from the game and fish fund; amend KRS 150.010 to remove the definitions for "administrative regulation," "navigable waters," and "public roadway"; add definitions for "exotic wildlife," "native wildlife," and "roadway" and amend the definition for "livestock"; amend KRS 150.021 to remove the requirement that the department pay a fee equal to 5% of the debt service for the 2-way radio system utilized by the Kentucky State Police; amend KRS 150.025 to allow the department or the commissioner, with the approval of the commission, to promulgate administrative regulations to carry out the purposes of KRS Chapter 150; amend KRS 150.027 to require the department to file a statement of consideration at the same time as it files an administrative regulation that affects property that is adjacent to department-owned or controlled lakes; amend KRS 150.061 to require the commissioner of the department to establish a salary structure for the department's Division of Law Enforcement that is adequate to meet the department's recruitment and retention goals; amend KRS 150.090 to provide that waters bordering the Commonwealth are included in the jurisdiction of game wardens; amend KRS 150.120 to provide that native and exotic wildlife that are taken, possessed, or transported in violation of the provisions of KRS Chapter 150 or the administrative regulations promulgated thereunder shall be seized; require that upon seizure, native wildlife or any hybrid thereof shall be declared contraband and disposed of as determined by the commissioner; amend KRS 150.150 to conform and to provide that the $25,000 set aside annually for hunger relief is not required to be taken from the game and fish fund; amend KRS 150.170 to change the reference from "d
What the bill says
An act relating to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT relating to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Section 1. KRS 15.460 is amended to read as follows: (1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (4)(a) of this section, an eligible unit of government shall be entitled to receive an annual supplement of three thousand dollars ($3,000) for each qualified police officer it employs. The supplement amount shall be increased to four thousand dollars ($4,000) beginning July 1, 2018. (b) 1. In addition to the supplement, the unit of government shall receive an amount equal to the required employer's contribution on the supplement to the retirement plan and duty category to which the officer belongs. In the case of County Employees Retirement System membership, the retirement plan contribution on the supplement shall be paid whether the officer enters the system under hazardous duty coverage or nonhazardous coverage. 2. The unit of government shall pay the amount received for retirement plan coverage to the appropriate retirement system to cover the required employer contribution on the pay supplement. 3. If the foundation program funds are insufficient to pay employer contributions to the system, then the total amount available for retirement plan payments shall be prorated to each eligible government so that each receives the same percentage of …
Sponsors
- David Hale (R, HD-074) · primary sponsor
- John Blanton (R, HD-092)
- Daniel Fister (R, HD-056)
- Chris Fugate (R, HD-084)
- Mark Hart (R, HD-078)
- Kevin Jackson (R, HD-020)
- William Lawrence (R, HD-070)
- Bill Wesley (R, HD-091)
Latest actions
- : became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 148)
- : filed without Governor's signature with the Secretary of State
- : delivered to Governor
- : enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- : enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- : received in House
- : 3rd reading, passed 38-0
- : posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 31 2026
- : 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill
- : reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar
Votes
- Senate: Floor Vote RSN# 4053 (March 31, 2026): 38 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House: Pass RCS# 240 (March 12, 2026): 93 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: State Agencies, Crimes And Punishments, Hunting And Fishing, Fees, State Employees, Peace Officers And Law Enforcement, Waterways And Dams, Communications
Common questions
- What is HB506?
- HB506 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
- What does HB506 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
- What is the status of HB506?
- Chaptered as of April 14, 2026. Latest action: became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 148) (April 14, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB506?
- David Hale (R, HD-074), with 7 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB506?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb506.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.