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AN ACT concerning big game permits; relating to taking of deer; amend-
  ing K.S.A. 1996 Supp. 32-937 and repealing the existing section.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
  Section 1.  K.S.A. 1996 Supp. 32-937 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 32-937. (a) When used in this section:
  (1)  ``Landowner'' means a resident owner of farm or ranch land of
80 acres or more located in the state of Kansas.
  (2)  ``Tenant'' means a resident of this state who is actively engaged
in the agricultural operation of 80 acres or more of Kansas farm or ranch
land for the purpose of producing agricultural commodities or livestock
and who: (A) Has a substantial financial investment in the production of
agricultural commodities or livestock on such farm or ranch land and the
potential to realize substantial financial benefit from such production; or
(B) is a bona fide manager having an overall responsibility to direct, su-
pervise and conduct such agricultural operation and has the potential to
realize substantial benefit from such production in the form of salary,
shares of such production or some other economic incentive based upon
such production.
  (3)  ``Regular season'' means a statewide big game hunting season au-
thorized annually which may include one or more seasons restricted to
specific types of equipment.
  (4)  ``Special season'' means a big game hunting season in addition to
a regular season authorized on an irregular basis or at different times of
the year other than the regular season.
  (5)  ``General permit'' means a big game hunting permit available to
Kansas residents not applying for big game permits as a landowner or
tenant.
  (6)  ``Nonresident landowner'' means a nonresident of the state of
Kansas who owns farm or ranch land of 80 acres or more which is located
in the state of Kansas.
  (7)  ``Nonresident permit'' means a big game hunting permit available
to individuals who are not Kansas residents.
  (b)  Except as otherwise provided by law or rules and regulations of
the secretary and in addition to any other license, permit or stamp re-
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 1  quired by law or rules and regulations of the secretary, a valid big game
 2  permit and game tags are required to take any big game in this state.
 3    (c)  The fee for big game permits and game tags shall be the amount
 4  prescribed pursuant to K.S.A. 32-988, and amendments thereto.
 5    (d)  A big game permit and game tags are valid throughout the state
 6  or such portion thereof as provided by rules and regulations adopted by
 7  the secretary in accordance with K.S.A. 32-805 and amendments thereto.
 8    (e)  Unless otherwise provided by law or rules and regulations of the
 9  secretary, a big game permit and game tags are valid from the date of
10  issuance and shall expire at the end of the season for which issued.
11    (f)  The secretary may adopt, in accordance with K.S.A. 32-805, and
12  amendments thereto, rules and regulations for each regular or special big
13  game hunting season and for each management unit regarding big game
14  permits and game tags. The secretary is hereby authorized to issue big
15  game permits and game tags pertaining to the taking of big game. Sep-
16  arate big game permits and game tags may be issued for each species of
17  big game. No big game permits or game tags shall be issued until the
18  secretary has established, by rules and regulations adopted in accordance
19  with K.S.A. 32-805, and amendments thereto, a regular or special big
20  game hunting season.
21    (g)  The secretary may authorize, by rule and regulation adopted in
22  accordance with K.S.A. 32-805, and amendments thereto, landowner or
23  tenant hunt-on-your-own-land big game permits. Such permits and ap-
24  plications may contain provisions and restrictions as prescribed by rule
25  and regulation adopted by the secretary in accordance with K.S.A. 32-
26  805, and amendments thereto.
27    (h)  The secretary may authorize, by rule and regulation adopted in
28  accordance with K.S.A. 32-805 and amendments thereto, special land-
29  owner or tenant hunt-on-your-own-land deer permits. Such special per-
30  mits shall not be issued to landowners or tenants in possession of a hunt-
31  on-your-own-land deer permit as authorized in subsection (g). The special
32  permits shall be transferable to any immediate family member of the
33  landowner or tenant, whether or not a Kansas resident, or the permit may
34  be retained for use by the landowner or tenant. The special permits shall
35  be transferable through the secretary at the request of the landowner or
36  tenant and by paying the required fee for a general or nonresident deer
37  permit and the additional payment of the permit transfer fee. The special
38  permits and applications may contain provisions and restrictions as pre-
39  scribed by rule and regulation adopted by the secretary in accordance
40  with K.S.A. 32-805 and amendments thereto. For the purposes of this
41  subsection, ``member of the immediate family'' means lineal or collateral
42  ascendants or descendants, and their spouses.
43    (i)  Fifty percent of the big game permits authorized for a regular
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 1  season in any management unit shall be issued to landowners or tenants,
 2  provided that a limited number of big game permits have been authorized
 3  and landowner or tenant hunt-on-your-own-land big game permits for
 4  that unit have not been authorized. A landowner or tenant is not eligible
 5  to apply for a big game permit as a landowner or as a tenant in a man-
 6  agement unit other than the unit or units which includes such landowner's
 7  or tenant's land. Any big game permits not issued to landowners or ten-
 8  ants within the time period prescribed by rule and regulation may be
 9  issued without regard to the 50% limitation.
10    (j)  Members of the immediate family who are domiciled with a land-
11  owner or tenant may apply for a big game permit as a landowner or as a
12  tenant, but the total number of permits issued to a landowner or tenant
13  and a landowner's or tenant's immediate family shall not exceed one per-
14  mit for each 80 acres owned by such landowner or operated by such
15  tenant. The secretary may require proof of ownership or tenancy from
16  individuals applying for a big game permit as a landowner or as a tenant.
17    (k)  The secretary may issue permits for deer or turkey to nonresident
18  landowners, but any such permit shall be restricted to hunting only on
19  lands owned by the nonresident landowner.
20    (l)  The secretary may issue turkey hunting permits to nonresidents
21  in turkey management units with unlimited turkey hunting permits avail-
22  able.
23    (m)  The secretary may issue deer hunting permits to nonresidents,
24  subject to the following limitations:
25    (1)  Before January 1, 2000: (A) The total number of nonresident deer
26  firearm permits issued for a deer season in a management unit shall not
27  exceed 10% of the total number of resident deer firearm permits author-
28  ized for such season in such management unit; and (B) the total number
29  of nonresident deer archery permits issued for a deer season in a man-
30  agement unit shall not exceed 10% of the total number of resident deer
31  archery permits authorized for such season in such management unit.
32    (2)  On and after January 1, 2000: (A) The total number of nonresi-
33  dent deer firearm permits issued for a deer season in a management unit
34  shall not exceed 5% of the total number of resident deer firearm permits
35  authorized for such season in such management unit; and (2) (B) the total
36  number of nonresident deer archery permits issued for a deer season in
37  a management unit shall not exceed 5% of the total number of resident
38  deer archery permits authorized for such season in such management
39  unit.
40    If an unlimited number of resident deer permits is authorized for a
41  deer season or management unit, the percentage limitations of subsec-
42  tions (l)(1) and (l)(2) (m)(1) and (m)(2) shall be based upon the total
43  number of resident firearm permits and the total number of archery per-
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 1  mits, respectively, issued in the management unit during the most recent
 2  preceding similar season. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
 3  subsection, nonresident firearm deer permits of a particular type and
 4  nonresident archery deer permits of a particular type may be issued in a
 5  firearms management unit only if resident firearm permits of such type
 6  remained unissued after the close of the previous year's first permit se-
 7  lection process in that management unit.
 8    (n)  On and after January 1, 2000, any recipient of a nonresident deer
 9  hunting permit as authorized under subsection (l) (m) shall be ineligible
10  to apply for or to receive a nonresident deer hunting permit for any deer
11  season established for the following year.
12    (o)  No big game permit issued to a person under 14 years of age shall
13  be valid until such person reaches 14 years of age, except that a wild
14  turkey firearm permit may be issued to any individual who is 12 years of
15  age or older but is under 14 years of age if the individual has been issued
16  a certificate of completion of an approved hunter education course. Such
17  turkey firearm permit shall be valid only while the individual is hunting
18  under the immediate supervision of an adult who is 21 years of age or
19  older.
20    (p)  A big game permit shall state the species, number and sex of the
21  big game which may be killed by the permittee. The secretary may furnish
22  an informational card with any big game permit and, at the conclusion of
23  the open season, each permittee receiving such card shall return the card
24  to the department, giving such information as is called for on the card.
25    (q)  The permittee shall permanently affix the game tag to the carcass
26  of any big game immediately after killing and thereafter, if required by
27  rules and regulations, the permittee shall immediately take such killed
28  game to a check station as required in the rules and regulations, where a
29  check station tag shall be affixed to the game carcass if the kill is legal.
30  The tags shall remain affixed until the carcass is consumed or processed
31  for storage.
32    (r)  The provisions of this section do not apply to big game animals
33  sold in surplus property disposal sales of department exhibit herds or big
34  game animals legally taken outside this state.
35    Sec. 2.  K.S.A. 1996 Supp. 32-937 is hereby repealed.
36    Sec. 3.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
37  publication in the statute book.