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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky Amends Fish and Wildlife Laws, Exempts Private Ponds from Creel Limits, and Restricts Wakeboat Regulations
Last action · April 10, 2026: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 93)Sponsors: Gary Boswell and 16 others
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What This Bill Does
Kentucky enacts Senate Bill 39, modifying state fish and wildlife statutes to exempt private landowners from and size limits on private ponds, prohibiting new restrictions on s where allowed as of December 1, 2025, and declaring an emergency for immediate effect upon signing on April 10, 2026.
Private pond owners gain freedom from state catch and size limits, nighttime hunters gain explicit allowance for nocturnal coyote and bobcat hunting using thermal tech, and boaters gain protections against new local bans, while illegal stocking of invasive fish species carries fines up to $10,000.
- The Kentucky General Assembly enacts statutory changes to chapters governing fish, wildlife, boats, and departmental administration. context
- Senate Bill 39 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session and signed into law by the Governor on April 10, 2026. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Private Landowners
Resident landowners gain exemptions from state creel, possession, size, and stocking limits on private lakes and ponds not located within a 100-year floodplain.
Wakeboat Operators
Operators are protected against new state regulations prohibiting or restricting wakesports on bodies of water where they were allowed as of December 1, 2025.
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
The department is barred from enforcing certain wakeboat restrictions and must promulgate new rules for nocturnal beaver hunting and commission member ethics training.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do private pond owners need state permits to stock or manage fish in their private waters?
Can local authorities or the state ban wakeboats under this law?
What military personnel are exempt from needing hunting and fishing licenses in Kentucky?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
16 actions- Apr 10, 2026SenateEnrolledsigned by Governor (Acts Ch. 93)
- Mar 31, 2026HouseEnrolledposted for passage for concurrence in House Floor Amendments (1), (2) and (4), Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) Senate concurred in Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendments (4), (2) and (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) passed 38-0 enrolled, signed by President of the Senate enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House delivered to Governor
- Mar 27, 2026SenateFloortaken from Rules placed in the Orders of the Day 3rd reading, passed 90-0 with Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendments (1), (2) and (4) and Committee Amendment (1-title) received in Senate to Rules (S)
- Mar 26, 2026SenateFloorreported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) floor amendments (1), (2), (3) and (4) filed to Committee Substitute
- Mar 25, 2026HouseCommitteetaken from Natural Resources & Energy (H) 1st reading returned to Natural Resources & Energy (H)
- Mar 5, 2026HouseCommitteeto Natural Resources & Energy (H)
Show 10 earlier actions
- Feb 23, 2026HouseIntroducedreceived in House to Committee on Committees (H)
- Feb 20, 2026SenateFloortaken from Rules placed in the Orders of the Day 3rd reading Floor Amendments (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) withdrawn passed 29-8 with Floor Amendment (6)
- Feb 11, 2026Senatefloor amendment (6) filed
- Feb 9, 2026Senatefloor amendment (5) filed
- Jan 30, 2026Senatefloor amendment (4) filed
- Jan 27, 2026SenateFloor Amendments (1), (2) and (3) filed
- Jan 23, 2026SenateFloor2nd reading, to Rules
- Jan 22, 2026Senatereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeto Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor (S)
- Jan 7, 2026SenateIntroducedintroduced in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 12 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Wakeboat Regulation Freeze
The statute explicitly strips the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources of authority to impose new restrictions or setback rules on wakeboats where they operated on December 1, 2025.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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