Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission -- Appointment processes and conditions -- Ethics requirement -- Prohibition against use of state seal -- Definition of "sportsman" and sportswoman"
KRS 150.022
in effect150.022. Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission -- Appointment processes and conditions -- Ethics requirement -- Prohibition against use of state seal -- Definition of "sportsman" and sportswoman"
(1) The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission shall consist of nine (9) members, one (1) from each commission district, as set out by the commissioner with the approval of the commission, and not more than five (5) of the same political party.
(2) (a) The Governor shall appoint the members of the commission subject to confirmation by the Senate as described in subsection (3) of this section. Each of the members shall be appointed for a term ending on December 31 of the fourth calendar year following his or her appointment.
(b) A member whose reappointment is not confirmed by the Senate while it is in session shall vacate his or her seat upon the date of sine die adjournment of the session in which the confirmation was declined. Otherwise, a member's term shall continue until his or her successor is duly appointed and confirmed by the Senate, but no later than one (1) year following the expiration of the member's term. If after one (1) year a successor has not been duly appointed and confirmed by the Senate, the commission member's seat for that district shall be vacant until a successor is duly appointed and confirmed by the Senate.
(c) A member shall serve no more than two (2) full terms, not including any partial term that a member may additionally serve. A person who has been convicted of a felony offense, in Kentucky or under the law of any other state, or any other law of the United States shall not be eligible to serve on the commission.
(3) (a) Vacancies through the expiration of terms of the members of the commission shall be filled by appointment by the Governor from a list of five (5) names from each commission district, recommended and submitted by the sportsmen or sportswomen of each respective district.
(b) When the term of a member expires, the commissioner shall call a meeting of the sportsmen and sportswomen in that district not later than thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the member's term. At least thirty (30) days before the meeting is called, the commissioner shall provide notice of the location, date, and time of the meeting. Notice of the meeting shall be given by publication pursuant to KRS Chapter 424.
(c) At the meeting, the sportsmen and sportswomen in attendance shall select and submit to the Governor a list of five (5) residents and citizens of the district, each of whom: 1. Is either an experienced hunter, angler, trapper, or biologist; 2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, has held a hunting and fishing license in Kentucky for at least the previous five (5) consecutive years; and 3. Is well informed on the subject of wildlife conservation and restoration.
(d) A person desiring to be a member of the commission shall, at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting conducted in accordance with paragraph (c) of this subsection, present to a representative of the department an affidavit, duly signed and sworn, with accompanying documentation setting forth in detail how he or she complies with the qualifications and requirements of this subsection. The department shall make a determination based off of the affidavit and documentation submitted by the applicant whether he or she meets the qualifications and provide a list of the qualified applicants to the commission before the meeting.
(e) Each sportsman or sportswoman may vote for one (1) candidate only, and the list submitted to the Governor shall be made up of the names of the five (5) candidates receiving the five (5) highest vote totals.
(f) The Governor shall appoint a successor to the member whose term has expired no later than January 20 of the year following the year in which the member's term expired.
(4) Upon appointment to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission, each member of the commission shall execute a bond of one thousand dollars ($1,000) in favor of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the premium on this bond to be paid out of department funds.
(5) In the event of vacancies other than by expiration, the Governor shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired part of the term from the names remaining on the list previously submitted for the district from which the vacancy arose. An appointee chosen under this subsection shall not serve on the commission until duly confirmed by the Senate.
(6) Each member of the commission shall take the constitutional oath of office.
(7) The Governor shall remove any member of the commission for cause under subsection (2) of this section and may remove a member of the commission for nonfeasance, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office; but shall first deliver to the member a copy of all charges in writing and afford to him or her an opportunity for an administrative hearing to be conducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B.
(8) Each member of the commission shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary traveling and other expenses incurred by him or her in the discharge of his or her official duties and to be paid from the game and fish fund.
(9) A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business, for the performance of any duty or for the exercise of any power vested in the commission. At the commission's first meeting after sine die of the regular session of the General Assembly of each year, it shall elect from among its members a person to serve as chairperson of the commission for the coming calendar year.
(10) The department shall have its principal office in Franklin County, and is authorized to purchase all supplies, equipment, and printed forms and to issue any notices and publications as the commissioner may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
(11) Within one (1) year of his or her initial appointment to the commission, a commission member shall complete three (3) hours of executive branch ethics training conducted by the Executive Branch Ethics Commission established under KRS Chapter 11A. Each commission member shall complete three (3) hours of executive branch ethics training each year that he or she serves on the commission thereafter. Current commission members shall complete their initial three (3) hours of executive branch ethics training within one (1) year after April 10, 2026.
(12) Official logos, decals, or emblems used by the department or that bear the state seal shall not be used on any vehicle, except in accordance with KRS 186.065. Members of the commission shall not place official department logos, decals, or emblems with the state seal on any personal vehicle used by them. This subsection does not apply to the placement of bumper stickers or any other decals or emblems that are not used by the department to designate the vehicle as a state-owned vehicle.
(13) The word "sportsman" or "sportswoman" as used in this section shall mean a resident hunter or fisherman or fisherwoman who has been licensed in Kentucky for each of the past two (2) consecutive years.
Effective: April 16, 2026
History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 93, sec. 5, effective April 10, 2026; and ch. 178, sec. 8, effective April 16, 2026. -- Amended 2025 Ky. Acts ch. 116, sec. 1, effective March 27, 2025. -- Amended 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 139, sec. 13, effective March 29, 2023. -- Amended 2022 Ky. Acts ch. 1 97, sec. 4, effective April 13, 2022. -- Amended 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 158, sec. 5, effective July 15, 2010. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 296, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1980 Ky. Acts ch. 336, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1980. -- Amended 1978 Ky. Acts ch. 178, sec. 2, effective June 17, 1978. -- Amended 1966 Ky. Acts ch. 239, sec. 143 -- Amended 1956 Ky. Acts ch. 115, sec. 2 -- Amended 1952 Ky. Acts ch. 200, sec. 4 -- Created 1944 Ky. Acts ch. 6, sec. 1.
Legislative Research Commission Note (4/16/2026). This statute was amended by 2026 Ky. Acts chs. 93 and 178, which do not appear to be in conflict and have been codified together.
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (legislature.ky.gov)URL: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56843Fetched: 10/20/2026