H.B. 18: Public Land Access Amendments

What the bill does

Did not pass both chambers; the bill was filed on March 6, 2026.

It would have dropped the requirement that, in some circumstances, people need a hunting or fishing authorization to enter wildlife management areas. It was introduced but did not advance, and the House filed it on March 6, 2026.

This bill addresses access to wildlife management areas.

• Repeals requirement that under certain circumstances an individual is required to hold authorization to hunt or fish to access wildlife management areas
• Makes technical and conforming amendments

The description and list come from the bill's own long title as recorded by the Legislature; the paragraph above is the Ledger’s summary. Read the official bill. The Ledger takes no position on it.

Subjects: Natural Resources · Wildlife · Fishing · Hunting

How it moved

1. January 20, 2026 · House1st reading (Introduced)Rules Committee
2. March 6, 2026 · Housefiledfile for bills not passed

Steps as the Legislature recorded them; clerical and fiscal-staff entries are left out. Numbers such as 54-14-7 are yeas, nays and absent.

Fiscal note

From the Legislative Fiscal Analyst's note on H.B. 18, dated January 6, 2026. A fiscal note estimates direct costs and revenue; it is not an appropriation.

• State revenue: Wildlife Resources (GFR) Enacting this legislation could reduce the revenue for the Wildlife Resources Restricted Account from license sales by estimated $12,000 ongoing, starting in FY 2027.
• State expenditures: Enactment of this legislation likely will not materially impact state expenditures.
• Local government: Enactment of this legislation likely will not result in direct, measurable costs for local governments.
• Individuals and businesses: Enacting this legislation would eliminate the requirement for visitors to certain wildlife management areas to purchase a fishing, hunting, or combination license, resulting in a total cumulative cost reduction of $12,000 for an estimated 300 individuals.

Bill overview

Sponsor: Nelson T. Abbott

Legislature passed-list status: Not available in the saved metadata.

Passed-list membership is not a finding that a bill was signed or took effect. A bill absent from that list is not necessarily pending or defeated.

Latest recorded action

filed
Action date: March 6, 2026

The full step list is above. Find the bill in the official session list for status, hearings and committee records.

Recorded floor votes

No floor-vote records for this bill and session are available here. This does not mean no vote occurred; consult the official bill record.

Ledger coverage

No Ledger stories with an explicit source link to this bill and session are listed here.