---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources."
description: "Amend various sections of the Kentucky Revised Statutes to change \"conservation officer\" to \"game warden\"; amend KRS 16.065 to remove water safety enforcement from the duties of the Department of Kentucky State Police; amend KRS 150.010 to define terms; amend KRS 150.025 to allow the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to regulate water safety enforcement; amend KRS 150.175 to establish a resident and nonresident outfitter license; change commercial guide's license to guide's license and make changes to conform with the outfitter license; amend KRS 150.190 and KRS 186.675 to conform."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2024RS"
identifier: "HB 586"
citation: "Kentucky HB 586 (2024RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Administrative Regulations and Proceedings", "Environment and Conservation", "Fish and Wildlife", "Hunting and Fishing", "Licensing", "Public Officers and Employees", "State Agencies"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["D. Hale", "R. Dotson"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2024-02-20T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2024-04-10T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4e5bb63f-df16-4c64-a2eb-45026ba79c91"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/24RS/hb586.html"
source_hash: "90c1fc8c567969673f24d3151360ed992f87a545aa9bc42ff797501869ee25b3"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky HB 586 (2024RS) — AN ACT relating to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Amend various sections of the Kentucky Revised Statutes to change "conservation officer" to "game warden"; amend KRS 16.065 to remove water safety enforcement from the duties of the Department of Kentucky State Police; amend KRS 150.010 to define terms; amend KRS 150.025 to allow the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to regulate water safety enforcement; amend KRS 150.175 to establish a resident and nonresident outfitter license; change commercial guide's license to guide's license and make changes to conform with the outfitter license; amend KRS 150.190 and KRS 186.675 to conform.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/24RS/hb586/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 159** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/24RS/documents/0159.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/24RS/hb586/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- Pass — **pass** (pass) · lower
- PASS HB 586 — **pass** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- D. Hale — primary (person)
- R. Dotson — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2024-02-20T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in House `introduction`
- **2024-02-20T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** to State Government (H) `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-29T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-01T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2024-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-03-07T05:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (2) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendment (3-title) filed to bill `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-03-11T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 12, 2024
- **2024-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** Floor Amendment (2) and Floor Amendment (3-title) withdrawn
- **2024-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 93-0 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2024-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-21T04:00:00+00:00** to Natural Resources & Energy (S) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Natural Resources & Energy (S)
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** reassigned to Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (S)
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (S)
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** 1st reading `reading-1`
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** returned to Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (S)
- **2024-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (1) filed `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 28, 2024
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading `reading-3`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** Floor Amendment (1) withdrawn
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** passed 36-0 `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2024-04-05T04:00:00+00:00** filed without Governor's signature with the Secretary of State
- **2024-04-10T04:00:00+00:00** became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 159) `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4e5bb63f-df16-4c64-a2eb-45026ba79c91`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).