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Topeka police chief backs lowering minimum hiring age to 20 in hearing on HB 2164
Summary
The committee heard House Bill 2164, which would allow persons to begin police training at 20 and require them to be 21 before full service. Topeka Police Chief Chris Vallejo and the Reviser's Office testified about training standards and recruitment pressures; the committee took no final vote.
The Committee on Federal and State Affairs heard House Bill 2164, which would amend the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Act to allow individuals to begin the certification process at age 20, provided they are at least 21 before serving as a full‑time or part‑time police officer.
The Reviser's Office summarized the bill: it sets a minimum starting age of 20 to enter training, requires trainees to be 21 before active duty, specifies a 560‑hour minimum training requirement, and maintains at least 40 hours of annual continuing education. The reviser also said local training programs may continue if they meet Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center requirements.
Chris Vallejo, newly appointed chief of the Topeka Police Department, testified in strong support. Vallejo said lowering the minimum starting age to 20 would expand the recruitment pool and align Kansas with states such as California, Illinois, Maryland and Vermont that use a 20‑year minimum. He described local staffing shortages — noting Topeka had been as much as 15 percent short and was “about 11%” short at the time of his testimony — and emphasized that local departments exceed the statutory minimum training period in practice (Topeka, he said, uses a 22‑week academy at present).
Committee members asked clarifying questions about how a provisional hiring status would differ from full commissioning and about the number of prospective recruits who would be affected. Vallejo said the hiring and vetting processes — application, interview, background checks, psychological and physical assessments — remain rigorous regardless of age and that probationary on‑the‑job periods extend well into the 21st year when hires begin the process at 20.
Representative Mosley raised concerns about neurodevelopmental maturity, noting research showing the brain continues developing into the mid‑20s and asking how many younger recruits the department would realistically hire. Vallejo said he had only recently begun as chief and would provide department statistics later if the committee requested them.
The Reviser's Office and chief indicated the bill would create a provisional pathway rather than alter established vetting and training standards. The committee did not take a final vote on HB 2164 at this hearing and received additional written testimony on the committee S‑drive.
