Committee reviews changes to concealed-carry rules, provisional license transition and off‑duty officer identification

The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee heard House Bill 2052, a set of changes to the Personal and Family Protection Act that would update disqualifying offenses, add transition language for provisional licenses issued to those under 21, clarify surrender requirements for suspended or revoked licenses, and add protections for off‑duty law enforcement officers.

Committee staff member Jason Reed summarized the bill as making several amendments to statutes within KSA 75-7 series: (1) changing the list of criminal offenses that disqualify a person from obtaining a concealed-carry license to mirror federal prohibitions (including fugitive status, being an illegal alien, subject to an abuse order, or having a domestic violence conviction); (2) adding transition language to allow provisional licensees who turn 21 during a four‑year license term to be notified and issued a standard license upon request; (3) requiring a person whose license is suspended or revoked to surrender the physical license to the Attorney General's office, and allowing reissuance when the suspension ends; and (4) prohibiting a private building owner or operator from requiring an off‑duty law enforcement officer to reveal personal information or wear identifying badges while in the building.

Representative Carolyn Howell, who helped draft the transition language, told the committee the provisional-to-standard license transition provision addresses a drafting problem that caused constituents difficulty when their provisional license matured during a renewal cycle. "I think allowing for a different mode of communication potentially besides just mail is fine…but it is typical, for example, with our driver's licenses that you do receive that notification by mail when you're about to have your term expire on your driver's license," Howell said.

Robert Hutchison, Acting Chief Deputy Attorney General, testified that the Attorney General's office typically starts notification by mailing to the applicant's physical address because returned mail signals a need for further contact; the office also suggested a small drafting change requested by the ATF to preserve federal background check processing that would otherwise be jeopardized by last year's statutory changes. Hutchison also proposed moving voluntary physical surrender to the Division of Vehicles (which issues the card) and removing a $250 fee the House had included for failure to surrender.

Law enforcement associations testified in support. Lieutenant Tim Greenwood, president of the Kansas Peace Officers Association, said most members carry off duty and that requiring visible identification or recording personal data at venues can make off‑duty officers targets. "That makes that officer the first target of any violent act," Greenwood said. Chief Darryl Atterberry, representing the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police and the Kansas Sheriffs Association, gave examples where officers were required to provide personal information or were photographed when entering venues. He said the statute's intent was not to force officers to be identified in private venues or public events.

An opponent who testified remotely, Nick Reinicker of Inman, objected to the bill's removal of some federal disqualifiers and argued for a different policy approach; his remarks focused on constitutional and federalism concerns rather than the transition or off‑duty provisions.

Committee action: The committee limited testimony to 10 minutes per witness because of time constraints; the hearing closed with no vote taken on the bill and scheduled additional consideration later. Several conferees and written testimony were submitted to the committee record.