Bill
HB 2381
The bill would create a state program, funded by a $20 million transfer, to deploy U.S.-developed firearm-detection software in public entities and accredited schools.
Status & timeline
- Introduced: February 4, 2025 (House Bill)
- Fiscal note dated March 11, 2025 (Kansas Division of the Budget)
- Legislative action: Withdrawn from Committee on Appropriations; referred to Committee on Transportation and Public Safety Budget (most recent status)
- If enacted: effective upon publication in the statute book
Purpose
- Establish a statewide program, administered by the Attorney General (AG), to make firearm-detection software available to public entities and accredited nonpublic schools to detect visible, unholstered firearms and alert building personnel and first responders.
Key provisions
- Program administration: The AG will oversee and implement the Safe and Secure Firearm Detection Program and may promulgate rules.
- Vendor contract: AG must contract with a private vendor for firearm-detection software that:
- Detects and alerts to visible, unholstered firearms on property;
- Is fully designated as a qualified anti‑terrorism technology under the federal SAFETY Act (6 U.S.C. § 441 et seq.);
- Integrates with existing building security camera infrastructure;
- Is managed by the vendor via a continuously monitored operations center staffed by trained analysts who can rapidly notify law enforcement and building personnel;
- Is developed in the United States without use of third‑party or open‑source data.
- Eligibility and application: Any public entity or accredited nonpublic school may apply to the AG for authorization to use the software; applications must specify the buildings to be covered.
- Reporting: Annually, starting with the 2026 legislative session, the AG must submit a program summary report to specified House and Senate committees.
Funding and fiscal impacts
- Creates the Safe and Secure Firearm Detection Fund in the state treasury.
- Requires a one-time transfer of $20,000,000 from the State General Fund to that new fund on July 1, 2025 (or as soon as moneys are available).
- Division of the Budget (fiscal note) identifies AG operating costs paid from the new fund: $147,724 in FY2026 and $84,811 in FY2027. FY2026 costs include 1.0 Program Consultant ($62,366), 0.5 Assistant Attorney General ($66,952; one‑time in FY2026), and $18,406 operating expenses. FY2027 reflects a 5% increase for continuing items.
- The AG cannot estimate the vendor contract cost; the new fund is intended to cover contracting and program expenses, but once depleted ongoing positions/expenses may require General Fund support.
- Department of Education: school districts may apply; no direct fiscal effect estimated. League of Kansas Municipalities and Kansas Association of Counties note potential local costs (integration, maintenance, enforcement) but cannot quantify them.
Who is affected
- Public entities (state agencies, political subdivisions, entities receiving public funds), accredited nonpublic schools, and specified medical care facilities. Local governments and school districts may incur ancillary costs to integrate and operate systems; the scope depends on adoption and vendor pricing.
Uncertainties & considerations
- Major unknown: vendor contract price, recurring maintenance and integration costs, and the rate at which the $20M fund would be expended. Local fiscal impacts have not been quantified. The bill sets technical and sourcing requirements (U.S.-developed, no open-source/third-party data) that may affect vendor availability and cost.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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