Kansas House Bill HB2778

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/26
• Refer: 2/12/26

Caption

Removing the current exception to the criminal use of weapons statute that allows any individual over the age of 21 or with a provisional license to possess a concealed handgun in or on school property or grounds or at any regularly scheduled school-sponsored activity or event if not otherwise prohibited under either federal or state law.

Summary

HB 2778 amends Kansas’s criminal use of weapons statute to remove the existing exception that currently allows certain adults to possess a concealed handgun on school property, school grounds, or at regularly scheduled school-sponsored activities or events. Under current law, a person who is at least 21 years old, or who holds a provisional concealed carry license, may possess a concealed handgun in those school settings if otherwise lawful; this bill deletes that carve-out from K.S.A. 21-6301(j)(5). The bill leaves the rest of the weapons statute intact, including the general prohibition on firearm possession on school property and the existing exceptions for law enforcement, firearms safety instruction, written school authorization, secured firearms in vehicles for pickup/drop-off, and firearms secured in vehicles at polling places. By removing the concealed-carry exception, the bill would make it a criminal offense for otherwise lawful concealed handgun carriers to bring a concealed handgun onto school property or to school-sponsored events, subject to the remaining statutory exceptions.

Impact

If enacted, HB 2778 would narrow Kansas law by eliminating one of the principal school-related exceptions to the criminal use of weapons statute. It would expose adults age 21 and older, provisional license holders, and recognized out-of-state concealed carry licensees to criminal liability if they carry a concealed handgun on school property or at school-sponsored activities, unless another exception applies. The bill would amend and then repeal K.S.A. 21-6301, but the practical effect is a targeted change to subsection (j)(5) governing firearms on school grounds.

Sentiment

Based on the bill caption and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a school safety restriction on firearms rather than a broader gun-control proposal. The available context suggests a policy direction favoring tighter limits on concealed handguns in schools, but there is no documented floor or committee sentiment in the record provided to indicate support or opposition from specific legislators or stakeholders.

Contention

The central point of contention is likely the balance between school safety and lawful concealed carry rights. Supporters would view the bill as closing a loophole that allows concealed handguns in sensitive school environments, while opponents would likely argue that it restricts lawful carriers, including licensed adults and provisional licensees, without necessarily improving safety. The bill does not alter exceptions for law enforcement or certain school-authorized or vehicle-secured possession, so debate would likely focus specifically on whether concealed handgun carriers should be barred from school property and school events.