75-7c20. Concealed handguns in public buildings and public areas thereof; when prohibited; public buildings exempted; definitions.
(a) The carrying of a concealed handgun shall not be prohibited in any public area of any state or municipal building unless such public area has adequate security measures to ensure that no weapons are permitted to be carried into such public area and the public area is conspicuously posted with either permanent or temporary signage approved by the governing body, or the chief administrative officer, if no governing body exists, in accordance with K.S.A. 75-7c10, and amendments thereto.
(b) The carrying of a concealed handgun shall not be prohibited throughout any state or municipal building in its entirety unless such building has adequate security measures at all public access entrances to ensure that no weapons are permitted to be carried into such building and the building is conspicuously posted in accordance with K.S.A. 75-7c10, and amendments thereto.
(c) No state agency or municipality shall prohibit an employee from carrying a concealed handgun at the employee's work place unless the building has adequate security measures at all public access entrances to ensure that no weapons are permitted to be carried into such building and the building is conspicuously posted in accordance with K.S.A. 75-7c10, and amendments thereto.
(d) (1) It shall not be a violation of the personal and family protection act for a person to carry a concealed handgun into a state or municipal building, or any public area thereof, so long as that person has authority to enter through a restricted access entrance into such building, or public area thereof, that provides adequate security measures at all public access entrances and the building, or public area thereof, is conspicuously posted in accordance with K.S.A. 75-7c10, and amendments thereto.
(2) Any person, who is not an employee of the state or a municipality and is not otherwise authorized to enter a state or municipal building through a restricted access entrance, shall be authorized to enter through a restricted access entrance, provided such person:
(A) Is authorized by the chief law enforcement officer, governing body, or the chief administrative officer, if no governing body exists, to enter such state or municipal building through a restricted access entrance;
(B) is issued an identification card by the chief law enforcement officer, governing body, or the chief administrative officer, if no governing body exists, which includes such person's photograph, name and any other identifying information deemed necessary by the issuing entity, and which states on the identification card that such person is authorized to enter such building through a restricted access entrance; and
(C) executes an affidavit or other notarized statement that such person acknowledges that certain firearms and weapons may be prohibited in such building and that violating any such regulations may result in the revocation of such person's authority to enter such building through a restricted access entrance.
The chief law enforcement officer, governing body, or the chief administrative officer, if no governing body exists, shall develop criteria for approval of individuals subject to this paragraph to enter the state or municipal building through a restricted access entrance. Such criteria may include the requirement that the individual submit to a state and national criminal history records check before issuance and renewal of such authorization and pay a fee to cover the costs of such background checks. An individual who has been issued a concealed carry permit by the state of Kansas shall not be required to submit to another state and national criminal records check before issuance and renewal of such authorization. Notwithstanding any authorization granted under this paragraph, an individual may be subjected to additional security screening measures upon reasonable suspicion or in circumstances where heightened security measures are warranted. Such authorization does not permit the individual to carry a concealed weapon into a public building, which has adequate security measures, as defined by this act, and which is conspicuously posted in accordance with K.S.A. 75-7c10, and amendments thereto.
(e) A state agency or municipality that provides adequate security measures in a state or municipal building and which conspicuously posts signage in accordance with K.S.A. 75-7c10, and amendments thereto, prohibiting the carrying of a concealed handgun in such building shall not be liable for any wrongful act or omission relating to actions of persons carrying a concealed handgun concerning acts or omissions regarding such handguns.
(f) A state agency or municipality that does not provide adequate security measures in a state or municipal building and that allows the carrying of a concealed handgun shall not be liable for any wrongful act or omission relating to actions of persons carrying a concealed handgun concerning acts or omissions regarding such handguns.
(g) Nothing in this act shall limit the ability of a corrections facility, a jail facility or a law enforcement agency to prohibit the carrying of a handgun or other firearm concealed or unconcealed by any person into any secure area of a building located on such premises, except those areas of such building outside of a secure area and readily accessible to the public shall be subject to the provisions of subsection (a).
(h) Nothing in this section shall limit the ability of the chief judge of each judicial district to prohibit the carrying of a concealed handgun by any person into courtrooms or ancillary courtrooms within the district provided the public area has adequate security measures to ensure that no weapons are permitted to be carried into such public area and the public area is conspicuously posted in accordance with K.S.A. 75-7c10, and amendments thereto.
(i) The governing body or the chief administrative officer, if no governing body exists, of a state or municipal building, may exempt the building, or any public area thereof, from this section until July 1, 2017, by adopting a resolution, or drafting a letter, listing the legal description of such building, listing the reasons for such exemption, and including the following statement: "A security plan has been developed for the building being exempted which supplies adequate security to the occupants of the building and merits the prohibition of the carrying of a concealed handgun." A copy of the security plan for the building shall be maintained on file and shall be made available, upon request, to the Kansas attorney general and the law enforcement agency of local jurisdiction. Notice of this exemption, together with the resolution adopted or the letter drafted, shall be sent to the Kansas attorney general and to the law enforcement agency of local jurisdiction. The security plan shall not be subject to disclosure under the Kansas open records act.
(j) The governing body or the chief administrative officer, if no governing body exists, of any postsecondary educational institution, as defined in K.S.A. 74-3201b, and amendments thereto, may exempt any building of such institution, including any buildings located on the grounds of such institution and any buildings leased by such institution, or any public area thereof, from this section until July 1, 2017, by stating the reasons for such exemption and sending notice of such exemption to the Kansas attorney general.
(k) The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
(1) Any building located on the grounds of the Kansas state school for the deaf or the Kansas state school for the blind;
(2) a state or municipal-owned medical care facility, as defined in K.S.A. 65-425, and amendments thereto;
(3) a state or municipal-owned adult care home, as defined in K.S.A. 39-923, and amendments thereto;
(4) a community mental health center organized pursuant to K.S.A. 19-4001 et seq., and amendments thereto;
(5) an indigent health care clinic, as defined by K.S.A. 65-7402, and amendments thereto; or
(6) any building owned or leased by the authority created under the university of Kansas hospital authority act, any building located within the health care district, as defined in the unified government of Wyandotte county and Kansas City, Kansas City-wide master plan, Rosedale master plan and traffic study or similar master plan or comprehensive planning or zoning document approved by the unified government of Wyandotte county and Kansas City, Kansas in effect on January 12, 2017.
(l) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any law enforcement officer, as defined in K.S.A. 75-7c22, and amendments thereto, who satisfies the requirements of either K.S.A. 75-7c22(a) or (b), and amendments thereto, from carrying a concealed handgun into any state or municipal building, or any public area thereof, in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-7c22, and amendments thereto, subject to any restrictions or prohibitions imposed in any courtroom by the chief judge of the judicial district.
(m) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Adequate security measures" means the use of electronic equipment and armed personnel at public entrances to detect and restrict the carrying of any weapons into the state or municipal building, or any public area thereof, including, but not limited to, metal detectors, metal detector wands or any other equipment used for similar purposes to ensure that weapons are not permitted to be carried into such building or public area by members of the public. Adequate security measures for storing and securing lawfully carried weapons, including, but not limited to, the use of gun lockers or other similar storage options may be provided at public entrances.
(2) "Authorized personnel" means employees of a state agency or municipality and any person granted authorization pursuant to subsection (d)(2), who are authorized to enter a state or municipal building through a restricted access entrance.
(3) The terms "municipality" and "municipal" are interchangeable and have the same meaning as the term "municipality" is defined in K.S.A. 75-6102, and amendments thereto, but does not include school districts.
(4) "Public area" means any portion of a state or municipal building that is open to and accessible by the public or which is otherwise designated as a public area by the governing body or the chief administrative officer, if no governing body exists, of such building.
(5) "Restricted access entrance" means an entrance that is restricted to the public and requires a key, keycard, code, or similar device to allow entry to authorized personnel.
(6) "State" means the same as the term is defined in K.S.A. 75-6102, and amendments thereto.
(7) (A) "State or municipal building" means a building owned or leased by such public entity. It does not include a building owned by the state or a municipality which is leased by a private entity whether for profit or not-for-profit or a building held in title by the state or a municipality solely for reasons of revenue bond financing.
(B) The term "state and municipal building" shall not include the state capitol.
(8) "Weapon" means a weapon described in K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-6301, and amendments thereto, except the term "weapon" shall not include any cutting instrument that has a sharpened or pointed blade.
(n) This section shall be a part of and supplemental to the personal and family protection act.
History: L. 2013, ch. 105, § 2; L. 2014, ch. 97, § 16; L. 2014, ch. 134, § 5; L. 2015, ch. 16, § 13; L. 2016, ch. 86, § 6; L. 2017, ch. 93, § 2; July 1.