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Read. Follow. Verify.Kansas Bill Prohibits Law Enforcement Facial Coverings and Establishes Civil Liability for Violations
Last action · April 10, 2026: Died in CommitteeSponsor: Cindy Holscher
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What This Bill Proposed
Kansas law enforcement agencies would be required to adopt written policies restricting officer facial coverings by July 1, 2026, while officers wearing unauthorized masks during specific tortious acts would lose civil immunity and face misdemeanor charges.
Changes accountability standards by removing qualified immunity protections for officers committing specific torts while masked and sets a statutory baseline of at least $10,000 in damages for affected individuals.
- The measure was introduced in the Kansas Senate during the 2025-2026 legislative session by Senator Holscher. context
- Bills concerning law enforcement transparency and qualified immunity often emerge from growing public discussions regarding police identification and accountability during public demonstrations and arrests. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
law enforcement agencies
Law enforcement agencies are required to adopt, publicly post, and enforce a written policy regarding facial coverings by July 1, 2026, and address written public challenges within 90 days.
law enforcement officers
Law enforcement officers face restrictions on wearing facial coverings during duty, criminal penalties for unauthorized use, and the waiver of civil immunity if committing specific torts while masked.
members of the public
Members of the public gain the ability to submit verified written challenges to agency policies and sue officers for civil damages under specified conditions.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exceptions exist that allow law enforcement officers to wear facial coverings?
What are the penalties for an officer wearing an unauthorized facial covering?
Can members of the public challenge a law enforcement agency's facial covering policy?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Apr 10, 2026SenateDied in Committee
- Feb 4, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Senate Committee on Judiciary
- Feb 3, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Civil Immunity Waiver for Masked Officers
The bill conditions standard qualified immunity protections on whether an officer's facial identity was concealed during the commission of specified torts.
Sources
www.kslegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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