Kansas Public Safety Grants

The Enacted Kansas Component Rule

K.S.A. 75-3740h(a) bars a governmental agency, including political or taxing subdivisions, from buying or acquiring a drone or related services, maintenance agreement or equipment whose critical components were produced in a country of concern or produced or owned by a foreign principal. Listed countries are China including Hong Kong, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela; Taiwan is expressly excluded. The definition of foreign principal also captures certain ownership and control relationships.

Under 75-3740i(c), a “critical component” is a distinct, serviceable article that is primary to recording, storing or transmitting data or other information. It also includes installed software in the aircraft or a device or network device supporting its operation. Do not assume every consumable part is a critical component; document the actual function and supply chain.

Legacy Fleets, Replacement Parts and Exception

75-3740h(b)–(d) permits continued use by the acquiring agency of otherwise noncompliant critical components, related services or equipment acquired before July 1, 2025. When a critical component needs replacement, the agency may use a replacement component acquired before that date, but may not acquire a new replacement component from a foreign principal unless the statutory exception applies. Contracts and agreements entered into before July 1, 2025 are outside the section. The text does not impose a general grounding date for qualifying legacy components.

The exception requires all three: no other reasonable means to obtain the component or meet the need; approval of the acquisition agreement by the Secretary of Administration after consulting the Adjutant General; and a finding that foregoing the acquisition poses a greater safety and security threat to Kansas. The user’s background memo mentioned stockpiling as a pre-cutoff strategy, but that past deadline is no longer an actionable purchasing recommendation.

SB 271 and the Proposed Reimbursement Fund

The 2024 House Substitute for SB 271 carried drone provisions and, in an earlier version, a proposed Kansas drone rehabilitation fund. The legislature’s bill page records a veto and a failed override. The fund should not be listed as an available replacement grant. The controlling procurement rule comes from the later enacted SB 9, now codified at 75-3740h and 75-3740i. Do not import SB 271’s different July 2027 component language into current law.

Federal Award and Supply-Chain Review

OMB M-26-02 Appendix D addresses the American Security Drone Act restriction for federal financial assistance from December 22, 2025. Federal awards generally cannot procure or support operation of FASC-prohibited UAS, with the governing exemptions and waivers. Section 889 addresses covered telecommunications and video-surveillance equipment and services; the FCC Covered List, TAA rules for covered federal acquisitions and Blue UAS vetting each have distinct scope. Confirm the award terms and read NDAA, TAA, FCC & Blue UAS Explained for context.

Kansas Information Security

Kansas ITEC policies and standards include enterprise security policy for state government; KISO’s state-agency resources identify minimum controls for state activity and service providers. State buyers should involve their security office when aircraft, sensors, companion apps or cloud services process public-safety data. County and municipal agencies should apply their own adopted IT and evidence policies and coordinate with grant terms.

Request data-flow diagrams, encryption and access controls, firmware-update process, remote support access, storage jurisdiction, logging, retention and incident handling for the integrated system. A country-of-origin statement alone does not establish cybersecurity suitability.

Choose a Kansas Funding Route

KGGP JAG is the Kansas state-administered route; BJA lists a separate FY 2026 Kansas state allocation of $2,376,464. Direct Local JAG allocations total $929,425 for listed jurisdictions. BJA’s local notice remains open with Grants.gov due October 9 and JustGrants due October 16, 2026, Eastern time. Disparate groups require one fiscal agent and documented allocation.

Kansas SCIP supports gun-violence and crisis-intervention projects but currently says applications are not being accepted. KDEM EMPG lists an October 2, 2026 subrecipient deadline for emergency-management capability. KDOT STEP is high-visibility traffic enforcement, and SLCGP addresses cyber risk rather than general drone fleet purchases. LSSE was an ARPA-backed 2024 equipment award round; no new round is assumed.

Practical Kansas UAS Procurement Checklist

1. 1Identify the funds and mission. Record applicant, state pass-through or direct federal award, approved activity, equipment line item and any applicable federal UAS restriction.
2. 2Trace critical components. Obtain written country-of-production and ownership details for data-recording, storage and transmission components and for installed aircraft or supporting-device software.
3. 3Review existing fleet dates. Record acquisition date, agency ownership, pre-July 1, 2025 contracts and replacement-component inventory. Confirm the statute’s limited legacy provisions before maintenance.
4. 4Route any exception correctly. If a restricted acquisition is essential, document all three statutory findings and obtain Secretary of Administration approval after consultation with the Adjutant General before agreement.
5. 5Map connected data. Assess imagery, telemetry, firmware, controller, cloud access, data retention, encryption, vendor support, network segmentation and incident response with IT staff.
6. 6Check separate federal rules. Apply federal award FASC restrictions, Section 889, FCC and TAA only within their respective scope; Blue UAS status does not decide state-law or grant eligibility.
7. 7Confirm flight and records authority. Document FAA operating authority, mission and privacy policy, evidence retention, procurement approval and the supporting vendor representations.