A House-Senate conference committee on Friday afternoon agreed to a bill that would lower the age for carrying a concealed handgun in Kansas.
Lawmakers agreed to add the provision for lowering the age to 18 from 21 to a bill that would recognize concealed-carry licenses from other states.
Another proposal that would have allowed colleges and universities to require permits for anyone carrying a gun on campus failed to make it out of the conference committee.
The proposal for lowering the age for carrying a concealed gun was added in the House by Republican state Rep. Brenda Landwehr of Wichita during a floor debate in February. It received 82 votes in the House.
The Senate later removed the provision lowering the concealed-carry age, but it was added back on during discussions in the conference committee.
The provision would require someone between 18 and 21 who wants to carry a concealed handgun to get a permit, which would require an eight-hour handgun safety and training course.
The two Democrats on the conference committee – Rep. Louis Ruiz and Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau – opposed adding the concealed-carry age back onto the bill.
