New Orleans, Louisiana — July 17th — The Armory Project (TAP) is honored to have served as a trusted technical resource during the development of new Kansas legislation providing civil liability protections for Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) participating in voluntary firearm hold agreements. By providing scientific expertise, operational guidance, written testimony, and collaboration with firearm retailers and community partners, TAP helped inform legislation that removes a longstanding barrier to voluntary firearm storage, expanding access to a practical suicide prevention resource while respecting lawful firearm ownership.
The legislation reflects years of collaboration among mental health professionals, firearm retailers, policymakers, researchers, and community organizations committed to increasing access to voluntary, temporary firearm storage through trusted local firearm retailers.
Johnson County Mental Health Center (JCMHC) led local efforts throughout the legislative process, providing in-person testimony, coordinating community engagement, and demonstrating through the work of their Secure and Protect Initiative how voluntary firearm storage can become an important component of community-based suicide prevention. Their leadership brought together behavioral health professionals, firearm retailers, and community stakeholders around a shared objective of expanding voluntary options for Kansas firearm owners.
Kansas firearm retailers also played an important role in educating policymakers about the operational realities of voluntary firearm storage. TAP partner FFLs from Johnson County, including Up in Arms Kansas, Penguin Pawn, and other participating retailers, provided in-person testimony describing how liability concerns have historically limited participation in temporary firearm hold programs and how the legislation addresses those practical barriers.
Throughout the process, The Armory Project provided technical assistance to Johnson County Mental Health Center and other stakeholders while serving as a neutral resource on voluntary firearm storage programs. TAP Co-Director Gala True submitted written testimony focused on the scientific evidence supporting voluntary, temporary firearm storage as a suicide prevention strategy and shared operational best practices developed through TAP’s work with firearm retailers across the country. TAP’s role was to provide objective information, research, and implementation expertise to help inform discussions surrounding the legislation.
“The Armory Project exists to provide resources to communities that help support firearm owners and build valuable resources and prevent suicides,” said Gala True, Co-Director of The Armory Project. “We’re honored to have been asked to provide technical expertise throughout this process. When communities bring together researchers, mental health professionals, firearm retailers, and policymakers to examine evidence and operational realities, it creates stronger solutions that are practical to implement and have the potential to save lives.”
Today, The Armory Project partners with seven participating firearm retailers across Kansas, creating a growing statewide network of trusted voluntary firearm storage locations. The new liability protections provide greater clarity for participating retailers and establish a stronger foundation for the continued expansion of voluntary storage programs throughout the state.
Building on this work, TAP is also partnering with the Kansas Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families and Wichita State University’s Community Engagement Institute to train suicide prevention advocates on conducting outreach to firearm retailers across Kansas. The initiative will strengthen relationships between the firearm community and behavioral health organizations while expanding awareness of voluntary firearm storage and other trusted suicide prevention resources.
Research continues to demonstrate that creating even brief time and distance between someone experiencing a suicidal crisis and a firearm can reduce suicide risk. Because suicidal crises are often temporary, voluntary firearm storage provides firearm owners and their families with an additional option during difficult moments while preserving dignity, privacy, personal choice, and lawful firearm ownership.
The Armory Project is grateful to Johnson County Mental Health Center, participating Kansas firearm retailers, members of the Kansas Legislature, the Kansas Governor’s Challenge, and the many community partners who contributed their expertise throughout the legislative process. The organization’s role reflects its ongoing commitment to serving as a trusted technical resource for communities seeking evidence-informed approaches to voluntary firearm storage and suicide prevention.
About The Armory Project
The Armory Project (TAP) is a national nonprofit initiative that partners with trusted Federal Firearms Licensees, shooting ranges, retailers, law enforcement agencies, healthcare organizations, researchers, and community organizations to expand access to voluntary, temporary out-of-home firearm storage. Through technical assistance, education, research collaboration, and partnerships with the firearm community and behavioral health professionals, TAP works to reduce suicide by increasing access to trusted storage options while respecting lawful firearm ownership and Second Amendment rights.