Bill > HB2501

This bill, known as the Defend the Guard Act, establishes when the Kansas National Guard may be released into active duty combat and prohibits COVID-19 vaccination requirements for National Guard members. Specifically, the bill states that the Kansas National Guard cannot be deployed for active duty combat unless the U.S. Congress has officially declared war or taken action to call forth the National Guard for specific purposes outlined in the Constitution. Additionally, the bill prohibits the state from compelling National Guard members to receive COVID-19 vaccinations or disciplining them for refusing such treatments, regardless of their reasons for refusal. The bill also allows the Governor to consent to the deployment of National Guard members for defense support and civil authority missions within the U.S. and its territories.