AN ACT relating to the establishment of the Office of Public Defense.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 16 to define terms; establish the Office of Public Defense within the Department of Kentucky State Police to acquire and transfer machine guns to qualified persons; establish the duties of the office and its director; require the director or designee to issue a transfer certificate upon transfer of a machine gun to a qualified person; require a qualified person who becomes ineligible to possess a firearm to return a…

Introduced: February 25, 2026

Last action: March 4, 2026

To Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (H)

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This bill would create a new government office within the Kentucky State Police focused on acquiring and transferring machine guns to people who qualify under the bill's terms. It sets out rules for how those transfers work, including requirements to return a machine gun within 7 days if a person becomes legally prohibited from owning a firearm. The bill also establishes a related fund and provides legal protections for the office and its employees. Who it may affect: people who qualify under the bill's definition to receive or possess a machine gun through this program.

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