Four years after Kansas passed a civil asset forfeiture reform bill requiring police to regularly report what they take and from whom, the Kansas House is now considering two bills that would pare back the ability of police departments to take property and cash from Kansans.
Civil asset forfeiture allows police officers to seize property, money, vehicles, and even homes by claiming that they are the proceeds of illegal activity. In many states, these seizures directly fund police, who often are not required to prove a criminal connection or to pursue a case against the property owners. To get their property returned, meanwhile, owners must disprove a criminal connection through an expensive and bureaucratic appeals process.
