Bill > HB2076

This bill modifies Kansas law regarding the placement of children in secure facilities, specifically reducing the maximum authorized time a child can be held in such a facility from 60 to 45 days and eliminating the court's previous ability to extend this authorization for additional periods. Under the revised law, when a child has been adjudicated as a child in need of care and violates a court order to remain in a specific placement, the court can still place the child in a secure facility, but only for a maximum of 45 days after the authorization is issued. The bill maintains the existing procedural safeguards, including a preliminary hearing within 24 hours of custody and an evidentiary hearing within 72 hours, where the court must determine by clear and convincing evidence whether the child violated the original court order without good cause. The changes will take effect after July 1, 2025, and aim to limit the duration of secure facility placement for children while preserving judicial discretion in managing cases involving children who have violated court orders.