Bill > HB2302

This bill modifies existing child custody procedures by requiring law enforcement officers to contact and consult with the secretary for children and families (a state agency responsible for child welfare) before taking a child into custody in certain situations. Specifically, when an officer reasonably believes a child will be harmed if not immediately removed from their current location, they must first reach out to the secretary for guidance and approval. The bill mandates that the secretary maintain operational capabilities outside of standard business hours to ensure a timely response and consultation with law enforcement. This ensures that decisions about child removal have an additional layer of review and can occur at any time of day or night. The changes are intended to provide more careful and coordinated intervention when a child may be in a potentially dangerous situation, with the secretary's office serving as an additional checkpoint in the child removal process. The bill amends an existing statute (K.S.A. 38-2231) related to law enforcement's authority to take children into custody, adding this new consultation requirement while maintaining existing provisions about taking children into custody under other circumstances such as court orders, missing person cases, human trafficking, or behavioral health crises.

Health and Social Services

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2302/