Kansas House Bill HB2243

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/4/25
• Report Pass: 2/4/26
• Engrossed: 2/11/26
• Refer: 2/12/26

Caption

Requiring the secretary for children and families to enter into a memorandum of understanding with military organizations and create a referral process for children in need of care cases involving children of military personnel to provide families with services that a military family advocacy program offers.

Summary

HB 2243 creates a new referral process within Kansas child welfare investigations for cases involving a child whose parent or legal guardian is military personnel stationed at a military installation. When the secretary for children and families conducts a preliminary investigation of a child in need of care, the bill requires a referral to the appropriate military family advocacy program so the family can receive services offered by that program. The bill also directs the secretary to enter into memoranda of understanding with military family advocacy programs at each military installation in Kansas to establish how referrals will work and how cases will be identified. The required memoranda must address identification of military families, the referral process, notice to the military program when a case is referred to a county or district attorney for a child-in-need-of-care petition, and compliance with state and federal confidentiality rules. The bill expressly preserves the secretary’s authority to take immediate action to protect a child’s health and welfare, including recommending that a petition be filed when necessary. It amends K.S.A. 38-2230, which governs preliminary inquiries in child-in-need-of-care matters, to incorporate consideration of a parent’s or guardian’s military status.

Impact

The bill would modify the Kansas Code for Care of Children by adding a military-family referral requirement to the child welfare screening process and by amending K.S.A. 38-2230 to include military status as part of the preliminary inquiry when practicable. It creates a new statutory duty for the secretary for children and families to coordinate with military installations and their family advocacy programs, while leaving existing child-protection powers intact. The practical effect is to formalize collaboration between state child welfare authorities and military support services in cases involving military families.

Sentiment

The available vote history suggests strong bipartisan support and little opposition: the House passed the bill as amended 121-0. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, but the unanimous final vote indicates the measure was broadly viewed favorably. The bill’s framing as a service-referral and coordination measure, rather than a restriction on child-protection authority, likely contributed to the positive reception.

Contention

There is little visible contention in the available record. The main policy issue embedded in the bill is how to balance added coordination with military family advocacy programs against confidentiality requirements and the need to protect children promptly. The bill addresses that concern by explicitly preserving the secretary’s authority to act immediately when a child’s health and welfare are at risk. Any practical concerns would likely center on implementation details, such as identifying military families, establishing interagency procedures, and ensuring compliance with privacy laws.