Kansas House Bill HB2734

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/26
• Refer: 2/5/26
• Report Pass: 2/18/26

Caption

Requiring expedited procedures for children who are under two years of age at the time that a petition is filed requesting such child be adjudicated to be a child in need of care, requiring permanency for such a child within 12 months and directing the secretary to report on such expedited procedures.

Summary

HB2734 creates an expedited child-in-need-of-care process for children who are under two years old when the petition is filed. It directs the Kansas Department for Children and Families, in consultation with the judicial branch, to implement faster permanency procedures beginning July 1, 2027, and to report annually to the Legislature on the effectiveness of those procedures, including whether they reduce out-of-home placement costs. A final report is due in 2036 with recommendations on whether to continue the program and whether additional statutory changes or implementation time are needed. The bill also imposes tighter timelines on court proceedings for these very young children. It requires a permanent home within 12 months of the original out-of-home placement unless the court finds delay is in the child’s best interests, requires a permanency hearing within three months of removal, and generally pushes adjudication and disposition to occur more quickly, including concurrent hearings when possible. It defines “permanent home” broadly to include reunification, kinship placement, adoption, permanent guardianship, or another court-approved arrangement.

Impact

HB2734 would amend several sections of the Kansas code for care of children to prioritize faster decision-making and permanency for children under age two in child-in-need-of-care cases. It changes venue rules by creating a presumption against transferring such cases if the transfer would delay proceedings, shortens or tightens continuance standards, requires permanency plans to be addressed at disposition, and accelerates permanency-hearing deadlines. It also adds reporting duties for the secretary and the judicial branch and repeals and replaces portions of existing statutes governing venue, continuances, adjudication, disposition, and permanency hearings.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears to be supportive of faster permanency for very young children and reducing delays in court proceedings. The bill’s framing emphasizes child welfare, stability, and early resolution, suggesting a policy goal of moving infants and toddlers into safe, permanent placements more quickly. No recorded opposition, amendments, or vote history is available in the provided context.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the bill’s compressed timelines and the reduced flexibility for courts and parties in cases involving children under two. The presumption against venue transfers, stricter continuance standards, and the requirement that courts consider a motion to terminate parental rights at permanency hearings could be viewed as limiting procedural discretion and increasing pressure toward termination or permanent placement. Child welfare advocates may support these changes as necessary to avoid prolonged foster care, while others could raise concerns about due process, family reunification efforts, and whether agencies and courts have sufficient resources to meet the accelerated deadlines.