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Read. Follow. Verify.Kansas Bill Adds Ministers to Mandatory Child Abuse Reporters and Mandates Training
Last action · April 10, 2026: Died in Senate Committee
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What This Bill Proposed
Kansas legislation adds duly ordained ministers of religion to the list of s of child abuse and neglect, exempting them only when reporting would violate the . The measure requires all mandatory reporters to complete department-provided training on abuse reporting by July 1, 2027.
Religious leaders and designated professionals across Kansas face mandatory training requirements and criminal misdemeanor penalties for failing to report suspected child abuse, subject to clergy-penitent communication exemptions.
- Mandatory reporting laws require specific professionals who come into contact with children to report suspected abuse or neglect to designated state agencies or law enforcement. context
- The Kansas Department for Children and Families is the primary state agency responsible for receiving and investigating reports of child abuse and neglect. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Duly ordained ministers of religion
They become mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect with an explicit exemption for penitential communications.
Mandatory reporters
They are required to complete state-approved or department-provided training regarding abuse reporting provisions by July 1, 2027.
Kansas Department for Children and Families
The department is tasked with providing required training to mandatory reporters or approving partner organizations to do so.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all religious leaders required to report child abuse under this bill?
When must mandatory reporters complete the newly required training?
What are the penalties for failing to report suspected abuse?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
15 actions- Apr 10, 2026SenateDied in Senate Committee
- Feb 26, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Senate Committee on Judiciary
- Feb 25, 2026HouseEngrossed on Tuesday, February 24, 2026
- Feb 25, 2026SenateIntroducedReceived and Introduced
- Feb 19, 2026HouseCommittee of the Whole - Now working on
- Feb 19, 2026HouseCommittee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by
Show 9 earlier actions
- Feb 19, 2026HouseFloorCommittee of the Whole - Amendment by was adopted
- Feb 19, 2026HouseFloorCommittee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
- Feb 19, 2026HouseFloorMotion to advance to Emergency Final Action adopted
- Feb 19, 2026HouseFloorEmergency Final Action - Passed as amended
- Feb 6, 2026HouseFloorCommittee Report recommending bill be passed by
- Jan 28, 2026HouseHearing: Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 3:30 PM — Room 582-N — CANCELED
- Jan 26, 2026HouseHearing: Monday, January 26, 2026, 3:30 PM — Room 582-N
- Feb 7, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced
- Feb 7, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to House Committee on Judiciary
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Mandatory Reporters to Include Clergy
The bill extends mandatory child abuse reporting obligations to religious ministers while incorporating an express exemption for penitential communications.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.kslegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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