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HB 2601KANSASSession 2025-2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Kansas HB 2601 establishes child abuse and neglect registry with administrative hearings and appeal rights

Original title: AN ACT concerning children and minors; relating to child abuse or neglect and reports thereof; establishing a child abuse and neglect registry to be maintained by the secretary for children and families; requiring administrative hearings and an opportunity for appeal before placing an individual on the registry; allowing for expungement from the registry; limiting use of information on the registry; permitting the secretary to maintain other registries or records to meet federal requirements; voiding existing rules and regulations; requiring reports of abuse or neglect to include information regarding child custody disputes and that the secretary report to the legislature on such information; amending K.S.A. 59-2132 and K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 38-2223, 38-2272a, 65-516 and 75-7719 and repealing the existing sections.

Last action · April 9, 2026: Reengrossed on Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Kansas House Bill 2601 establishes a formal child abuse and neglect registry maintained by the secretary for children and families, requiring notice, administrative hearings, and appeal rights before individuals are placed on it. The measure also sets criteria for registry after three years or 20 years, updates background check requirements for child care and adoption facilities, and mandates reports of abuse or neglect to include child custody dispute information.

Why it matters

Individuals facing allegations of child abuse or neglect gain statutory rights to administrative hearings, legal representation, and judicial review before registration, while child care facilities and adoption petitioners must clear the new registry during background screenings.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Individuals accused of child abuse or neglect

Individuals facing allegations receive statutory rights to notice, access to departmental records, independent administrative hearings, counsel representation, and judicial review before being placed on the registry.

Directly affected

Child care and day care facility operators

Facility operators must screen employees and residents against the new registry and criminal history records, and face restrictions on employing individuals listed on the registry without proper due process completion.

Directly affected

Adoption petitioners

Petitioners seeking to adopt must obtain an assessment that includes clearing their names with the new child abuse and neglect registry.

Directly affected

Secretary for Children and Families

The secretary is tasked with maintaining the new registry, conducting investigations, adopting new rules and regulations, reviewing expungement requests, and submitting custody dispute reports to the legislature.

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

Can I be placed on the child abuse and neglect registry without a hearing?
No. The bill requires the secretary to provide notice, access to records, and an opportunity for a hearing and subsequent appeals before placing an individual on the registry, unless the individual waives the right or a court orders placement following a criminal conviction or juvenile adjudication.
How long does an individual remain on the child abuse and neglect registry?
An individual may request after three years have elapsed since the order was entered, or based on a change of circumstances and statutory factors. The secretary is also required to review and may expunge names after an individual has been on the registry for 20 years.
How does the registry affect employment in child care or day care facilities?
Individuals listed on the child abuse and neglect registry are prohibited from maintaining, residing, or working in child care or day care facilities unless they had an opportunity to be interviewed during the investigation and were given notice and an opportunity to appeal the agency decision to the secretary and the courts.

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

31 actions
  1. Apr 9, 2026House
    Reengrossed on Wednesday, April 1, 2026
  2. Apr 9, 2026House
    Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, April 3, 2026
  3. Apr 9, 2026HouseEnrolled
    Approved by Governor on Thursday, April 9, 2026
  4. Mar 27, 2026HouseFloor
    Conference Committee Report was adopted
  5. Mar 26, 2026Senate
    Conference committee report now available
  6. Mar 26, 2026SenateFloor
    Conference Committee Report was adopted
Show 25 earlier actions
  1. Mar 26, 2026House
    Conference committee report now available
  2. Mar 26, 2026Senate
    Conference committee report now available
  3. Mar 24, 2026SenateFloor
    Motion to accede adopted; Senator Warren, Senator Titus, Senator Corson, , appointed as conferees
  4. Mar 23, 2026House
    Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed , and
  5. Mar 19, 2026SenateFloor
    Final Action - Passed as amended
  6. Mar 18, 2026Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  7. Mar 18, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
  8. Mar 18, 2026Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  9. Mar 18, 2026Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by
  10. Mar 18, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Amendment by was adopted
  11. Mar 18, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Be passed as further amended
  12. Mar 16, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by
  13. Mar 12, 2026Senate
    Hearing: Thursday, March 12, 2026, 10:30 AM — Room 346-S
  14. Feb 26, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary
  15. Feb 25, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Received and Introduced
  16. Feb 19, 2026House
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  17. Feb 19, 2026HouseFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
  18. Feb 19, 2026HouseFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
  19. Feb 19, 2026HouseFloor
    Motion to advance to Emergency Final Action adopted
  20. Feb 19, 2026HouseFloor
    Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended
  21. Feb 18, 2026HouseFloor
    Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by
  22. Feb 16, 2026House
    Hearing continuation: Monday, February 16, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 152-S
  23. Feb 11, 2026House
    Hearing: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 152-S
  24. Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Introduced
  25. Jan 29, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred to House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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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

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Introduction of Mandatory Administrative Hearings for Registry Placement

The bill shifts registry procedures by explicitly requiring notice, access to records, and an independent administrative hearing before placing an individual on the child abuse and neglect registry.

Secretary for Children and Families

Connected Entities

Kansas Office of Early Childhood, Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, Secretary for Children and Families and 4 more
OrganizationKansas Office of Early Childhood“Administers day care facility licensing and background checks”Map →
OrganizationBehavioral Sciences Regulatory Board“Licenses social workers, therapists, and professional counselors involved in ado”Map →
OrganizationSecretary for Children and Families“Maintains the child abuse and neglect registry and conducts investigations”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Health and Environment“Administers child care facility licensing and background checks”Map →
OrganizationKansas Bureau of Investigation“Provides criminal history record information”Map →
OrganizationKansas Department for Children and Families“State agency handling child welfare and family services”Map →
OrganizationHouse Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care“Legislative committee sponsoring HB 2601”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.kslegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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