SESSION OF 2019
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2403
As Amended by House Committee on Children
and Seniors

Brief*
HB 2403, as amended, would establish the Joint
Committee on Child Welfare System Oversight (Joint
Committee). The bill would outline the topics for Joint
Committee review, provide for the appointment and
compensation of Joint Committee members, establish the
frequency of meetings, require an annual report to designated
House and Senate leadership positions and certain standing
committees, allow for professional services, and authorize the
Joint Committee to make recommendations and introduce
legislation.

Topics for Review by Joint Committee
The Committee would be required to review the
following:
● Data on child maltreatment and demographic
trends impacting the child welfare system;
● Duties, responsibilities, and contributions of the
Kansas Department for Children and Families
(DCF), Kansas Department for Aging and Disability
Services (KDADS), the Department of Health and
Environment (KDHE), Department of Corrections,
law enforcement, and the judicial branch that
comprise and impact the child welfare system;
____________________
*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.kslegislature.org
● Programs, services, and benefits offered directly or
through grants or contracts by DCF, KDADS,
KDHE, the Department of Corrections, law
enforcement, and the judicial branch that impact
children and families at risk of becoming involved
or involved in the child welfare system, including:
○ Child maltreatment prevention;
○ Investigation of child maltreatment;
○ In-home family services, including services
offered through federal prevention and family
preservation funding; and
○ Foster care, reintegration, and adoption
services;
● Trends, performance outcomes, activities, and
improvement plans related to the federal child and
family services reviews;
● Reports from child welfare-related groups,
including, but not limited to, citizen review panels,
the Kansas Supreme Court Permanency Planning
Task Force, the Kansas Children’s Cabinet, and
any interim study committees or work groups
authorized by the Kansas Legislature;
● Implementation of the 2019 Child Welfare System
Task Force Report recommendations, including
top-tier recommendations related to the child
welfare workforce, data technology, access to
behavioral healthcare for high-risk youth, and
implementation of the federal Family First
Prevention Services Act;
● Reports on concerns received from the DCF child
welfare ombudsman, customer service department,
or similar office;
● Opportunities for Kansas to strengthen the child
welfare system through evidence-based
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 interventions and services for children and families;
and
● Any other topic the Joint Committee deems
necessary or appropriate.
Joint Committee
Membership
The bill would provide for the appointment of 11
members to the Joint Committee as follows:
● Two members of the House Committee on Children
and Seniors by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives;
● One member of the House Committee on Children
and Seniors by the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives;
● Two members of the Senate Committee on Public
Health and Welfare by the President of the Senate;
● One member of the Senate Committee on Public
Health and Welfare appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate;
● Two members of the House of Representatives by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
● One member of the House of Representatives by
the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives; and
● Two members of the Senate appointed by the
President of the Senate.


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Terms of Membership
The bill would require members be appointed for terms
coinciding with the legislative terms for which such members
were elected or appointed. Appointments to fill vacancies or
to succeed members appointed to the Joint Committee would
occur in the same manner as the original appointment of the
member succeeded.
Appointment of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Ranking
Minority Member
The Speaker of the House of Representatives would be
required to appoint the first chairperson from among the
members of the Joint Committee appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives. The chairperson and vice-
chairperson would be required to alternate annually between
the members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President of the Senate. When
appointing a chairperson or vice-chairperson as provided in
the bill, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President of the Senate would be required to appoint a
member from their respective chambers.
The bill would require the ranking minority member of
the Joint Committee be from the same chamber as the
chairperson. When appointing a ranking minority member as
provided in the bill, the Minority Leader of the Senate and the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives would be
required to appoint members from their respective chambers.
Member Compensation
Joint Committee members would be paid compensation,
amounts for travel expenses, and subsistence expenses or
allowances for attendance at any meeting of the Joint
Committee or any subcommittee meeting authorized by the
Joint Committee.

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Professional Services
The bill would allow the Legislative Coordinating Council
(LCC) to provide for professional services as requested by
the Joint Committee.
Recommendations and Introduction of Legislation
The bill would authorize the Joint Committee to make
recommendations and introduce legislation it deems
necessary in performing its functions.
Meetings
The bill would require the first meeting of the Joint
Committee to be held on or after January 1, 2020, on the call
of the chairperson. After the initial meeting, the Joint
Committee would be required to meet at least once in
January and once in April when the legislature is in regular
session and at least once during each the third and fourth
calendar quarters, on the call of the chairperson. The Joint
Committee would be limited to six meetings in a calendar
year.
Six Joint Committee members would constitute a
quorum.
Annual Report
At the beginning of each regular session of the
legislature, the bill would require the Joint Committee submit
a written report to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, the House Committee on
Children and Seniors, and the Senate Committee on Public
Health and Welfare. The report would be required to include
any recommended changes to current laws, rules and
regulations, and policies regarding the safety and well-being
of children in the child welfare system in the state.

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Background
The bill was introduced by the House Committee on
Taxation at the request of Representative Concannon. The
bill was referred to the House Committee on Children and
Seniors.
In the House Committee on Children and Seniors
hearing, a representative of Kansas Appleseed Center for
Law and Justice (Kansas Appleseed) testified in favor of the
bill. The Secretary for Children and Families submitted
written-only proponent testimony. The proponents generally
stated more needs to be done regarding the State’s child
welfare system, and the oversight and input of the Joint
Committee would assist in crafting solutions that advance the
safety and well-being of children and families impacted by the
child welfare system. No other testimony was provided.
The House Committee amended the bill to modify the
topics to be addressed by the Joint Committee, the number of
authorized meetings, and the timeline for the first meeting.
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, DCF indicates
enactment of the bill could increase staff time for responding
to additional legislative requests, but such costs could be
absorbed within existing resources. Assuming there would be
six Joint Committee meetings and two subcommittee
meetings each year, the LCC indicates enactment of the bill
would increase legislative and committee assistant
expenditures for salaries and subsistence by $54,525 from
the State General Fund for FY 2020 and each year following.
The LCC assumes there could be expenditures for
professional services, but it is not possible to estimate the
amount of services that may be needed. Any fiscal effect
associated with the bill is not reflected in The FY 2020
Governor’s Budget Report.


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