SESSION OF 2021
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE BILL NO. 120
As Amended by House Committee on Children
and Seniors

Brief*
SB 120, 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 Joint Committee would be required to review the
following:
● The level of oversight and supervision by the
Kansas Department for Children and Families
(DCF) over each entity that contracts with DCF to
provide reintegration, foster care, and adoption
services;
● Duties, responsibilities, and contributions of state
agencies, nongovernmental entities, and service
providers that provide child welfare services in
Kansas;
____________________
*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
 ● Level of access to child welfare services, including,
but not limited to, health and mental health
services and community-based services in Kansas;
● Number of children in the child welfare system and
the factors that contribute to such number;
● Licensing standards for case managers working in
the child welfare system; and
● Any other topic to the Joint Committee deems
necessary or appropriate.
Joint Committee
Membership
The bill would provide for the appointment of 13
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 by the Minority Leader of the
Senate;
● Two members of the House of Representatives by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives;


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 ● One member of the House of Representatives by
the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives;
● Two members of the Senate by the President of
the Senate;
● One member of the Senate by the Minority Leader
of the Senate; and
● One member of the House of Representatives by
the Majority Leader of the House of
Representatives.
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.


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 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.
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 before August 1, 2021, 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 for two consecutive days during
each of 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, except additional meetings may
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be held on call of the chairperson when urgent circumstances
require such meetings.
Seven members would constitute a quorum of the Joint
Committee.
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.

Background
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Public Heath and Welfare at the request of Senator
Hilderbrand.

Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare
In the Senate Committee hearing, a representative from
DCF provided proponent testimony, stating the bill would
provide an opportunity for oversight and continuous updates
to the Legislature on the state of child welfare in Kansas and
DCF would welcome the opportunity to work with the
proposed joint committee.
Written-only proponent testimony was provided by the
Children’s Alliance of Kansas and the Kansas Association of
School Boards.
No neutral or opponent testimony was provided.
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House Committee on Children and Seniors
In the House Committee hearing, the Secretary for
Children and Families and representatives of Children’s
Alliance of Kansas and the Kansas Association of School
Boards provided written-only proponent testimony.
No neutral or opponent testimony was provided.
The House Committee amended the bill to add two
members to the Joint Committee: a Senate member
appointed by the Senate Minority Leader and a House
member appointed by the House Majority Leader.

Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill as introduced, DCF states staff time
required by the bill is already included with DCF’s current
budget and DCF assumes that there would be no fiscal effect
on the agency for external members’ travel expenses, as the
bill states those expenses would be the responsibility of the
LCC. Legislative Administrative Services indicates enactment
of the bill would increase costs by $30,009 from the State
General Fund in FY 2022. These costs include expenditures
for 11 members for salaries, subsistence, mileage, tolls, and
other expenses of $25,949. There would also be committee
assistant costs of $4,060.
Any fiscal effect associated with the bill is not reflected
in The FY 2022 Governor’s Budget Report.
Joint Committee on Child Welfare System Oversight; children and minors;
Legislature


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