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bills
All criminal justice bills
SB 446 creates an exception to Kansas' mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting requirements for licensed social workers working under an attorney's supervision in specific legal contexts. It exempts social workers from reporting suspected child harm if the suspicion arises solely during criminal, civil, domestic, or juvenile legal representation where the attorney is providing direct services. The bill also allows attorneys to require social workers to maintain attorney-client privilege in these situations, treating the social worker as an extension of the attorney's office. This exception applies only when social workers are directly supervised by an attorney handling a case involving the child, not in general practice.
HB 2329 increases the cumulative detention limit for juvenile offenders who commit repeat offenses or use a firearm during a crime, raising criminal penalties for these specific situations. The bill expands placement options by requiring more juveniles to be housed in specialized youth residential facilities (non-foster home beds) rather than foster care, with the secretary of corrections responsible for covering these costs. It authorizes the secretary to use funds from the state's evidence-based programs account to contract for these facility beds, ensuring cost coverage without requiring new legislative appropriations.
HB 2325 allows judges in Kansas to commit juvenile offenders to detention for technical violations of probation (such as missing appointments), which were previously excluded from detention. It increases the maximum total time a juvenile can be held in detention (cumulative detention limit) and raises criminal penalties for juveniles who use a firearm during an offense or have prior offenses. The bill amends specific sections of Kansas's juvenile justice code to implement these changes, directly affecting juvenile offenders in the state who face probation violations or firearm-related crimes. These provisions adjust sentencing and supervision practices under the revised juvenile justice framework.
