A Legislative Report for Kansas Children's Service League
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A Legislative Report for Kansas Children’s Service League 2014 Legislative Session: Week Five (February 10-14) 2014 Session Sees First Deadline….Legislators hurried this week to follow through on any campaign promises to introduce certain bills and make their mark on this legislative session. Wednesday was the deadline for any bill introductions by individual legislators and Friday the last day committee bills can be introduced in all but a few select committees. Both chambers spent longer hours in session and have moved a number of bills on to the next stop in the other chamber. Committees will be working hard for the next two weeks knowing that all bills – again, except those in an exempt committee – must move from their house of origin before Friday, February 28. That means the bill must have a hearing to allow both proponents and opponents to make their comments about that piece of legislation and then the committee must have time to debate and, possibly, amend the bill, before voting the bill out. The committee chairman is in the driver’s seat since he/she controls the committee’s agenda and determines which bills will be heard in committee. Constitutional Amendment RE: Raffles Introduced….As promised, Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell, Chairman of Federal and State Affairs, has introduced a constitutional amendment which would make charitable raffles legal in the State of Kansas. The constitution currently prohibit the operation of lotteries and considers raffles to be lotteries. His committee: Senators Clark Shultz, R-McPherson; Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-Wichita; Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City; Mitch Holmes, R-St. John; Jacob LaTurner, R-Pittsburg; Jeff Longbine, R-Emporia; Rob Olson, R-Olathe; and Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, will receive testimony on this bill next Thursday morning, February 20. As a constitutional amendment, this Senate Concurrent Resolution will require two-thirds of the members of each chamber to pass the bill favorably. The amendment then moves to the Secretary of State who will put this resolution on the August primary election ballot unless a special election is called at a sooner date. As written, the amendment would authorize non-profit religious, charitable, fraternal, educational and veterans’ organizations to conduct raffles. While many of these same groups currently conduct raffles, they are, by state law, illegal and those who do hold raffles risk being penalized for breaking the law. Kansas Children’s Service League will provide written testimony for this hearing. Constituents of Federal and State Affairs committee members are encouraged to send an email or make a call in support of SCR 1618. Raffles can be a successful fundraising tool for organizations like Kansas Children’s Service League. House Subcommittee Hears Support for All-Day Kindergarten….Governor Sam Brownback has urged the legislature to allocate funds, approximately $16 million a year, to make all-day kindergarten available – but still optional – in all Kansas school districts. Currently, all but 15 of the state’s 286 school districts provide all-day kindergarten. The program is funded in 20 of the districts through a tuition charge, ranging up to $1,375 per semester; other districts utilize a portion of their at-risks funds to cover the costs of the program. Diane DeBacker, Commissioner of the Kansas Department of Education, told the House Special Committee on All-Day Kindergarten that children in all-day programs enter first grade better prepared to learn. Skeptics on the committee asked if the all-day program was, in fact, free child care. The meeting this week was the first for the subcommittee, but Subcommittee Chrm., Rep. Jerry Lunn, R- Overland Park, promised an aggressive meeting schedule to study this subject. Judiciary Committee Approves Revised Juvenile Justice Code….Under provisions in SB 329, which clarifies orders relating to parent in juvenile offender cases, the court would have more authority to deal with the parents of juvenile offenders. Juveniles and their parents would be held accountable; offenders could stay in their own homes; both the parents and child could receive drug/alcohol treatment as needed (since the parents often have the same issues as the child); and the family unit could benefit from parenting classes and other court-approved options. The bill was unanimously passed out of committee and put on the Senate’s Consent Calendar, deeming the bill to be non-controversial. Children and Seniors Committee to Visit KCSL….The House Children and Seniors Committee will visit the Topeka Kansas Children’s Services offices for their meeting next Thursday, February 20, and hear a one-hour Healthy Families presentation. Members of the Committee include: Representatives Connie O’Brien, R- Tonganoxie, chrm.; Kelly Meigs, R-Lenexa; John Wilson, D-Lawrence; Steven Becker, R- Buhler; Barbara Bollier, R-Mission Hills; Will Carpenter, R-El Dorado; Mike Kiegerl, R- Olathe; Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita; Don Hill, R-Emporia; Nancy Lusk, D-Overland Park; Tom Phillips, R-Manhattan; Melissa Rooker, R-Fairway; and Brandon Whipple, D- Wichita. Bills to Watch….Bills introduced to date of interest to KCSL include: SB 259: An act concerning the state child death review board; relating to the records of the board; disclosure of information (Judiciary) Hearing held SB 329: An act concerning the revised Kansas juvenile justice code; orders relating to parents (Judiciary) Committee recommends; On Consent Calendar, Senate SB 368: An act concerning children; relating to custody, visitation and residency with certain relatives (Judiciary) SB 394: An act concerning children and minors; enacting the Kansas foster parents’ bill of rights; relating to foster care; family foster homes, establishing the state foster care and adoption board (Judiciary) HB 2432: School district plan addressing child sexual abuse, establishing Erin’s law (Judiciary) Hearing held HB 2450: Change in terminology; “best interests of child” to “least detrimental alternative for the child” (Children and Seniors) Hearing held HB 2462: An act concerning the Kansas family law code; relating to the establishment and modification of child support; custody, residency and parenting time (Children and Seniors) HB 2496: An act concerning crimes and punishment; relating to promotion to minors of material harmful to minors (Corrections and Juvenile Justice) Hearing held HB 2501: An act concerning crimes, punishment and criminal procedure; relating to human trafficking and related crimes court records and reporting; fines, diversion; buying sexual relations (Corrections and Juvenile Justice) Committee recommends; on General Orders in the House HB 2540: An act concerning the secretary of corrections; relating to juvenile offenders; facilities; cost study; services and programming; performance measures; payment methodology (Corrections and Juvenile Justice) Hearing held HB 2558: An act concerning domestic relations; prohibition of case management process (Children and Seniors) Hearing Tuesday, Feb. 18, 9:00 a.m., Rm. 218-N HB 2568: An act concerning domestic relations; relating to the Kansas family law code; child support guidelines (Judiciary) Hearing Monday, Feb. 17, 3:30 p.m., Rm. 112-N HB 2577: Allowing parents to remain anonymous when surrendering an infant under the newborn protection act (Children and Seniors) Hearing Tuesday, Feb. 18, 9;00 a.m., Rm. 218-N HB 2633: An act concerning children and minors; relating to juvenile offender assessments; revised Kansas code for care of children; revised Kansas juvenile justice code (Corrections and Juvenile Justice) HB 2664: An act concerning the Kansas family law code; relating to domestic case management (Judiciary) HB 2665: An act concerning children and minors; enacting the Kansas code for children (Judiciary) SCR 1618: State Constitutional amendment; authorizing charitable raffles and other charitable gaming (Senate Federal and State Affairs) Hearing Thursday, Feb. 20, 9:30 a.m., Rm. 144-S Week Six Meetings of Interest…. Monday, Feb. 17: 9:00 a.m. Appropriations, 112-N 3:30 p.m. Judiciary, 112-N HB 2568; Domestic relations; Kansas family law code; child support guidelines Tuesday, Feb. 18: 9:00 a.m. Appropriations, 112-N 9:00 a.m. Children and Seniors, 218-N HB 2577: Allowing parents to remain anonymous when surrendering an infant under the newborn protection act HB 2558: Domestic relations; prohibition of case management 10:30 a.m. Ways and Means, 548-S 3:30 p.m. Social Services Budget, 144-S Kansas Department of Children and Families budget Wednesday, Feb. 19: 9:00 a.m. Appropriations, 112-N 9:30 a.m. Judiciary, 346-S SB 368: Custody, visitation and residency of a child with certain relatives 10:30 a.m. Ways and Means, 548-S 1:30 p.m. Corrections and Juvenile Justice HB 2588: Child in need of care; juvenile offenders; permanent custodians 3:30 p.m. Social Services Budget, 144-S Kansas Department of Children and Families budget Thursday, Feb. 20: 9:00 a.m. Appropriations, 112-N 9:00 a.m. Senate Federal and State Affairs, 144-S SCR 1618: State constitutional amendment; authorizing charitable raffles and other charitable gaming 9:00 a.m. Children and Seniors, Off-site visit Kansas Children’s Service League 10:30 a.m. Ways and Means, 548-S Friday, Feb. 21: 9:00 a.m. Appropriations, 112-N For additional information, please contact Jennie Rose at [email protected] .