# Kansas HB 2601: Establishing a registry for child abuse and neglect to be maintained by the secretary for children and families, providing for registration and expungement processes that include administrative hearings and opportunities for subsequent appeals, requiring reports of abuse or neglect to include information regarding a custody dispute concerning the child who is the subject of the report and directing the secretary to submit a report to the legislature on such information. Kansas HB 2601, Establishing a registry for child abuse and neglect to be maintained by the secretary for children and families, providing for registration and expungement processes that include administrative hearings and opportunities for subsequent appeals, requiring reports of abuse or neglect to include information regarding a custody dispute concerning the child who is the subject of the report and directing the secretary to submit a report to the legislature on such information., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care; status signed, last action 2026-04-09 (Reengrossed on Wednesday, April 1, 2026) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2601-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Kansas HB 2601 - State: Kansas - Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session - Title: Establishing a registry for child abuse and neglect to be maintained by the secretary for children and families, providing for registration and expungement processes that include administrative hearings and opportunities for subsequent appeals, requiring reports of abuse or neglect to include information regarding a custody dispute concerning the child who is the subject of the report and directing the secretary to submit a report to the legislature on such information. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-29 - Last action: 2026-04-09, Reengrossed on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - Sponsor: Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: senate committee on judiciary, house committee on child welfare and foster care - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 8 (638 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Registry removal requests after three years: benefit, medium. People can ask to have their names removed from the registry at least three years after the placement order. The secretary considers the case's severity, other substantiated reports, changed circumstances, juvenile status, and steps to prevent repeat harm. A denial can be appealed to district court… - Day-care operators no longer need diplomas: benefit, low. The law removes the high school diploma or equivalent requirement for people operating day-care facilities. It also removes the related exceptions and grandfather rules. The old requirement had been scheduled to expire June 30, 2026; that date is not a new deadline for operators. - Registry checks for children's new caregivers: benefit, low. Before seeking court approval for a SOUL family legal permanency appointment, the secretary must check potential custodians against Kansas's registry. This permanency option serves youth age 16 or older. For independent or agency adoptions, approved assessors may check applicants against Kansas's r… - New child abuse registry with hearing rights: mixed, medium. Kansas creates a confidential child abuse and neglect registry, with disclosure limited to uses allowed by state or federal law. Listings can affect child-care work and caregiving roles. Except for court-ordered placement following a qualifying conviction or abuse finding, placement requires notice… - Child-care registry limits and appeal protections: mixed, medium. A child-care facility cannot operate with an employee who committed covered abuse or neglect and appears on a covered registry if either condition applies: the employee failed to complete an approved corrective plan, or the record has not been expunged. Covered registries include Kansas, similar st… - Abuse reports must include custody disputes: mixed, low. Reports of suspected child abuse, neglect, or need for care must identify known custody disputes and include known details. The secretary must report custody-dispute case counts and outcomes to legislative oversight and judiciary committees. The report covers anonymity, investigation assignments, f… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 39 Nay: 0 | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 40 Nay: 0 | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 116 Nay: 0 | pass | 116 | 0 | | | 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 124 Nay: 0 | pass | 124 | 0 | | | 2026-03-27 | House | Conference Committee Report was adopted | pass | 124 | 0 | | | 2026-03-26 | Senate | Conference Committee Report was adopted | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-03-19 | Senate | Final Action - Passed as amended | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended | pass | 116 | 0 | | ## Actions (28) - 2026-04-09: Reengrossed on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (House) - 2026-04-09: Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, April 3, 2026 (House) - 2026-04-09: Approved by Governor on Thursday, April 9, 2026 (House) - 2026-03-27: Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 124, Nay 0, Absent 1 (House) - 2026-03-26: Conference committee report now available (Senate) - 2026-03-26: Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 39, Nay 0, Absent 1 (Senate) - 2026-03-26: Conference committee report now available (House) - 2026-03-26: Conference committee report now available (Senate) - 2026-03-24: Motion to accede adopted; Sen. Kellie Warren, Sen. Kenny Titus and Sen. Ethan Corson appointed as conferees (Senate) - 2026-03-23: Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Rep. Cyndi Howerton, Rep. Timothy Johnson and Rep. Jarrod Ousley (House) - 2026-03-19: Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 40, Nay 0 (Senate) - 2026-03-18: Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted (Senate) - 2026-03-18: Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. Kellie Warren (Senate) - 2026-03-18: Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Sen. Kellie Warren was adopted (Senate) - 2026-03-18: Committee of the Whole - Be passed as further amended (Senate) - 2026-03-16: Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Hearing: Thursday, March 12, 2026, 10:30 AM — Room 346-S (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Received and Introduced (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted (House) - 2026-02-19: Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended (House) - 2026-02-19: Motion to advance to Emergency Final Action adopted (House) - 2026-02-19: Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 116, Nay 0, Absent 9 (House) - 2026-02-18: Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care (House) - 2026-02-16: Hearing continuation: Monday, February 16, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 152-S (House) - 2026-02-11: Hearing: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 152-S (House) - 2026-01-29: Introduced (House) - 2026-01-29: Referred to House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care (House) ## Bill text - As Amended by House Committee: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_01_0000.pdf) - As Amended by Senate Committee: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_02_0000.pdf) - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_00_0000.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_enrolled.pdf) - {As Amended by Senate Committee of the Whole}: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_03_0000.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 430: Adding mitragynine to schedule I of the uniform controlled substances act and reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes in the Kansas criminal code. (signed) - SB 82: Providing tax credits for expenditures for lockable gun and ammunition storage and the retail sale of higher ethanol blends of fuel, discontinuing the tax cred… (signed) - SB 300: Providing for the apportionment of business income by manufacturers of alcoholic liquor depending on whether the taxpayer is a qualifying Kansas investor or a… (signed) - HB 2029: Reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes. (signed) - HB 2018: Senate Substitute for HB 2018 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Creating the crime of interference with the conduct of a religious assembly, providin… (became law) - HB 2530: Substitute for HB 2530 by Committee on Education - Providing for the transferability of credentials earned through ACT workkeys career readiness assessments to… (failed) ## Sources - [As Amended by House Committee (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_01_0000.pdf) - [As Amended by Senate Committee (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_02_0000.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_00_0000.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_enrolled.pdf) - [{As Amended by Senate Committee of the Whole} (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2601/hb2601_03_0000.pdf) ## Related - [SB 430: Adding mitragynine to schedule I of the uniform controlled substances act and r…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB430-2025-2026) - [SB 82: Providing tax credits for expenditures for lockable gun and ammunition storage…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB82-2025-2026) - [SB 300: Providing for the apportionment of business income by manufacturers of alcoholi…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB300-2025-2026) - [HB 2029: Reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2029-2025-2026) - [HB 2018: Senate Substitute for HB 2018 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Creat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2018-2025-2026) - [HB 2530: Substitute for HB 2530 by Committee on Education - Providing for the transferab…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2530-2025-2026) - [Kansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/kansas/bills) - [Kansas state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/kansas) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2601-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).