Kansas 2023 2023-2024 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2554 Introduced / Fiscal Note

                    Division of the Budget 
Landon State Office Building 	Phone: (785) 296-2436 
900 SW Jackson Street, Room 504 	adam.c.proffitt@ks.gov 
Topeka, KS  66612 	http://budget.kansas.gov 
 
Adam C. Proffitt, Director 	Laura Kelly, Governor 
Division of the Budget 
 
February 1, 2024 
 
 
 
 
The Honorable Susan Concannon, Chairperson 
House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care 
300 SW 10th Avenue, Room 152-S 
Topeka, Kansas  66612 
 
Dear Representative Concannon: 
 
 SUBJECT: Fiscal Note for HB 2554 by House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster 
Care 
 
 In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2554 is 
respectfully submitted to your committee. 
 
 HB 2554 would amend the Kansas Code for Care of Children by requiring the Department 
for Children and Families (DCF) to search for, identify, and notify adult relatives of children that 
are the subject of a temporary custody order.  DCF would be required to file reports within 30 days 
of a court order being issued and at each subsequent hearing for the child in need of care proceeding 
after that order has been entered. The report would document DCF’s efforts to comply with the 
search and notice efforts to locate adult relatives of the child or persons with whom the child has 
close emotional ties.  Unless safety concerns exist that are known to DCF, adult relatives of the 
child and persons with whom the child has close emotional ties would be required to receive notice 
of court proceedings by certified mail. 
 
 An adult relative or a person who fails to respond within 30 days of the date of the notice 
and subsequently wishes to become the child's placement would be required to show by clear and 
convincing evidence that a change in placement is in the best interests of the child.  The court 
could order DCF to continue to search for adult relatives of the child or a person with whom the 
child has close emotional ties, for up to six months from the date of the temporary custody order 
entered or from the date of change in the child's placement.  During the permanency hearing held, 
DCF would report to the court all unsuccessful, intensive, ongoing efforts that have been made to 
return the child home or secure a permanent placement with a fit and willing relative, legal 
guardian, or an adoptive parent. 
 
 
 
  The Honorable Susan Concannon, Chairperson 
Page 2—HB 2554 
 
 
Estimated State Fiscal Effect 
 	FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026 
Expenditures    
   State General Fund  	-- $206,212 $206,212 
   Fee Fund(s) 	-- 	-- 	-- 
   Federal Fund 	-- 26,928 26,928 
      Total Expenditures 	-- $233,140 $233,140 
Revenues    
   State General Fund  	-- 	-- 	-- 
   Fee Fund(s) 	-- 	-- 	-- 
   Federal Fund 	-- 	-- 	-- 
      Total Revenues 	-- 	-- 	-- 
FTE Positions 	-- 	-- 	-- 
 
 DCF indicates that to meet the search criteria outlined in HB 2554, new licenses might be 
needed to access this various information. DCF uses an investigative software for several of these 
searches but not all criteria are included in the software search.  Current software licenses cost 
$40,000 annually therefore, DCF assumes additional search engines and licenses would be similar 
in annual costs.  
 
DCF would be required to notify, by certified mail, all adult relatives, or persons with 
whom a child has close emotional ties to find placement for the child.  DCF indicates that this 
would only pertain to children removed once HB 2554 is enacted.  In FY 2023, there were 2,960 
removals of children into out of home placement.  A certified letter currently costs $4.35.  If a 
child has an average of 10-15 identified relatives or persons to contact, the cost would be between 
$128,760 and $193,140 annually. DCF estimates that the total fiscal effect on expenditures for the 
agency would be $233,140 from all funding sources, including $206,212 from the State General 
Fund, beginning in FY 2025 and would continue in the out-years. 
 
 The Office of Judicial Administration indicates that HB 2554 would have a negligible fiscal 
effect on expenditures of the Judicial Branch. The bill would not have a fiscal effect on revenues 
to the Judicial Branch. Any fiscal effect associated with HB 2554 is not reflected in The FY 2025 
Governor’s Budget Report.  
 
 
 
 	Sincerely, 
 
 
 
 	Adam C. Proffitt 
 	Director of the Budget 
 
 
cc:  Trisha Morrow, Judiciary  
 Kim Holter, Department for Children & Families