SESSION OF 2024
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2581
As Amended by House Committee on Child
Welfare and Foster Care
Brief*
HB 2581, as amended, would amend law in the Revised
Kansas Code for Care of Children to allow, but not require, a
request for child support to be contained in every child in
need of care (CINC) petition. In addition, the bill would specify
that when custody of the child is awarded to the Secretary for
Children and Families (Secretary), the court could order one
or both parents to pay child support, but would not be
required to do so.
The bill would also make technical amendments to
ensure consistency in statutory phrasing.
Background
The bill was introduced by the House Committee on
Child Welfare and Foster Care at the request of the
Secretary.
House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care
In the House Committee hearing, proponent testimony
was provided by representatives of the Children’s Alliance of
Kansas and Department for Children and Families (DCF).
The proponents stated requiring child support in every CINC
case is not cost-effective and may impede a family’s ability to
reintegrate in certain circumstances.
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*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 Written-only proponent testimony was provided by
representatives of Cornerstones of Care and Kansas Action
for Children.
No other testimony was provided.
The House Committee amended the bill to reinsert
language that would have been removed by the bill, as
introduced, concerning the required contents of a CINC
petition, modifying this language to make a request for child
support permissive rather than mandatory.
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, DCF estimates that
enactment of the bill would result in reduced revenues of $1.0
million for FY 2025 and $2.0 million for FY 2026 for Child
Support Services. Any fiscal effect associated with enactment
of the bill is not reflected in The FY 2025 Governor’s Budget
Report.
Child support payments; child in need of care; custody of child; Secretary for
Children and Families; Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children
2- 2581