Please Support KS HB 2300. This bill would mandate clergy in Kansas to report abuse. Currently clergy in Kansas are not among the list of those mandated to report abuse.

Child Mandated Reporters According to KSA 38-2223

Persons licensed to practice the healing arts
dentistry and optometry
persons engaged in post graduate training programs approved by the state board of healing arts
licensed professional or practical nurses
chief administrative officers of medical care facilities
Licensed psychologists
licensed masters level psychologists
licensed clinical psychotherapists
licensed social workers
licensed marriage and family therapists
licensed clinical marriage and family therapists
licensed professional counselors
licensed clinical professional counselors
registered alcohol and drug abuse counselors
teachers
school administrators
other employees of an educational institution which the child is attending
persons licensed by the secretary of health and environment to provide child care services
the employees of persons so licensed at the place where the child care services are being provided to the child
firefighters
emergency medical services personnel
law enforcement officers
juvenile intake and assessment workers
court services officers and community corrections officers
case managers appointed under K.S.A. 23-1001 et seq., and amendments thereto
mediators appointed under K.S.A. 23-602, and amendments thereto

 

Neighboring states on all sides of Kansas have some statute for clergy to be mandated reporters of abuse. 

1. Nebraska
2. Missouri
3. Oklahoma
4. Colorado

Kansas is one of 10 states and territories in the United States that have no statute for mandated reporting with regards to clergy. We join American Samoa, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, New York, Northern Mariana Islands, South Dakota, and the Virgin Islands in this statistic.

In 2019 the Kansas legislative session, SB 37 was introduced. This bill turned into SB 218. The bill would require ordained ministers of religion to become a mandated reporter. On April, 2019 the bill crossed over to the House of Representatives who referred the bill to the Committee on Federal and State Affairs. In 2023 the bill was introduced again into the Committee on Federal and State Affairs and is currently waiting for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. 

In January of 2023 the KBI report on the investigation on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church was released. Lack of reporting as well as failure to follow their own procedures and being transparent with the public were challenges they faced in getting information for their investigation. 

Clergy must be added to the list of those who are mandated to report abuse in the state of Kansas. 

This bill needs to survive beyond turn around time in the KS legislature. Turnaround time is February 23rd. Please sign this petition so we can have another mechanism to show the committee that people want this legislation heard and passed.

This legislation would help with holding the faith community accountable. It would help law enforcement agencies and the court system have another avenue for evidence collection in their investigations of abuse. Most importantly it would shatter the silence houses of worship have been enshrined in with respect to abuse for well over a century in the state of Kansas.