Kansas governor signs bipartisan bill offering new path for older youths in foster care
Rep. Jarrod Ousley, D-Merriam, lauded Gov. Laura Kelly's signature on bipartisan legislation to resolve a shortcoming in the state law guiding foster care. House Bill 2524, he says, is thoughtful legislation removing a mandate responsible for forcing some adults out of foster care because they chose to continue relationships with certain older youth in their care. This is a Jan. 12, 2026, of Ousley. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed on Monday a bill unanimously passed by the Kansas Legislature allowing state regulators to grant licenses to foster family homes even if an individual living at the residence reached the age of 18 following conviction of a felony offense.
Under previous state law, no person could be granted a foster-care license by the Kansas Department for Children and Families if an 18-year-old person residing at the home was found guilty of a person felony while a juvenile. The old statute required young people achieving the age of permanency in Kansas foster care or transitioning out of state custody to clear a background check. If the person had been adjudicated for a prohibited offense, the foster home where the individual was living was ineligible for licensure.
The statute compelled foster parents to make the difficult choice between retaining a Kansas license to serve youths in foster care or sever ties with someone who had been in their care.
“Current law was dividing families and causing parents to choose between their children and their role as foster parents, and that is unacceptable,” Kelly said. “While rules and regulations around foster family licensing have always intended to keep children safe first and foremost, we must be willing to listen to families and adjust laws when necessary.”
Rep. Cindy Howerton, R-Wichita, said new law contained in House Bill 2524 empowered foster families to make decisions regarding permanency of young people under age 26 without fear of losing state license or disrupting the lives of other children in their care.
“This is smart legislation that puts the well-being of children and families first while also maintaining reasonable safety standards,” Howerton said.
In addition, Kelly signed House Bill 2320 to authorize children in custody of DCF to attend school in any district and to require school officials to transfer student records among districts in a timely manner. She likewise signed legislation — House Bill 2536 — requiring proposed guardians of adults with cognitive impairments or neurological conditions to complete special training prior to appointment as a guardian.
Kelly put her signature to House Bill 2237, enabling state agencies to grant recruitment and retention bonuses of up to $10,000. She signed Senate Bill 364 to mandate the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks offer discounted hunting and fishing license to Kansas residents who were 65 years of age or older. It also lowered to a maximum of $400 the state’s fee for a lifetime combination fishing and hunting license issued to youths 6 to 15 years of age.
The Democratic governor signed House Bill 2618, directing the Kansas State Board of Education to report to the Legislature on federal education funds flowing into the state; House Bill 2562, permitting issuance of a license plate or placard for persons with a disability based on documentation from a physical therapist; and House Bill 2574, requiring review of executive branch agencies for compliance with cybersecurity policy.
Kelly, with a stroke of the pen, placed into law the Senate’s rewrite of House Bill 2571, which increased the threshold to $100,000, up from $25,000, for county government construction contracts that had to rely on a public bidding process. She signed House Bill 2378 to alter protocol for law enforcement agencies involved in removing squatters from a dwelling unit and House Bill 2331 on the disposition of the unclaimed human remains held by coroners.
The governor signed legislation rolled into House Bill 2644, directing county appraisers to adjust values of residential and commercial property based on a fee-simple appraisal if the appraised value increased more than 5% over three years.
Kelly signed House Bill 2487 to amend the Kansas Education Opportunity Scholarship Program Act by clarifying eligibility for a first-generation student and a student with a parent employed in a Kansas public or private school as a teacher or paraprofessional.
In terms of public utilities, Kelly signed House Bill 2435, allowing natural gas companies to recover the cost of capital investments capable of increasing revenues through direct connections to new customers.