Kansas Family and Divorce

This Week 2/17/2007, in the Kansas Legislature

It was a rather light week this week for bills affecting the family law area. Only one bill was involved.

SB 88, allowing restoration of former name after divorce is final.

Currently the common practice is to make sure your name is changed as part of the final Decree in your divorce. I am assuming this bill would allow someone to come back in to the divorce and have an order issued for the restoration of the former name.

This Week 2/9/2007, in the Kansas Legislature

Here‘s what’s happening in Topeka this week as far as bills that affect the family.

SB 269 amends Code for Care of Children by requiring an attempt to serve parent by other means before allowing service by publication in locality where parent is believed to be residing.

SB 293 amends the Code for Care of Children by requiring investigators to be trained in the rights of children and their families and to give warnings of those rights prior to investigation.SB 286 allows adult adoption without termination of parental rights.

HB 2382 amends 60-3112 by prohibiting the entering of protection from abuse (PFA) orders without opportunity for hearing (KBA proposal).

HB 2455 establishes the interstate compact on the placement of children.

HB 2477 restricts any government agency from enforcing a child support order that exceeds the amount allowed by Kansas law.

HB 2481 adds marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, masters level psychologists, and psychologists to list of those qualified to do assessments in adoptions.

This Week 2/3/2007, in the Kansas Legislature

Here is what is happening in Topeka this week as far as bills that affect the family.

HB 2292 imposes additional conditions for performing abortions on minors, including giving parents of minor using notification bypass a right of action against the clinic.

HB2299 prohibits local governments from creating domestic partner registry. (This is most likely in response to what Lawrence was planning to do)

Bill Seeks to Protect "Mail-Order Brides"

Missouri men seeking a mail-order bride from a foreign country might soon have to disclose their criminal record and previous marriages to the prospective fiancee. 

READ MORE ---->

MORE Legislative Update

My oldest son, who is a senior at Kansas State University, is serving as an intern in Topeka this session.  As such, I have taken an even bigger interest in what is happening at the Capital.  If not for my own good, but to have some knowledge when I argue with him about what is happening.  So, in my effort to keep myself a little educated and to keep this blog up-to-date, here are some more updates for your information.  By the way, this is only a select list of what is going on.

SB220:  This bill would limit to once in a person's lifetime the ability to enter into a domestic battery diversion agreement.  (About time)

HB2169:  This bill would amend K.S.A. 2004 Supp. 60-1621 so that all post-decree motions in divorce and maintenance actions would carry a $21 docket fee.  Under current law, a $21 docket fee is only required for post-decree motions for a change in legal custody, residency, visitation rights, or parenting time, or for a modification of child support.  (Money must be really tight at the Judicial Center).

HB2268:  This bill would adopt the Uniform Interstate Enforcement of Domestic Violence Protection Order Act.  It would establish uniform procedures to enable and require Kansas courts and law enforcement officers to recognize and enforce valid foreign protection orders.  Kansas courts would follow Kansas procedure for the enforecment of protection orders.  The court would be required to enforce terms in foreign protection orders for relief not normally obtained from Kansas courts, and would be required to enforce a foreign protection order even if it is not registered or filed in Kansas.  Kansas law enforcement officers who have probable cause to believe that a valid foreign protection order exists and has been violated would be required to enforce it as if it had been issued in Kansas.  The bill would permit any individual to register a foreign protection order in Kansas.  (Why not, we use the Uniform acts to enforce child support and for child custody issues).

HB 2271:  This bill provides that any person who violates a protection against stalking order, a temporary restraining order, or an injunction prohibiting stalking, while in the possession of any firewarm or weapon as described in K.S.A. 21-4201 and amendments thereto, would be guilty of a severity level 8, person felony. 

(I am only assuming that the temporary restraining order mentioned may be a TRO issued in a domestic case).

When I receive any additional updates, I will post. 

Legislative Update

Below you will find some of the article that appeared online today from Kansas.com.  For those of you that don't know, Kansas.com is the online source for the Wichita Eagle.  I have only included those items that I felt applied to Kansas Family and Divorce Law.  I will be providing additional updates as I find them or they become available.

Gay marriage guides session

The proposed constitutional amendment is one of only two measures passed so far by the Legislature.

BY STEVE PAINTER

Eagle Topeka bureau

TOPEKA - Gay marriage was at the forefront when lawmakers opened the 2004 session of the Kansas Legislature.

In just over three weeks, the House and Senate both conducted lengthy hearings, debated the issue, then passed a proposed constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage and civil unions.

Kansas voters will decide the issue April 5.

School funding

The House and Senate have approved competing plans to boost state funding for schools, and action is possible on both bills this week.

Neither plan calls for higher taxes the first year, but the Senate plan, which would provide a bigger funding boost, would require new revenue in subsequent years.

The House's one-year, $103 million plan adds money for all students, with extra funds targeted for students considered at risk of failing, and for bilingual and special-education students. It decreases aid for vocational education.

The Senate's three-year, $455 million plan would boost spending by $166 million next year, and also targets at-risk, bilingual and special-education students, but leaves vocational education alone.

The Legislature is working under the Kansas Supreme Court's Jan. 3 ruling that said schools are inadequately funded.

The court gave the Legislature until April 12 to increase funding with an emphasis on helping at-risk, bilingual and special-education students.

Breast-feeding

The House passed a bill saying, in effect, that it's OK for mothers to breast-feed their babies wherever they have a legal right to be.

A Lawrence lawmaker introduced the bill after a mother was told to stop breast-feeding in the nursery of a health club.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

LINK HERE FOR ENTIRE STORY