CHAPTER 141 HOUSE BILL No. 2125* An Act concerning the support and care of children; relating to children in need of care;
concerning rights of certain parties to be present at certain proceedings. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

 Section  1. (a) Notwithstanding K.S.A. 38-1552, and amendments
thereto and any other provision of law to the contrary, and within the
limits of appropriations therefor, a pilot project shall be established by
the office of judicial administration in one rural and one urban judicial
district in which such judicial district shall implement proceedings under
the Kansas code for care of children in which the court may exclude from
any hearing all persons except the guardian ad litem, interested parties
and their attorneys, officers of the court, the witness testifying, the child's
foster parents and up to two people, both of whom have participated in
a parent advocate orientation program approved by the judicial admin-
istrator, and designated by the parent of the child. Such parent advocate
orientation program shall include but not be limited to information con-
cerning the confidentiality of the proceedings; the child and parent's right
to counsel; the definitions and jurisdiction pursuant to the Kansas code
for care of children; the types and purposes of the hearings; options for
informal supervision and dispositions; placement options; the parent's ob-
ligation to financially support the child while the child is in the state's
custody; obligations of the secretary of social and rehabilitation services;
obligations of entities that contract with the department of social and
rehabilitation services for family preservation, foster care and adoption;
the termination of parental rights; the procedures for appeals; and the
basic rules regarding court procedure. Upon agreement of all interested
parties, the court shall allow other persons to attend the proceedings,
unless the court finds the presence of the persons would be disruptive to
the proceedings. The court shall not remove the parent's designee or
designees from any proceeding unless such designee becomes disruptive
in such proceeding.

      (b) Upon completion of the pilot project, the office of judicial ad-
ministration shall make a report to the legislature.

      (c) The provisions of this section shall expire on July 1, 2005.

 Sec.  2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.

Approved May 15, 2003.
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