Audit finds Kansas abuse, neglect and exploitation reporting system fragmented; registries may be incomplete

Legislative auditors told the Legislative Post Audit Committee that the statesystem for reporting and registering perpetrators of abuse, neglect and exploitation (A&E) is complex, inconsistently interpreted and may leave gaps that make it hard to determine whether registries are complete.

The audit reviewed responsibilities and practices across several agencies that handle A&E allegations: Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), and the Department for Children and Families (DCF). Auditors concluded statutory language is unclear about whether agencies should maintain inventories of reports (registers of allegations and investigations) or separate lists of substantiated perpetrators (registries). Each agency interpreted its obligations differently, and registries that do exist tend not to overlap, making cross-checking difficult.

Josh Luthai, the audit presenter, summarized the core finding: "State law is unclear in some respects and agencies understand their responsibilities differently and have different practices," and he said that…