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Committee approves technical cleanup to child-safety plan statute, adds automatic kinship reporting
Summary
House Bill 805, a technical cleanup to last year’s child‑safety statute, passed the Committee on Families and Children with changes that replace certain terms, clarify safety‑plan language and require annual public kinship reporting by the cabinet.
Representative Nick Wilson and Representative Sarah Stocker presented House Bill 805 and a committee substitute and amendment that the committee approved on the floor. Supporters described the bill as technical cleanups to House Bill 271 (passed last year) that clarify language used in safety plans and improve reporting transparency.
The nut graf: Proponents said HB 805 replaces the word "threats" with "risks" in the safety‑plan definition, clarifies language about negotiated safety plans and requires the cabinet to publish kinship reporting annually on a public‑facing website so the committee and the public receive the data without a special request.
Representative Wilson said last year’s HB 271 codified practices seen in court and that the new bill adjusts statutory phrasing where terms of art created confusion for social workers and judges. He said the substitution from "threats" to "risks" better matches court and cabinet practice. Representative Stocker explained the reporting change, saying kinship reporting will be produced automatically each year and posted publicly.
Committee members discussed how reports differ from intakes — several members said a report is the raw number of complaints received while an intake is an instance where the cabinet opens a case or investigation. Proponents said they want the cabinet to report both figures so the legislature can monitor whether the cabinet is investigating an appropriate share of reports. Representative Dietz and others said the committee aims to ensure that judicial decisions remain with family court judges; the bill does not change judicial authority but standardizes statutory language.
The committee adopted the committee substitute and an amendment to correct a repeated phrase, then approved the bill by roll call. The chair announced the bill passed with a favorable expression and should go to the House floor.
Votes at a glance: Committee reported House Bill 805 favorably; roll call recorded multiple yes votes and the chair announced passage.
