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Panel advances $8 million to modernize 'My Kids' youth court system
Summary
The subcommittee reported a bill to bring forward code sections and secure an $8 million appropriation to replace the 35–40-year-old 'My Kids' youth court system, with sponsors stressing interoperability with CPS, DHS and other state systems and lawmakers probing existing ARPA/CARES funding.
Senator Wiggins told the subcommittee that an $8 million request would fund replacement of the state's aging 'My Kids' youth court computer system, a 35–40-year-old platform used statewide. "The current system is antiquated...you cannot pull out data and share it with other agencies," he said, arguing the update would enable secure data sharing and cloud migration.
Senator Williams and others asked whether prior ARPA or CARES Act appropriations had already funded similar upgrades. The sponsor and staff said they were not aware of ARPA funds being used specifically for the 'My Kids' system and that the $8 million is intended to bring youth-court functionality in line with CPS, DHS and mental-health systems.
Several senators raised procedural and statutory concerns: parts of the youth court act cited in the bill include a July 1, 2026 repealer for certain sections that address record disclosures. Lawmakers urged assurance that parental and investigator access protections will be preserved when code sections are rewritten in Judiciary A. The sponsor said companion bills and Judiciary A action are intended to address disclosure language.
The committee approved 'title sufficient do pass' and reported the bill to allow drafting and follow-up in Judiciary A.
