Requiring expedited procedures for children who are under two years of age at the time that a petition is filed requesting such child be adjudicated to be a child in need of care, requiring permanency for such a child within 12 months and directing the secretary to report on such expedited procedures.

HB 2734 requires that children under two years old placed in foster care after being adjudicated as a "child in need of care" must achieve a permanent home - such as reunification with parents, placement with relatives, or adoption - within 12 months of out-of-home placement. The bill mandates a permanency hearing within three months of removal, requires concurrent adjudication and dispositional hearings to avoid delays, and prohibits unnecessary case transfers or continuances without good cause. It also establishes that transferring a child's case to another county without justification would be presumed harmful to the child's best interests. The Kansas Department for Children and Families and judicial branch must submit annual effectiveness reports to the legislature starting in 2028, with a final report due by 2036.