Authorizing victims of childhood abuse or neglect to access records related to substantiated reports or investigations of abuse or neglect.

SB 236 would authorize adult victims of childhood abuse or neglect to access their own substantiated abuse or neglect records held by Kansas child welfare agencies. Currently, these records are restricted to specific entities like courts, medical professionals, or foster parents, but this bill would add victims directly to the list of eligible individuals. The key mechanism is amending Kansas Statute 38-2212 to explicitly permit victims to obtain records related to their own substantiated cases, without requiring court involvement. This change would directly affect adult survivors seeking their own case documentation for personal or therapeutic reasons. The bill is pending review in the Public Health and Welfare Committee after introduction on February 6, 2025.