Sent: Monday, February 23, 2026 10:43 PM
To: Protecting KS Children From Sexual Predators <protectkschildrenfrompredators@gmail.com>
Subject: Newsletter
Thank you for being part of our Survivor and Supporter Network. Your continued support, advocacy, and compassion mean so much as we work together to protect children and empower survivors across Kansas.
We would like to give you and update on our legislative work and how you can help:
-
Erin's Law SB 385/HB 2576: requiring that all K–12 students receive age-appropriate body safety and child sexual abuse prevention education. The law will also require teachers to do a yearly training specific to child sexual abuse in spotting warning signs and reporting abuse.
-
The bill had a hearing in the House Education Committee but the House decided not to work the bill this session. We would like to thank all of the survivors and supporters who testified in support of this bill.
-
Unfortunately, the Children's Advocacy Centers of Kansas and one of the CACs changed their testimony before the hearing and testified neutral rather than as a proponent. A concern was brought up that they felt only CACs should be presenting body safety education to children using an accredited curriculum (very few curriculums are able to make it through an accreditation process due to time and financial constraints, but there are numerous "evidence based" or "researched informed" curricula available. We were not prepared for this and were not able to change our testimony in time to counter these arguments or be able to work previously discussed amendments to strengthen the bill.
-
We continued to meet with legislators and various community agencies to come up with solutions and have drafted a new version of Erin's Law with amendments that we hope will satisfy concerns that were mentioned. Please let us know if you would like a copy. We are so thankful to community agencies who have spoken up and shared the work that their programs do and how there are agencies that are willing and able to train presenters who would present body safety training to students in communities that do not have access to a CAC or other established program.
-
SB 385 is alive in the Senate thanks to Senate President Ty Masterson who "blessed" the bill and gave it more time to have a hearing. We were told today that it is likely that there will be a hearing in the Senate. The bill is currently in the Ways and Means Committee but may be transferred back to Senate Education.
-
Please start writing proponent testimony for SB 385 now. We are often given very little notice when a hearing will be and it is important to be prepared.
-
Survivor's Rights Bill SB 236: allowing survivors of substantiated abuse to access their own DCF (Department for Children and Families) records. This bill was introduced last year in the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. We are told that it will not get a hearing this session, but that it is likely we can get one next year if we submit the bill ourselves.
Your voice and involvement make a difference! Here's how you can help:
-
Continue sharing our social media posts advocating for these bills.
-
Join us at public outreach events to spread awareness.
-
Contact your state legislators, leadership, important committee members, and leadership and ask them to support Erin's Law (SB 385). (See below how and who to contact)
We are calling on child welfare professionals, educators, school leaders, counselors, medical providers, mental health professionals, and law enforcement across Kansas to show their support of Erin's Law. We are looking for these professionals to write testimony in support of Erin's Law. Please share with anyone you know that may be able to help.
We are also looking to gain information about how/if body safety is currently being taught in Kansas schools. Please contact us if you know how your local school district handles this and/or if you would be willing to contact your local school district to help obtain this information. Example: My children currently attend school in the DeSoto School District in Johnson County and they are given a presentation by Sunflower House Child Advocacy Center twice in elementary school in an assembly type presentation.
Be sure to keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram pages. That is the best way to get the most up to date information on our status for Erin's Law.
We will keep you updated about future events and opportunities to get involved. If you know of a group or event where we can speak or host a table to share information about these bills, please let us know!
Together, we're building a safer future for children and ensuring survivors' voices are heard. Thank you for standing with us and continuing to be part of this movement.
Thank you,
How to contact your personal State Legislators:
1. Enter your address at https://pluralpolicy.com/find-your-legislator/ to learn who your state legislators are and ask for their support and for a hearing for Erin's Law (SB 385).
2. Send a brief email letting them know you are a constituent and ask for their support.
3. Contact members of leadership and the Senate Education and Ways and Means Committee (see below) and ask them to support Erin's Law and grant a hearing for the bill.
Sample Email for your personal legislators:
"Hello my name is _________ and I am one of your constituents in __city___ Kansas. I would like to ask for your support for Erin's Law, SB 385, which requires students K-12 to be taught about body safety and child sexual abuse prevention once a year. The law would also require teachers to receive training specific to spotting warning signs of child sexual abuse and how to report.
This bill is important to me because _______________________.
Please support Erin's Law so that we can protect children and support survivors."
Sample Email to Leadership and Committee Members:
"Hello my name is _________ and I am a Kansas resident. I would like to ask for your support for Erin's Law, SB 385, which requires students K-12 to be taught about body safety and child sexual abuse prevention once a year. The law would also require teachers to receive training specific to spotting warning signs of child sexual abuse and how to report.
This bill is important to me because _______________________.
Please support Erin's Law so that we can protect children and support survivors."
Senate Education Committee:
Senate Ways and Means Committee:
Senate Leadership:
House Education Committee:
House Leadership:
No comments:
Post a Comment