Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateKansasIn Committee
HB 2326: Adding consideration of whether the offender has physical custody of such offender's minor child or is a legal guardian or custodian with physical custody of a minor child to the factors considered for diversions and dispositional departures.
Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice
HB 2326 status: In Committee — Died in Committee (updated Apr 10, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
Not enough information
Score:Not enough information
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 40/100
Constitutionality85%
Bipartisan50%
Public opinion65%
Bill summary
What changes
The bill would have required judges to evaluate the custodial status of an offender's minor child as a mandatory factor when deciding on criminal diversions or dispositional departures.
Who is affected
Defendants who serve as primary caregivers or legal guardians to minor children.
Requirements and enforcement
Judges would be required to consider parental status as an explicit factor during sentencing or diversion hearings.
Costs and funding
Not stated in the available source.
When it takes effect
The bill was active in the 2025-2026 session but died in committee.
Potential benefits
Potential for reduced family trauma, maintained parental responsibility, and improved childhood development outcomes by avoiding unnecessary incarceration of caregivers.
Risks and tradeoffs
Concerns include the potential for sentencing inconsistency, subjectivity in judicial rulings, and potential impacts on public safety if offenders remain in the community.
What is still unknown
The bill does not define what constitutes a 'primary caregiver' or how judges should weigh this factor against the severity of a crime.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Not enough information
Not enough information to score this sector.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Society
Positive outlook
75%
Benefits
- Promotes family stability for children of offenders
- Minimizes psychological disruption to minor children
- Supports maintenance of parental rights
Risks
- Potential for inconsistent sentencing across jurisdictions
- Possible reduction in perceived justice for victims
- Difficulty in proving primary caregiver status
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Increases transparency in judicial reasoning
- Standardizes specific factors for sentencing
- Requires documented consideration of social impact
Risks
- Increases complexity of sentencing decisions
- Limits uniformity across court decisions
- Risk of subjective interpretation of factors
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Improves long-term mental health outcomes for minors
- Reduces childhood trauma linked to separation
- Facilitates therapeutic justice models
Risks
- Potential for leniency toward dangerous offenders
- Lower deterrence for specific criminal acts
- Shift away from public safety-centric sentencing
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source provided is a brief abstract; full bill text not analyzed.
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeCurrent
- Chamber votesUpcoming
- Final agreementUpcoming
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
How it affects your district
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06
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