38-2231. Providing when law enforcement officers or court services officers shall take a child under 18 into custody; referrals to and responses from the secretary for children and families; sheltering a runaway. (a) A law enforcement officer or court services officer shall take a child under 18 years of age into custody when:

(1) The law enforcement officer or court services officer has a court order commanding that the child be taken into custody as a child in need of care; or

(2) the law enforcement officer or court services officer has probable cause to believe that a court order commanding that the child be taken into custody as a child in need of care has been issued in this state or in another jurisdiction.

(b) A law enforcement officer shall take a child under 18 years of age into custody when the officer:

(1) Reasonably believes the child will be harmed if not immediately removed from the place or residence where the child has been found; or

(2) reasonably believes the child is experiencing a behavioral health crisis and is likely to cause harm to self or others.

(c) A law enforcement officer shall explore other options to separate the child from the source of harm before removal of such child as provided in subsection (b).

(d) The secretary shall provide an electronic means of communication for a responding law enforcement officer to refer a child who may be a victim of abuse or neglect to the secretary. The secretary shall receive such referrals and, within 24 hours, initiate an investigation of abuse or neglect and contact the persons who are the subject of such investigation. Then, within 24 hours of such contact, the secretary shall respond to the referring law enforcement agency with the status of the investigation.

(e) A law enforcement officer shall take a child under 18 years of age into custody when the officer:

(1) Has probable cause to believe that the child is a runaway or a missing person or a verified missing person entry for the child can be found in the national crime information center missing person system; or

(2) reasonably believes that the child is a victim of human trafficking, aggravated human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation of a child.

(f) (1) If a person provides shelter to a child whom the person knows is a runaway, such person shall promptly report the child's location either to a law enforcement agency or to the child's parent or other custodian.

(2) If a person reports a runaway's location to a law enforcement agency pursuant to this section and a law enforcement officer of the agency has reasonable grounds to believe that it is in the child's best interests, the child may be allowed to remain in the place where shelter is being provided, subject to subsection (e), in the absence of a court order to the contrary. If the child is allowed to so remain, the law enforcement agency shall promptly notify the secretary of the child's location and circumstances.

(g) Except as provided in subsections (a), (b) and (e), a law enforcement officer may temporarily detain and assume temporary custody of any child subject to compulsory school attendance, pursuant to K.S.A. 72-3120, and amendments thereto, during the hours school is actually in session and shall deliver the child pursuant to K.S.A. 38-2232(g), and amendments thereto.

History: L. 2006, ch. 200, § 26; L. 2013, ch. 120, § 32; L. 2016, ch. 102, § 12; L. 2018, ch. 107, § 2; L. 2023, ch. 96, § 5; L. 2025, ch. 79, § 1; July 1.