Rule 1601: Supreme Court Task Force on Permanency Planning

(a)   Purpose. The Supreme Court Task Force on Permanency Planning is established as a requirement of the federal Administration for Children, Youth, and Families Program Instruction ACYF-CB-PI-12-02 Section II(a)(i) and will constitute the Statewide Multidisciplinary Task Force referenced in the Program Instruction.
 
The Task Force is established for the purpose of demonstrating meaningful, ongoing collaboration among the district courts of Kansas, the Kansas Department for Children and Families, and Indian tribes located in the State of Kansas. The Task Force must develop and implement strategic plans and monitor progress toward outcomes to meet requirements of pertinent program instructions.
 
The Task Force will provide oversight to federal Court Improvement Grants awarded to the Kansas Supreme Court by advising the Office of Judicial Administration on the purposes, projects, and functions for which Court Improvement Grants are used.

(b)   Membership. The Supreme Court will appoint the members of the Task Force, which must include individuals representing the following groups or entities:

(1)   district court judges;

(2)   district magistrate judges;

(3)   Indian tribal courts;

(4)   the State Title IV-B/IV-E agency;

(5)   parents’ counsel:

(6)   guardians ad litem;

(7)   prosecutors;

(8)   Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA):

(9)   Citizen Review Board (CRB);

(10)   mental health/behavioral health treatment provider community;

(11)   substance abuse treatment provider community; and

(12)   state department of education.

(c)   Terms. The terms of the inaugural members of the Task Force will be staggered. The terms of five members will be four years, the terms of four members will be three years, the terms of four members will be two years, and the terms of five members will be one year. At the expiration of the inaugural member’s term, the term of each succeeding member of the Task Force will be four years. No member of the Task Force will be eligible for more than two consecutive four-year terms. An inaugural member is eligible for one four-year term immediately after the expiration of the inaugural term. A member appointed to complete an unexpired term is eligible to serve two more consecutive four-year terms. A member may serve one or more additional terms after a break in service.

(d)   Member Disqualification. A member who, for any reason, no longer represents the group or entity which the member represented at the time of appointment must notify the Kansas Supreme Court through the Office of Judicial Administration within 30 days of the change in status. This notice of a change in status may, at the discretion of the Court, constitute the member’s resignation as a member of the Task Force, and the Court may appoint another individual to the Task Force to represent that group or entity.

(e)   OJA Representative and Liaison Justice.

(1)   In addition to the members described in subsection (b):

(A)   there will be a permanent, nonvoting seat on the committee for a representative of the Office of Judicial Administration; and

(B)   the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will designate a Supreme Court Justice to serve as liaison to the Committee.

(2)   The persons serving the Committee under paragraph (1) are not subject to a term limit under subsection (c).

[History: New rule adopted effective July 1, 2012.]