Prohibiting the use of any prone restraint on a juvenile who is in custody at a juvenile detention facility or juvenile correctional facility or being assessed as part of the juvenile intake and assessment system.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Prohibits using prone (face-down) restraints on juveniles in custody or during intake/assessment to reduce injury risk.

Died in Committee

Purpose

HB 2227 seeks to eliminate the use of prone restraint on juveniles who are (a) in custody at juvenile detention or juvenile correctional facilities, or (b) being assessed through the juvenile intake and assessment system. The measure is intended to reduce risk of harm associated with face‑down physical restraints and to amend the revised Kansas juvenile justice code accordingly.

Key provisions

Adds a new section to the revised Kansas juvenile justice code that:

Prohibits any person from using a "prone restraint" on a juvenile who is:
in custody at a juvenile correctional facility or juvenile detention facility; or
being assessed as part of the juvenile intake and assessment system established under K.S.A. 75‑7023.
Defines "prone restraint" as a manual restraint that places the person in a face‑down position.

Amends K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 38‑2302 (the definitions section of the juvenile code) to reflect changes; the introduced bill text indicates the current version of that statute is being amended and the existing section repealed as necessary to incorporate the new language.

States the new section is part of and supplemental to the revised Kansas juvenile justice code.

Who is affected

Juveniles (ages defined elsewhere in the juvenile code) who are:

detained or committed at juvenile detention facilities or juvenile correctional facilities; or
undergoing intake/assessment under the statewide juvenile intake and assessment system (K.S.A. 75‑7023).

Staff and contractors at juvenile correctional/detention facilities and entities performing intake/assessment duties (e.g., juvenile corrections officers, juvenile intake and assessment workers, facility administrators).

Counties operating or contracting juvenile detention facilities (potential operational and training impacts).

Fiscal impact

Fiscal note (Division of the Budget, Feb. 26, 2025): The Kansas Judiciary and the Department of Corrections indicate enactment would have no fiscal effect on their operations.

The Kansas Association of Counties reports an unknown fiscal effect on counties (counties may incur costs for training, policy changes, or alternative restraint equipment/procedures).

Procedural status and timeline

Introduced: January 29, 2025.

Referred to: House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice.

Fiscal note prepared: February 26, 2025 (Adam C. Proffitt, Director, Division of the Budget).

The bill text as introduced does not specify an effective date; absent an express provision, the effective date would be determined under state law or by any future amendment.

Implementation considerations

The bill does not list exceptions (e.g., for medical emergencies or self‑defense) in the introduced text; adoption may require development of alternative safe‑response procedures, staff training, and policy updates at facility and county levels.

Counties may need to evaluate operational impacts (staffing, training, equipment, use-of-force protocols) even if state agencies report no fiscal effects.

Bill