39-1114. Children parented by blind individuals; purpose of act; legislative findings. (a) The purpose of K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 39-1114 through 39-1116, and amendments thereto, is to protect the best interests of children parented by blind individuals or children who could be parented by blind individuals through the establishment of procedural safeguards that require adherence to the federal Americans with disabilities act of 1990, and respect for the due process and equal protection rights of parents and prospective parents who are blind in the context of child welfare, foster care, family law and adoption.

(b) The legislature hereby finds and declares that:

(1) Blind individuals continue to face unfair, preconceived and unnecessary societal biases as well as antiquated attitudes regarding such individuals' ability to successfully parent their children;

(2) blind individuals face these biases and preconceived attitudes in family and dependency law proceedings where legal custody, residency and parenting time are at stake and in public and private adoption, guardianship and foster care proceedings;

(3) because of these societal biases and antiquated attitudes, children of blind parents are unnecessarily being removed from their parents' care or being restricted from enjoying meaningful time with their parents; and

(4) children are being denied the opportunity to enjoy the experience of living in loving homes with blind parents or other blind caretakers.

History: L. 2022, ch. 75, § 1; April 28.