KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. A viewer emailed her about this bill and efforts to get it passed in Kansas during the 2026 legislative session. Share your story idea with Isabella.
—
Talking about sexual abuse with your children can be a difficult topic to approach, but the conversations are important. Advocates in Kansas want to end the silence.
Erin's Law requires schools to teach children about sexual abuse so they can spot the warning signs and gives teachers additional mandatory reporting training.
A Johnson County advocacy group is calling on lawmakers to put Erin's Law into legislation. Members are expected to present it Thursday at the Kansas State Capitol.
Kansas is one of 12 states that doesn't require school districts to teach students or teachers how to prevent sexual abuse and proper methods of reporting.
Protecting KS Children from Sexual Predators is hoping to change that.
"This is really a gap in Kansas," Kim Bergman said. "We don't really have any other organizations that are pushing specifically for child sexual abuse legislation."
Bergman helped launch Protecting KS Children from Sexual Predators in Johnson County. The co-director explained how Erin's Law would help children across the state by bringing education and awareness to each district.
"Erin's Law would require that public schools in Kansas, K-12, teach kids once a year about body safety awareness and child sexual abuse prevention," Bergman said. "It would also have a component that teachers would need to do some type of training that is specific to child sexual abuse and reporting."
Bergman isn't just a longtime advocate for abuse prevention, she's also a survivor of child sex abuse. She was one of several victims of abuse from her youth gymnastics coach.
"I felt alone," Bergman said. "I didn't know what was happening until it was too late and I didn't know who to tell."
Erin's Law wasn't required in schools until 2009, when Vermont was the first state to pass it into law. In 2011, Missouri became the third state in the country to pass the law.
"Oftentimes kids feel stuck in that situation," Bergman said. "They don't know what to do to get out of it. They feel guilty that for some reason, it's their fault that they're in this situation. They need to have those reminders that this is never your fault. It's never too late to say something."
If Erin's Law is passed in Kansas during the 2026 legislative session, Bergman hopes kids in danger or at risk will receive training and education on what to do.
"We are one of the last 12 states to have Erin's Law," Bergman said. "We want to show predators that Kansas is not a safe place for you to be."
Protecting KS Children from Sexual Predators wrote the bill so districts can choose age-appropriate lessons for spotting and preventing abuse. Several districts in Johnson County already offer sexual abuse prevention training, so the proposed legislation would allow districts to keep the curriculum they are currently using.
The advocacy group will meet with lawmakers on Thursday morning and then will present it to the House Education Committee. After that, it's up to lawmakers to grant a hearing on the floor and push the bill into law.
"I want [lawmakers] to care about protecting kids and give us a hearing," Bergman said. "Give us a chance to come in and tell them why this is important."
Erin's Law would make the training required in every district in the state.
"38 other states in our country all have Erin's Law and they have seen an increase of children reporting, teachers making reports and kids being safer," Bergman said.
Prevention advocates across the state are emailing Kansas lawmakers to express the importance of getting the bill through the 2026 legislative session. Protecting KS Children from Sexual Predators plans to bring the legislation back up next year if it does not go through.
—
