Topeka ? Lynn Kohr wiped away tears of joy Friday after House and Senate negotiators agreed on legislation to provide better protections from abuse for disabled and mentally ill Kansans.

For the past several days, Kohr and Nancy Jensen have been talking to lawmakers, urging passage of the bill prompted by the operators of a Newton group home being convicted of abusing residents. Both women were at the home in the 1980s.

“It’s a big relief, and it sends a big message,” Kohr said. “It shouldn’t ever happen again, because I don’t want anybody else to go through what we did.”

The compromise bill, which must be approved by both chambers, creates the Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of Persons with Disabilities Unit within the attorney general’s office.

It requires all state agencies to forward abuse reports to the attorney general within 10 days of confirmation or denial of such allegations. It also gives the attorney general authority to ask for such records whenever there is a reasonable suspicion a person has been abused.

House Appropriations Chairman Melvin Neufeld, lead negotiator on the bill, said the bill sends a clear message to abusers.

“We will be watching. We will get you. We will clean this mess up,” said Neufeld, R-Ingalls.

Negotiators still need to work out how much funding the new unit gets. The House wants to include $350,000 for the remainder of the current budget year and the next year. The Senate version includes $122,000 for the next budget year.

“It’s the best first step we could have today,” said Michael Donnelly, director of policy and outreach for the Disabilities Rights Center of Kansas, which worked with the attorney general on the issue.

Attorney general spokesman Whitney Watson said how soon the unit could be in operation depends largely on funding.

In the Newton case, Arlan Kaufman was found guilty of 31 charges and his wife, Linda, of 30 charges, including health care fraud, Medicare fraud, forced labor and holding clients in involuntary servitude. Arlan Kaufman was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and his wife was sentenced to seven years.

Federal prosecutors said the group home had nude therapy sessions and forced residents to perform sex acts with each other while being videotaped.