Bill > HB121

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to Section 25 of the Kentucky Constitution to completely prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude under all circumstances, including removing the previous exception that allowed such practices as punishment for a crime. The proposed amendment would strike language that previously permitted involuntary servitude as a criminal punishment, effectively eliminating any constitutional basis for forcing convicted individuals to perform labor against their will. The bill requires the proposed amendment to be submitted to Kentucky voters for ratification at the next regular election where General Assembly members are being elected, with specific instructions for the Secretary of State to publish the full text of the amendment in a newspaper of general circulation and ensure the amendment appears on ballots in both paper and electronic voting systems. This constitutional change aims to definitively outlaw all forms of slavery and involuntary servitude in Kentucky, reflecting ongoing national efforts to remove vestiges of historical practices that allowed forced labor as a form of criminal punishment.

Government Affairs

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25RS/hb121.html