Bill > HB778

Introduced Session

Amend KRS 199.462 to prohibit an individual from being approved to provide foster care or relative caregiver services to a child, be considered a fictive kin placement for a child, or to receive a child for adoption if the individual or an adult or minor child living in the individual's is on the adult or juvenile sex offender registry; amend KRS 199.801 related to placement requirements for children in the custody of the state; amend KRS 600.020 to update definitions for "diversion agreement," "eligible youth," and "informal adjustment"; amend KRS 610.030 to establish which individuals shall have access to diversion agreements related to juvenile court cases; amend KRS 610.345 to expand the list of individuals that a judge shall notify when a child is adjudicated guilty of an offense which classifies him or her as a youthful offender to include school superintendents, school directors of pupil personnel, and school resource officers; amend KRS 620.050 to expand the list of individuals or entities that can have access to a report of suspected child abuse, neglect, or dependency; remove certain individuals and entities that could have access to files, reports, notes, photographs, records, electronic and other communications, and working papers used or developed by a children's advocacy center related to child welfare investigations; to allow medical professionals to administer comprehensive urine drug screens on children when they suspect abuse or neglect; allow external child fatality and near fatality review panel to access additional data; amend KRS 620.055 to allow the child fatality and near fatality review panel to compel the attendance of members from an investigating agency to discuss cases in closed session; amend KRS 620.140 to expand the ability for a dependent, neglected, or abused youth to request to have his or her commitment extended or reinstated beyond the age of 18 up to the age of 21; create a new section of KRS Chapter 211 to define and establish requirements for "plan of safe care" and "plan of care safety assessment review" related to substance-exposed infants; create a new section of KRS Chapter 625 related to reporting of involuntarty termination of parental rights; amend KRS 508.090 to define "controlled substance" and "abuse or neglect"; amend KRS 508.100 and 508.110 to conform; amend KRS 508.120 to enhance the penalty of abuse in the third degree if the victim is under 13 years old and suffered serious physical injury as a result of ingesting or inhaling a controlled substance; amend KRS 15.440 to require law enforcement agencies to possess a policies and procedures manual related to pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances; amend various sections to require continuing education on pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances for certain professionals.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Nick Wilson (R)*,  Daniel Grossberg (D),  Samara Heavrin (R),  Sarah Stalker (D), 

signed by Governor (Acts Ch.68) (on 04/10/2026)

Official Document