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Kentucky 2026RS

HB 778

AN ACT relating to child welfare.

Source: Open States / PluralUpdated 2026-11-11 12:11:04 UTC.

Official record

Measure details

Jurisdiction
Kentucky
Session
2026RS
Chamber
lower
Classification
bill
Subjects
Corrections Impact, Courts, District, Courts, Family, Education, Elementary And Secondary, Local Mandate, State Agencies
Introduced / first action
2026-02-27 05:00:00

Source-supplied abstracts

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.

Sponsors

Source-supplied history

Actions

  1. signed by Governor (Acts Ch.68)

    executive-signature
  2. delivered to Governor

  3. enrolled, signed by President of the Senate

    passage
  4. enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House

    passage
  5. passed 88-0

    passage
  6. House concurred in Committee Substitute (1)

  7. posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)

  8. to Rules (H)

    referral-committee
  9. received in House

  10. 3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1)

    passage, reading-3
  11. posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Friday, March 27 2026

  12. 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill

    reading-2
  13. reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)

    committee-passage
  14. to Families & Children (S)

    referral-committee
  15. to Committee on Committees (S)

    referral-committee
  16. received in Senate

  17. 3rd reading, passed 94-0 with Committee Substitute (1)

    passage, reading-3
  18. floor amendment (2) filed to Committee Substitute

    amendment-introduction
  19. posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 17 2026

  20. floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute

    amendment-introduction
  21. 2nd reading, to Rules

    reading-2
  22. reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)

    committee-passage
  23. to Families & Children (H)

    referral-committee
  24. to Committee on Committees (H)

    referral-committee
  25. introduced in House

    introduction

When supplied by the API

Related measures

No resolvable related measure is supplied.