Blueprint Legislative Priority

Strengthen Points of the Child Welfare System

Senate Bill 8 would establish new membership of the State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, expand the definition of fictive kin, expand Medicaid reimbursement eligibility for professionals who provide services at Children’s Advocacy Centers, and more.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet. Learn more about SB 8 in this video.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Strengthen Efforts Following A Child Fatality or Near Fatality

Senate Bill 97 would require coroners to immediately notify law enforcement, the Department for Community Based Services, and local health department upon the death of a child and strengthen the process when a child fatality or near fatality occurs, including expanding the External Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet. Learn more about SB 97 in this video.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Promote School-based Mental Health Supports

Senate Bill 102 would require schools to provide a yearly census of the school-based mental health providers to determine if the ratios of providers to students is meeting the mark.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Protect the Mental Health and Wellbeing of LGBTQ Youth

Senate Bill 137 would prohibit mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts with a minor.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Promote a Safer, More Nurturing Learning Environment

Senate Bill 139 would eliminate the use of corporal punishment in schools.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Allow Students to Start the Day with a Healthy Meal

Senate Bill 151 would permit the administrator of a school that participates in the Federal School Breakfast Program to authorize up to 15 minutes of the student attendance day to provide the opportunity for children to eat breakfast during instructional time.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet. Learn more about SB 151 in this blog post.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Expand Local Control to Curb Tobacco Use Among Youth and Improve Health

Senate Bill 166 would would allow city and county governments the option to regulate the use, display, sale, and distribution of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet. Learn more about Nix the Next, a campaign to prevent a new generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Hold Parents Accountable in Ways That Minimize the Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children

Senate Bill 296 would utilize community-based sentencing alternatives that promote both rehabilitation and accountability while factoring in whether a person is a primary caregiver so parents can continue providing for their children.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Strengthen Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting

Senate Bill 297 would modify “chain of command” child maltreatment reporting procedures and require immediate cross-agency reporting to ensure the report of child abuse or neglect is properly communicated to the appropriate external agencies.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Enact a Two-Year State Budget

House Bill 1 would enact a two-year state budget that, among other things, will impact child health coverage, education, and safety.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children budget priority checklist.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Protect the Mental Health and Wellbeing of LGBTQ Youth

House Bill 12 would prohibit mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts with a minor.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Support Full-day Kindergarten

House Bill 66 would allow for full-day kindergarten programs as an investment in early education outcomes of Kentucky kids.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Promote the Wellbeing and Financial Stability of Survivors of Domestic Violence

House Bill 83 would ensure unemployment insurance is available for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking so they can support themselves and their children.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet. Learn more about HB 83 in this blog post.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Promote a Safer, More Nurturing Learning Environment

House Bill 119 would eliminate the use of corporal punishment in schools.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Prioritize the Health and Wellbeing of Mothers Postpartum

House Bill 174 would extend Medicaid eligibility for certain new mothers for up to 12 months postpartum so they can have continuous, uninterrupted access to health care.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet. Learn more about HB 174 in this video.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Allow Students to Start the Day with a Healthy Meal

House Bill 435 would permit the administrator of a school that participates in the Federal School Breakfast Program to authorize up to 15 minutes of the student attendance day to provide the opportunity for children to eat breakfast during instructional time.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Improve Child Care Assistance

House Bill 499 would establish the Employee Child-Care Assistance Partnership program, as well as reporting requirements and a fund to be administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet. Learn more about HB 499 in this guest blog post and video.

Blueprint Legislative Priority

Keep Young Kids Out of Court

House Bill 571 would require a court-designated worker to refer children 12 years of age and younger to the Family Accountability, Intervention, and Response (FAIR) teams to be connected with services, instead of sending these young children through the juvenile justice system.

Review the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priority fact sheet.

Summary

SB 9 would specify the Department of Education’s role in assisting local school districts with regard to reading instruction, supports, and interventions; require a local board of education to adopt and implement a reading universal screener and reading diagnostic assessment; permit a local school district to adopt a common comprehensive reading program for K-3; and more related to improving students’ literacy outcomes.

Summary

SB 36 would require the Legislative Research Commission to identify any bill, amendment, or committee sub that may result in a health disparity impact, require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to carry out a health disparity review, if necessary, and require other state agencies to provide requested information for review.

Summary

SB 79 would require local boards of education to develop policy on dyslexia and require postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs to include instruction on dyslexia by the 2023-2024 school year, rather than the instruction being contingent on funding availability.

Summary

SB 87 would require the Department for Medicaid Services to adopt a minimum fee schedule for covered dental services and require that managed care organizations reimburse eligible dental service providers in an amount at least equal to the fee-for-service rate for the same covered service

Summary

SB 90 would establish a pilot program that creates an alternative to incarceration for those with a behavioral health disorder to receive treatment.

Summary

SB 92 would require greater minority representation on a superintendent screening committee in a school district with a minority student population of 50 percent or greater.

Summary

SB 94 would add eligibility for the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program to students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs.

Summary

SB 95 would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to make information on postpartum depression and a postpartum assessment tool available; require birthing centers and hospitals to provide postpartum information to women, fathers, and family members; require health care providers providing postnatal care to women and pediatric providers to invite women to complete a postpartum assessment tool.

Summary

SB 105 would include cytomegalovirus (CMV) testing as part of the newborn screening program and require the Department for Public Health to provide public educational resources related to CMV.

Summary

SB 153 would remove the statute of limitations for civil actions arising from childhood sexual assault or abuse and provide that every civil action arising from childhood sexual assault or abuse be accompanied by a motion to seal the record.

Summary

SB 197 would establish a nonrefundable, nontransferable individual income tax credit related to stillbirths.

Summary

SB 271 would require the Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center to compile data on domestic violence fatalities, occurrences of dating violence and abuse or domestic violence and abuse, and reports of suspected dating violence and abuse or domestic violence and abuse deaths.

Summary

SB 276 would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to conduct an annual review of all medications, services, and forms of treatment for enrollees with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease that are eligible for coverage under the state’s medical assistance program.

Summary

SB 277 would require each public school that includes any of grades four through 12 to provide free feminine hygiene products to female students and require each local board of education to adopt policies for the distribution of free feminine hygiene products.

Summary

SB 363 would provide definitions of “protective hairstyle” and “race” that include traits historically associated with race and prohibit school disciplinary codes from discriminating on the basis of race.

Summary

SB 375 would allow for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022 but before January 1, 2026 any resident subject to taxation under KRS 141.020 that incurs child care costs for employment related expenses for dependents under age five, to elect to defer up to $2,000 of tax liability for each taxable year not exceeding total child care costs for the taxable year. It would also prevent interest and penalty from accruing on child care advance deferrals and repayments.

Summary

HB 37 would require licensed health facilities under KRS Chapter 216B to provide each patient with written information regarding the patient’s rights and implement an evidence-based implicit bias program for all health providers involved in the perinatal care of patients within those facilities. It would also require the Department for Public Health to track data on maternal death and severe morbidity.

Summary

HB 44 would require a local school district’s attendance policy to include provisions for a student’s mental or behavioral health status.

Summary

HB 55 would require certain health insurance policies to provide coverage for an annual mental health wellness examination of at least 45 minutes provided by a mental health professional.

Summary

HB 59 would prohibit employers from preventing an employee to take family care leave and allow employees access to family care leave for the birth of a child or to take care of a family member.

Summary

HB 78 would allow use of leave time for parents to grieve the loss of a child under the age of one year.

Summary

HB 85 would increase the dual credit tuition rate ceiling amount, expand eligibility for high school freshmen and sophomores, and add career and technical education courses to the Dual Credit Scholarship.

Summary

HB 86 would establish the nonrefundable Kentucky affordable housing credit for taxable years or periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, for a period of five years.

Summary

HB 94 would include naloxone among the medications each school shall have an employee trained to administer or to assist with self-administration.

Summary

HB 98 would require health benefit plans to provide coverage for testing and treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in pregnant women

Summary

HB 120 would expand eligibility for preschool education programs to children who reside in households with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

Summary

HB 126 would require completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form as a high school graduation requirement, and support students in meeting the requirement.

Summary

HB 128 would define a “series of interim assessments” and require the results of an assessment that is part of a series of summative assessments to be reported to the school within one month of the assessment date.

Summary

HB 129 would fund and promote the duties of the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development.

Summary

HB 131 would permit the governing body of a consolidated local government to enact rent control ordinances in a development area.

Summary

HB 147 would define “early career teachers” and establish the Kentucky Early Entry Initiative pilot program.

Summary

HB 152 would update the Uniform Residential and Landlord Tenant Act.

Summary

HB 157 would establish that grandparent visitation rights are not adversely affected by any investigation related to abuse, neglect, dependency of a child, or termination of parental rights of the grandparent’s son or daughter who is the father or mother of the child visited by the grandparent, unless the Circuit Court determines that it is in the best interest of the child to do so.

Summary

HB 173 would require Medicaid to cover behavioral health services for eligible pregnant women for 12 months postpartum.

Summary

HB 183 would require health benefit plans to cover injectable epinephrine devices for persons 18 years of age and under.

Summary

HB 226 would would specify the Department of Education’s role in assisting local school districts with regard to reading instruction, supports, and interventions; require a local board of education to adopt and implement a reading universal screener and reading diagnostic assessment; permit a local school district to adopt a common comprehensive reading program for K-3; and more related to improving students’ literacy outcomes.

Summary

HB 263 would increase penalties if the victim of criminal abuse is under 12 years of age. The bill is known as Kami’s Law.

Summary

HB 270 would require school councils or principals to adopt child abuse awareness and prevention instruction that is taught by a trained, certified teacher. The bill is known as Erin’s Law.

Summary

HB 315 would allocate funds to the Broadband Deployment Fund to improve internet connection of families and businesses.

Summary

HB 373 would establish and fund a 9-8-8 mental health crisis hotline.

Summary

HB 374 would include cytomegalovirus (CMV) testing as part of the newborn screening program and require the Department for Public Health to provide public educational resources related to CMV.

Summary

HB 420 would establish licensure standards for freestanding birthing centers, including requiring specific accreditation, and require freestanding birthing centers in medically underserved areas to meet the standard of need for a certificate of need.

Summary

HB 433 would create the Kentucky Child Mental Health Services Access Program and establish that the community board for mental health or individuals with an intellectual disability shall implement, staff, and operate the Program.

Summary

HB 488 would enhance a second or subsequent violation of an order of protection to a Class D felony.

Summary

HB 492 would establish the Rural Infrastructure Improvement Program, the rural infrastructure improvement fund, and more.

Summary

HB 525 would require Medicaid reimbursement for certain services provided by certified community health workers and require the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program to reimburse certain services provided by certified community health workers.

Summary

HB 535 would expand Medicaid eligibility to include pregnant women of any immigration status.

Summary

HB 615 would prohibit the use of solitary confinement for adults and juveniles, with limited exceptions, and require reporting of data on its use.

Summary

HB 616 would include an opioid reversal agent, if a local board requires it, among the medications each school shall have an employee trained to administer to assist with self-administrations.

Summary

HB 708 would direct the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to establish a basic health program and to develop a benefits cliff calculator. It also directs the Cabinet to establish and operate a Community Jobs Initiative pilot program.