Statement on Passage of HB 275 by the Senate Education Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY –Child safety is an adult responsibility – the responsibility of parents, of educators, of our lawmakers. And today, our lawmakers in the Senate Education Committee exemplified that with the advancement of House Bill 275, championed by Representative James Tipton. HB 275 mandates that public schools, charter schools, and certified nonpublic schools cannot enter into nondisclosure agreements regarding misconduct involving minors or students. It also introduces the definition of abusive conduct and requires rigorous background and reference checks for school district applicants, requires investigation [...]
Statement on KY Senate 2024 State Budget Proposal
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With passage of the biennial state budget proposal by both the Kentucky House and Senate, House Bill 6 as amended will now head into conference committee for negotiations on a final proposal to send to the Governor’s desk. As is often said about budgets – they are more than dollars and cents, they are a value proposition. And there’s no question that our General Assembly put state dollars where their heart is when it comes to supporting kinship caregivers, boosting investments in [...]
Statement on Passage of HB 561 by the Senate Families & Children Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Representative Samara Heavrin continues to champion strengthening Kentucky’s child care infrastructure alongside Senator Danny Carroll – and that was evident today with the unanimous passage of House Bill 561 by the Senate Families & Children Committee. HB 561 permanently establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership (ECCAP) and creates the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program – two critically important components to improving families’ access to quality, affordable child care in their communities and to recruiting and retaining a child care workforce [...]
Statement on Passage of HB 11 by the Kentucky House
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kids won today in the Kentucky House when members supported passage of House Bill 11, sponsored by Representative Rebecca Raymer. As youth vaping continues to be a concern among Kentucky families and communities, this bill takes important steps to reduce youth access and limit initiation of addictive nicotine products. Provisions of this bill will provide a more complete understanding of the retail landscape by creating a database of tobacco and nicotine product retailers, which is a critical first step to ensure that [...]
Statement on Passage of HB 377 by the Kentucky House
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Recruit, retain, quality, qualified. These foci of a strong workforce – especially among our K-12 educator workforce – means a stronger Commonwealth for our kids. We know that the greatest impact on learning for students is having a well-trained educator in the classroom. With Kentucky’s shortage of teachers, it is time to invest in the recruitment and retention of the quality and qualified members of Kentucky’s teaching profession. Today, the Kentucky House took the next step in supporting the future of the [...]
Statement on Passage of HB 11 by the House Health Services Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Mallory Jones testifying on HB 11 in Frankfort LOUISVILLE, KY – “It is an adult responsibility to protect kids from the harmful effects of nicotine and keep harmful vaping products out of the hands of me and my peers. I live in a smaller town, and I am aware of multiple different places where my peers can purchase these products even though they are below the age of 21. Addressing the source is critical to reducing youth access and initiation of nicotine products, [...]
Statement on Passage of HB 199 by the House LO&AR Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Maternal health is critical to babies’ birth outcomes and how new mothers fare, and it relies on access to prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care. We appreciate Representative Jason Nemes and the House Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulation Committee for recognizing the need to address gaps in the Commonwealth for equitable access to care with today’s passage of House Bill 199. Freestanding birth centers are health care facilities designed for childbirth, using a midwifery and wellness model. HB 199 would remove barriers to [...]
Statement on Passage of SB 2 by the Senate Education Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The safety of students as they grow into thriving adults has been an increased concern of the General Assembly for several sessions. It is clear that safety must be defined as far more than simply school discipline or a secured facility. We have to make a commitment to building resilience through proven support systems in behavioral and mental health – that is an essential commitment to kids for their overall well-being and their academic achievement. This afternoon, the Senate Education Committee took a significant [...]
Statement on Passage of SB 151 by the House Families & Children Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kinship families – such a growing and important piece of Kentucky's fabric – won today as the House Families and Children Committee advanced Senate Bill 151 under the leadership of Senator Julie Raque Adams. With changes adopted by the committee today, the legislation will grant kinship and fictive kin caregivers 120 days – or upon a qualifying event – to decide to be a child-specific foster home, which would impact the level of services and supports their family qualifies for. This flexibility accounts for the [...]
Statement on Passage of HB 561 by the Kentucky House
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – A strong child care infrastructure will support a strong local workforce and economy. Representative Samara Heavrin’s House Bill 561, passed today by the Kentucky House, supports that notion by permanently establishing the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership (ECCAP) and creating the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program. As supported by the business community and child advocates alike, the ECCAP program extends businesses the opportunity to offer child care benefits to their employees in an innovative yet meaningful way. It’s a workforce recruitment [...]