Contact:
Mara Powell
mpowell@kyyouth.org

 

 

 

 

LOUISVILLE, KY – The 2021 Kentucky General Assembly is taking important action for kids in its final days. Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee ensured passage of House Bill 472, a measure to support survivors of child sexual abuse.

“The research tells us that only 38 percent of children who have experienced sexual abuse disclose that abuse. House Bill 472 is an important piece of legislation that will help the voices of survivors of child sexual abuse be heard and their perpetrator held accountable, while understanding that there are complex reasons for delayed disclosure in childhood,” said Keith Inman, president of Kosair Charities, which founded and supports the Face It Movement.

HB 472, sponsored by Representative Lynn Bechler, seeks to extend the statute of limitations for misdemeanor sex offenses involving minors from five years after their eighteenth birthday to 10 years after their eighteenth birthday.

“We appreciate Chairman Westerfield prioritizing HB 472 in the final days of the legislative session to ensure that the law accommodates those incidences of delayed abuse disclosures. We now call on the full Kentucky Senate to vote for passage of HB 472 to support survivors of childhood sexual abuse,” said Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Kosair Charities Face It Movement thank Representative Bechler for championing this measure, as well as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Senator Whitney Westerfield, and members for supporting its passage today, including Senators Karen Berg, Danny Carroll, Alice Forgy Kerr, Gerald Neal, Wil Schroder, Robert Stivers, Johnnie Turner, Stephen West, and Phillip Wheeler.

Stay up-to-date on Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priorities and other bills that are good for kids on our Kentucky General Assembly Bill Tracker.

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About Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky Youth Advocates believes all children deserve to be safe, healthy, and secure. As THE independent voice for Kentucky’s children, we work to ensure policymakers create investments and policies that are good for children. Learn more at www.kyyouth.org.

About the Face It® Movement
The Face It® Movement launched in 2013 as an initiative led by Kosair Charities® in response to the number of child abuse deaths in the Commonwealth. Face It focuses on a three-pronged approach to addressing child abuse and neglect: promote best practices in child abuse prevention and intervention, build awareness and engage the community, and advocate for effective policies to improve the child welfare system. Learn more at faceitmovement.org.

About Kosair Charities® 
Kosair Charities enhances the health and well-being of children by delivering financial support for healthcare, research, education, social services, and child advocacy. We envision a world in which children in need live life to the fullest. For more information, please visit kosair.org.