Criminal Justice

passed · Kentucky · House Jan 29, 2026

HB 320: AN ACT relating to combating human trafficking.

Amend KRS 529.110 to enhance the penalty for promoting human trafficking to a Class B felony unless the victim is a minor, in which case it is a Class A felony.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAmends penalties for human trafficking to Class A/B felonies, strengthening criminal justice response to trafficking crimes.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking

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in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 14, 2026

HB 146: AN ACT relating to qualifications of victim advocates.

Amend KRS 15.760 to allow Commonwealth's attorneys to employ as victim advocates individuals with a bachelor's degree in any field or a high school diploma and 2 years of experience; require victim advocates to enroll in training provided by the Attorney General's Office of Victims Advocacy within 30 days of hire; amend KRS 69.350 to allow county attorneys to employ as victim advocates individuals with a bachelor's degree in any field or a high school diploma and 2 years of experience; require victim advocates to enroll in training provided by the Attorney General's Office of Victims Advocacy within 30 days of hire.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAmends qualifications for victim advocates with training requirements, strengthening victim services within criminal justice system.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 14, 2026

HB 211: AN ACT relating to peace officers.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 15 to define terms; impose a duty on peace officers to intervene to prevent or stop another officer from using physical force that will cause unlawful serious physical injury, death, or deprivation of civil rights; impose a duty to provide or obtain emergency medical assistance; require reporting of intervention; provide administrative and legal protections; amend KRS 15.330 to require the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council to prescribe minimum standards for use of force by officer, an officer's duty to intervene, and reporting of police officer misconduct; amend KRS 413.115 to require that an action for retaliatory personnel actions to be commenced within 3 years.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires peace officers to intervene in excessive force incidents, enhancing accountability and protecting civil rights per bill's duty provisions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 20, 2026

HB 308: AN ACT relating to sex crimes.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 532 to provide that any person who has been convicted of, pled guilty to, or entered an Alford plea to a sex crime in which the victim was under the age of 12 shall undergo medroxyprogesterone acetate treatment; provide that treatment shall begin no later than 1 month before the person is released from custody; provide that treatment shall continue until the person is released from probation, parole, or postincarceration supervision; provide that the person shall be evaluated by a licensed physician prior to treatment to determine if the person is an appropriate candidate for treatment; provide that the Department of Corrections shall administer the treatment; authorize the Department of Corrections to promulgate administrative regulations to implement the requirements.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates chemical castration treatment for sex offenders as punitive condition, restricting defendant rights without rehabilitation focus; aligns with 'restricts defendant rights' indicator.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole

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in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 27, 2026

HB 420: AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to voting rights.

Propose to amend Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky to provide that every citizen of the United States who is at least 18 years old and who has resided in Kentucky for at least 30 days before an election shall be entitled to vote in the precinct of his or her residence; automatically restore the voting rights of persons convicted of certain felonies upon completion of their imprisonment, probation, or parole and automatically restore their civil rights 5 years after completion of their imprisonment, probation, or parole; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestores voting rights for felons post-incarceration, directly advancing criminal justice reform by enhancing reintegration and civil rights for formerly incarcerated individuals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Probation & Parole

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signed · Kentucky · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 4: AN ACT relating to grooming a minor.

­Create a new section of KRS Chapter 510 to establish the offense of grooming a minor; amend KRS 510.010 to define "course of conduct," "grooming behavior," and "sexual conduct"; amend various sections to conform; make technical corrections.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new offense for grooming minors, expanding criminalization within Crimes And Punishments subject, not advancing reform.95% confidence

signed · Kentucky · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 58: AN ACT relating to privacy protection.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 189 to define terms related to automated license plate readers; restrict use of automated license plate readers; establish limitations on use and sale of data captured by automated license plate readers; provide that captured license plate data may be retained longer than 90 days only if it is being used in a criminal or insurance investigation or has become subject to a preservation of evidence notification; require law enforcement agencies to adopt and make public a written policy governing use of automated license plate readers; provide that any recorded images or data captured by an automated license plate reader may be made available to the National Insurance Crime Bureau or its successor organization; require the Transportation Cabinet to establish a permit process for installation of automated license plate readers on highway rights-of-way and to promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 189.990 to establish penalty for violation.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts law enforcement use of ALPRs, enhancing privacy and accountability in criminal justice operations per bill's data limitations and retention rules.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRestricts ALPR data use/retention to protect privacy, aligning with data privacy regulations and consumer protection indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Data Privacy Tags Privacy

passed · Kentucky · House Jan 28, 2026

HB 306: AN ACT relating to criminal trespass.

Amend KRS 511.010 to define terms; amend KRS 511.070 to expand the elements of criminal trespass in the second degree to include knowingly entering or remaining in a workplace while engaging in disruptive or threatening behavior where notice against trespass is given; establish that a second or subsequent criminal trespass in the second degree offense within 3 years is a Class A misdemeanor; amend KRS 511.080 to establish that a second or subsequent criminal trespass in the third degree offense within 3 years is a Class B misdemeanor.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminal trespass penalties to include threatening behavior and upgrades repeat offenses to Class A misdemeanor, increasing criminalization.90% confidence

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in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 29, 2026

HB 464: AN ACT relating to alternative sentences.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 533 to define terms; require the court, upon conviction of the defendant, to consider the defendant's status as a caretaker of a dependent child; provide that a court's determination of a defendant's status as a caretaker of a dependent child shall not be admissible as evidence or be determinative in any subsequent proceeding; provide that the defendant shall have the right to present an alternative sentencing plan and a family impact statement to the court; provide that in issuing an alternative sentence, the court may require the defendant to participate in programs and services that support the parent-child relationship; provide that the court may modify or revoke the alternative sentence and commit the defendant to an institution if the defendant fails to adhere to or complete the conditions of an alternative sentence; amend KRS 610.340 to provide that a court determining whether to impose an alternative sentence for a defendant who is a caretaker of a dependent child has access to court records under KRS Chapter 600 to 645; provide that the Act may be cited as the Family Preservation and Accountability Act.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires courts to consider caretaker status and alternative sentencing plans, promoting individualized justice and reducing incarceration risks within criminal sentencing framework.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Sentencing

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in committee · Kentucky · Senate Jan 7, 2026

SB 36: AN ACT relating to parentage fraud.

SB 36 creates a new crime called "parentage fraud" in Kentucky law, making it a Class B misdemeanor to falsely establish someone as a child's legal biological parent with the intent to steal property or block the child's real parent from their rights, when the person knows or should know the claim is false. It directly affects individuals who commit such fraud, such as those trying to circumvent parental rights or financial obligations. The law explicitly excludes cases involving rape, incest, ongoing adoptions, or when the victim was the defendant's spouse at the time of the offense. Violating this law could result in up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offense (parentage fraud) as Class B misdemeanor, expanding criminalization per indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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