Criminal Justice

Urge Kentucky's congressional delegation to support amending the Gun Control Act of 1968 to remove the firearms restrictions on users of medical cannabis.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 200 to define terms; establish procedures for a child charged with a public offense or subject to a court order to determine if the child is a high acuity youth; establish procedures for securing a treatment plan, and dispute resolution through a review process and the court if the parties cannot agree to a plan; require a 24-hour protocol for health facilities, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the courts to direct care; establish reimbursement rates for inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care of a child by psychiatric hospitals and pediatric teaching hospitals; establish procedures for discharge of the child from inpatient admission under specific circumstances.

HB 718 creates an automatic expungement process for eligible nonviolent felony convictions in Kentucky, effective starting August 1, 2026. It directly affects individuals with nonviolent felony convictions who have completed their sentences, waited five years since release, and had no new convictions in that period. The bill requires courts to automatically erase court and law enforcement records for these cases without requiring the person to apply, with courts processing lists monthly after August 15, 2026. This eliminates the need for individuals to navigate a manual application process for qualifying records.

Create a new section of KRS 17.500 to 17.580, relating to the sex offender registry, to define "costume" and "Halloween-related activity"; prohibit sex offenders who have committed a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor from participating in any Halloween-related activity; establish penalties.

Direct the Legislative Research Commission to establish the Mental Health Alternative Community Response Model Task Force; establish task force membership; require the task force to study and make recommendations to identify programs, initiatives, and opportunities in the Commonwealth for alternative response services for communities related to mental health for Kentuckians and submit a report with recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2026.

Propose to amend Section 25 of the Constitution of Kentucky to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude in all circumstances; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Create a new sections of KRS Chapter 431 to establish an automatic expungement process for specific eligible misdemeanor and felony convictions; allow the Commonwealth's and county attorney to object and halt the automatic expungement of certain offenses; require the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Kentucky State Police to submit a report twice a year to the Legislative Research Commission on the implementation of the automatic expungement process; amend KRS 431.073 to waive fees for an applicant whose conviction qualifies as an eligible conviction; amend KRS 431.074 to require the Administrative Office of the Courts to establish a searchable portal to allow a person to determine if his or her conviction has been expunged; amend KRS 431.078 to waive fees for a petitioner whose conviction qualifies as an eligible conviction; amend KRS 431.079 to provide court clerks and deputy court clerks with immunity from civil liability for acts done in good faith under this act; amend KRS 17.151 to require the Department for Kentucky State Police to provide the Administrative Office of the Courts with data to comply with automatic expungement process; amend KRS 196.093 to require the Department of Corrections to provide the Administrative Office of the Courts with data to comply with automatic expungement process; amend KRS 367.310 to provide that no conviction that has been overruled, vacated, set aside, or expunged shall not be included on any background check or consumer report; establish the Automatic Expungement Task Force; establish duties and membership; require the task force to submit a report with recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission by November 1, 2026; provide that the Act may be cited as the Automatic Expungement Act.

Amend KRS 189A.010 to provide that a person who is convicted of a fourth or subsequent violation of this section shall be prohibited from purchasing alcohol for his or her period of license suspension and for 2 years after; make technical corrections; create a new section of KRS Chapter 189A to require that any ignition interlock license or hardship license issued to a person who has been convicted of a fourth or subsequent offense of driving under the influence contain the language "No Alcohol Sale" and a prominent red stripe; create a new section of KRS Chapter 507 to provide that any person who is convicted of an offense in which a death resulted from the person's operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence shall be prohibited from purchasing alcohol during any period of supervision and for 2 years following any period of supervision; require the defendant to surrender his or her license; require the court to notify the Transportation Cabinet; create a new section of KRS 186.400 to 186.640 to require that any operator's license issued to a person convicted of a fourth or subsequent offense of driving under the influence or of an offense in which a death resulted from the person's operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence contain the language "No Alcohol Sale" and a prominent red stripe; create a new section of KRS Chapter 244 to prohibit the sale or distribution of alcohol to any person who is prohibited from purchasing alcohol issued to a person convicted of a fourth or subsequent offense of driving under the influence or of an offense in which a death resulted from the person's operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence.

Amend KRS 610.030 to provide that a diversion agreement shall require that a child refrain from conduct that constitutes cause for suspension or expulsion from school; provide that for a child against whom a complaint alleging beyond the control of the school has been filed, the diversion agreement shall require that if the child is suspended or expelled during the diversion, the child will immediately be considered to have failed diversion and be referred to the county attorney for formal court action; repeal KRS 635.020 regarding the creation of the family accountability, intervention, and response teams; amend various sections to conform.

Amend KRS 218A.100 to place an abortion-inducing drug in Schedule IV; amend KRS 218A.1413 to include an abortion-inducing drug in the offense of trafficking in a controlled substance in the second degree; amend KRS 218A.1415 to include an abortion-inducing drug in the offense of possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, except when in the possession of a pregnant woman for her own personal use; create a new section of KRS Chapter 218A to establish the offense of importing an abortion-inducing drug amend KRS 216.302 to include providing any drug, medication, or other substance as a means of assisting another person to commit or attempt to commit suicide; increase the penalty from a Class D felony to a Class B felony when the act is done knowingly by force or duress and from a Class C to a Class B felony when a person knowingly or intentionally provides the physical means or participates in a physical act by which another person commits or attempts suicide; create a new section of KRS 216.300 to 216.308 to establish the offense of medically assisted aid in dying as a Class B felony; amend KRS 216.308 to provide for the revocation of a license upon a criminal conviction or plea of guilty of assisted suicide or medically assisted aid in dying; create a new section of KRS Chapter 411 to provide a civil cause of action for any person who sustains damages resulting from receiving an abortion-inducing drug; create a new section of KRS Chapter 216B to require the distribution of specified information to any patient who a physician or other healthcare provider believes is experiencing a complication as a result of taking an abortion-inducing drug; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to make specified information available on its website.