Rep. Susan Witten

Amend KRS 525.135 to include intentional and wanton harm to a dog or cat; define "restrain" and "serious physical injury or infirmity" and redefine "torture"; provide that torture of a dog or cat is a Class D felony in every instance and that each act may constitute a seperate offense; set forth what does not constitute torture of a dog or cat.

Propose to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky to authorize the General Assembly to provide for the educational costs of elementary and secondary school students outside of the public school system; provide ballot language for submission to voters for ratification or rejection.

Honor the 75th anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel.

Amend KRS 18A.110 to permit the secretary of the Personnel Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations considering relevant work experience or certification in lieu of a bachelor's degree for the purpose of evaluating employee qualifications.

Amend KRS 21A.160 to establish parameters for compulsory dues for members of the bar; define who is a member of the bar for purposes of this Act.

Recognize March 2023 as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Create or repeal and reenacted sections of KRS Chapter 525 to define terms; establish crimes of animal abuse in the first degree and animal abuse in the second degree; authorize law enforcement and animal control officers to seize and hold animals who are victims of cruelty or abuse; allow a seizing agency to seek forfeiture and reimbursement for reasonable costs of caring for seized animals from the owner of the animal in the criminal case; provide that the costs of caring for a seized animal shall apply to any offspring born to that animal while in custody; grant civil immunity to a person who enters a car containing a dog or cat believed in good faith to be in danger of death, subject to certain parameters; amend KRS 525.125 and 525.130 to provide for the seizure of animals from a person charged with cruelty to animals in the first degree and from a person charged with cruelty to animals in the second degree with additional available penalties; amend KRS 525.137 to allow seizure of an animal that has been the object of sexual crimes against an animal.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 405 to establish definitions; provide for parental rights; establish that no governmental entity shall substantially burden the rights of parents unless required by a compelling governmental interest of the highest order and in the least restrictive means; establish specific rights of parents, with some limitations; provide that specific governmental employees shall not encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from a parent; recognize additional rights beyond those enumerated; require local boards of education or boards of directors of public charter schools to adopt specific policies to promote involvement of parents in education; allow the Kentucky Department of Education to provide consultation and model policies that shall not be binding on schools; require a report from the Kentucky Department of Education on the consultation and model policies provided to schools; require obtaining parental consent prior to procuring, soliciting to perform, arranging for the performance of, providing a referral for, or providing medical or mental health services to a child; require verification of identity for remote parental consent; establish limits of the applicability of the requirement; establish a cause of action for violation; establish terms and conditions for the cause of action; waive sovereign, governmental, and qualified immunity; specify applicability; amend KRS 160.715 to provide a procedure for requesting, inspecting, and reviewing specific information held by a school district or public charter school; and amend KRS 214.185 to establish the conditions required for providing medical or mental health services to a minor without consent of the parent or legal guardian; EMERGENCY.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 6 to establish a school fiscal impact statement to evaluate the potential costs that would be incurred by school districts and other parts of the common school system by passing certain legislation; establish the requirements and components of the statement; authorize the director of the Legislative Research Commission to implement policies and procedures necessary to produce the statements; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025.