SENATOR STEPHEN WEST LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – Week 5

The fifth week of the 2022 legislative session concluded with inclement weather moving into the commonwealth on Thursday and Friday. It is my hope that you and your loved ones were not adversely impacted and remained safe and warm.

The Senate has officially begun the thorough process of reviewing the Governor’s and State House of Representatives’ budget proposals. I will keep you informed in the weeks ahead on significant budget developments from the Senate. Know that we are combing through both documents to develop one that is both fiscally sound and takes care of Kentucky residents across the Commonwealth.

Legislative measures passing in the Senate this past week include:

Senate Bill (SB) 8 is one of the most consequential bills passed during the 2022 Regular Session. It was initially filed during Child Advocacy Week, was discussed in committee and then made its way to the Senate floor this past week.

Unfortunately, Kentucky has led the nation three years in a row in rates of child abuse and neglect, and passage of SB 8 in the Senate comes after the Kentucky Center for Investigative Journalism shone light on the backlog of cases regarding suspicious child deaths.

This bill expands the opportunity for family preservation services to keep children safe and families united and provides additional resources and support for Kentucky’s child advocacy centers. It expands the scope and membership of the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Board to include all forms of child abuse and neglect. One of the most important facets of the bill is that it specifically distinguishes the difference between poverty and neglect. Lastly, it updates the Foster Youth Bill of Rights by enabling those aging out of foster care to maintain access to resources while transitioning into adult life.

SB 23 updates Kentucky’s mail theft statute, which currently only covers mail packages delivered by the United States Postal Service. If enacted, the bill will put packages delivered by common carriers such as UPS and FedEx under that same legal umbrella, making ‘porch pirates’ susceptible to felony criminal charges. SB 23 was Senator Yates’s first sponsored bill to successfully pass, and as a show of bipartisan camaraderie, both Republicans and Democrats alike subjected his bill to a “hazing” ritual, in which the chamber voted “no” on the bill and then switched their votes to “yea.”

SB 33 continues Kentucky’s efforts to address workforce needs by allowing people convicted of misdemeanors and who have paid their debt to society, to re-enter the job market. The primary focus of the bill is to clarify when a misdemeanor offense may qualify for expungement. Existing law does not allow for expungement of a crime that qualifies for additional penalties indefinitely. Currently, a person convicted of a misdemeanor violation, or a series of convictions arising from a single incident, can petition the court for expungement of their record. Sex crimes, child-related offenses and violent crimes do not qualify for expungement.

SB 61 was a cleanup bill that enjoyed unanimous support. It modernizes statutory requirements for early high school graduation by eliminating the requirement for benchmarks on end-of-course exams and references to scoring benchmarks on the ACT. It also updates early high school graduation requirements and future revisions to be established through administrative regulations made by the Kentucky Board of Education.

SB 66, also known as ‘Nathan’s Law,’ takes the necessary step to give greater consideration to the grieving process of families by implementing requirements on how the news of a loved one’s death must be delivered. It requires coroners and deputy coroners, within three years of assuming office, to complete a minimum four-hour course that includes instruction of the grieving process and best practices for providing death notice to a spouse or next of kin. The bill also stipulates that news of the death must be delivered verbally and respectfully and requires a follow up with the family member within 48 hours. Additionally, the bill would require emergency responders to be on standby.

SB 60 maximizes education funds and services for as many at-risk four year olds as possible by making the commissioner of education a mediator between school district superintendents and local Head Start directors to determine when a local Head Start program has maximized the number of children it can serve. This important determination is needed so that local school districts can certify the need for a preschool program; the preschool program is then eligible for additional grant funding, ultimately serving more children.

SB 94 expands the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarships to Kentucky students with special needs. It provides greater opportunity to capable Kentuckians and also addresses workforce needs.

All of these bills are now under House consideration and we are hopeful they pass them quickly so that residents may reap the benefits of these important pieces of legislation.

Our session remains focused on children, education, and our changing workforce to improve the lives of Kentucky residents no matter where you live.