Beech Tree News Network

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 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 in order to keep children safe and families united and provide 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 greater 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 entire chamber voted “no” on the bill and then switched their votes to “yea.” 

SB 32 relates to the Judicial Form Retirement System, the state judicial and legislative retirement system, and follows recommendations from the Public Pension Oversight Board. It changes the method for reducing unfunded liabilities that make the plan more financially sound and includes administrative expenses to manage the program. This bill has no impact on the system’s funding or benefits

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 in the determination of when a local Head Start program has maximized the number of children it can serve. Determination of the full utilization of a local Head Start program is needed for the purposes of a local school district certifying preschool programs and receiving grant funding to support them.

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.

SB 96 adds the Bowling Green police chief to the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council as well as changes the quorum requirements for meetings to convene. Bowling Green is Kentucky’s third largest city and is the only city with a police academy that does not have a seat on the council. Currently, only the urban cities in the golden triangle and smaller cities of central Kentucky are represented. This addition expands the council to more equitably represent the communities in the western half of the commonwealth.

These bills can now be considered by the state House of Representatives.