One of our favorite legislators, state Rep. Josie Raymond, included this helpful list of some of the new laws that went into effect on July 1. Some of them are good, some are bad – but all of them are now the law. Thanks to Rep. Raymond for sharing.
Some of the new laws as of 7/1/22
Charter schools: House Bill 9 establishes a funding mechanism for charter schools and mandates two pilot charter schools in Louisville and Northern Kentucky.
Child abuse: House Bill 263 makes criminal abuse against a victim under 12 years of age a Class B felony.
Child fatalities: Under Senate Bill 97, law enforcement are required to get a blood, breath, or urine test from parents and caregivers suspected of being under the influence at the time of a suspicious child death.
Crimes during emergencies: Senate Bill 179 enhances penalties for crimes committed during a disaster declaration.
Criminal justice reform: Senate Bill 90 calls for pilot programs in at least 10 Kentucky counties providing deferred prosecutions, diversion, or dismissal of charges for some low-level offenders based on their participation in drug treatment and vocational services.
Death penalty: House Bill 269 adds serious mental illness to the list of disabilities that disqualify offenders from execution.
Fentanyl: House Bill 215 requires those convicted of trafficking fentanyl, carfentanil, or fentanyl derivatives to serve at least 85% of their criminal sentences.
First responders: Senate Bill 64 aims to protect the confidentiality of first responders who participate in peer support counseling programs.
Imagination Library: Senate Bill 164 provides matching funds for the Imagination Library of Kentucky Program, which provides free books monthly to children from birth to age 5.
Incest: Senate Bill 38 classifies incest as a violent offense and ensures that individuals guilty of incest complete at least 80% of their prison sentence.
Pari-mutuel wagering: House Bill 607 taxes every pari-mutuel wager at a standard 1.5% rate, including advance-deposit wagers and bets on simulcasts.
Peace officer certifications: House Bill 206 prohibits anyone convicted of a misdemeanor sexual offense from serving as a police officer.
Porch pirates: Senate Bill 23 makes it a Class D felony to steal or destroy packages from delivery services such as Amazon or FedEx.
Public assistance: House Bill 7 puts new requirements on public assistance benefits.
Religious services: House Bill 43 calls for houses of worship and religious organizations to stay open during a state of emergency.
School board meetings: House Bill 121 requires a public comment period of at least 15 minutes at local school board meetings.
School breakfasts: Senate Bill 151 calls on schools in the Federal School Breakfast Program to offer students up to 15 minutes to eat breakfast during instructional time.
School resource officers: House Bill 63 calls on local school districts to place a school resource officer in each school by Aug. 1 if they can afford the cost.
Serving alcohol: House Bill 252 permits 18-year-olds to sell and serve alcoholic beverages in restaurants.
Student mental health: House Bill 44 allows school boards to excuse absences due to a student’s mental health.
Swatting: House Bill 48 makes falsely reporting an incident that results in an emergency response – commonly called “swatting” – a Class D felony.
Telecommunicators: House Bill 79 expands the Law Enforcement Professional Development Wellness Program to assist telecommunicators who are coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Transgender athletes: Senate Bill 83 will ban male-to-female transgender students from participating in girls’ sports in middle school.
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