Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bills 4, 134, 521 and 778 to better protect children across the Commonwealth and to provide more support to survivors of sexual assault and rape.
“We have a sacred duty to protect our fellow Kentuckians – especially our children – and today I am proud to sign legislation that will help us do that,” said Gov. Beshear. “From strengthening Kentucky’s stalking laws and our state’s response to sexual assault to ensuring that grooming is seen as a criminal offense and creating protections for those in foster care, we’re working together to make our commonwealth a safer place for all our people.”
• House Bill 4 establishes the offence of grooming to better protect Kentucky children and hold offenders accountable.
• House Bill 134 formalizes the role of a statewide Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE, coordinator to strengthen the state’s response to sexual assault cases and better support survivors.
• House Bill 521 enhances Kentucky’s stalking laws by broadening the scope covered under the law to include social media and more.
• House Bill 778 increases child welfare protections in foster care, adoption procedures and more to prohibit placements from being made if someone is on the sex offender registry.
On Thursday, Gov. Beshear signed several bills to increase safety across the Commonwealth including:
• House Bill 5, which provides the framework to create Kentucky’s first reentry campus;
• House Bill 7, which increases safety for students on school buses; and
• Senate Bill 102, which supports retired Kentucky State Police.
There are still many bills on the Governor’s desk, so stay tuned for more updates.