HB 778 Kentucky House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT relating to child welfare.

Summary
Amend KRS 199.462 to prohibit an individual from being approved to provide foster care or relative caregiver services to a child, be considered a fictive kin placement for a child, or to receive a child for adoption if the individual or an adult or minor child living in the individual's is on the adult or juvenile sex offender registry; amend KRS 199.801 related to placement requirements for children in the custody of the state; amend KRS 600.020 to update definitions for "diversion agreement," "eligible youth," and "informal adjustment"; amend KRS 610.030 to establish which individuals shall have access to diversion agreements related to juvenile court cases; amend KRS 610.345 to expand the list of individuals that a judge shall notify when a child is adjudicated guilty of an offense which classifies him or her as a youthful offender to include school superintendents, school directors of pupil personnel, and school resource officers; amend KRS 620.050 to expand the list of individuals or entities that can have access to a report of suspected child abuse, neglect, or dependency; remove certain individuals and entities that could have access to files, reports, notes, photographs, records, electronic and other communications, and working papers used or developed by a children's advocacy center related to child welfare investigations; to allow medical professionals to administer comprehensive urine drug screens on children when they suspect abuse or neglect; allow external child fatality and near fatality review panel to access additional data; amend KRS 620.055 to allow the child fatality and near fatality review panel to compel the attendance of members from an investigating agency to discuss cases in closed session; amend KRS 620.140 to expand the ability for a dependent, neglected, or abused youth to request to have his or her commitment extended or reinstated beyond the age of 18 up to the age of 21; create a new section of KRS Chapter 211 to define and establish requirements for "plan of safe care" and "plan of care safety assessment review" related to substance-exposed infants; create a new section of KRS Chapter 625 related to reporting of involuntarty termination of parental rights; amend KRS 508.090 to define "controlled substance" and "abuse or neglect"; amend KRS 508.100 and 508.110 to conform; amend KRS 508.120 to enhance the penalty of abuse in the third degree if the victim is under 13 years old and suffered serious physical injury as a result of ingesting or inhaling a controlled substance; amend KRS 15.440 to require law enforcement agencies to possess a policies and procedures manual related to pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances; amend various sections to require continuing education on pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances for certain professionals.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 27, 2026 Signed Apr 10, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Current/Final · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill updates Kentucky's child welfare laws to strengthen background checks for foster and adoptive applicants, mandate specific safety training for fictive kin caregivers, and refine placement procedures to prioritize educational stability and family-like settings.
Scope change
The scope remains focused on child welfare but expands specific requirements for background investigations and training for fictive kin placements.
REQUIREMENT

Background investigation requirements for applicants and adult household members were clarified to include fingerprint checks by state and federal agencies.

The bill explicitly prohibits denying placements based solely on a prospective caregiver's disability without considering available supportive services.

New mandates require fictive kin caregivers of children under five to complete specific training on preventing pediatric abusive head trauma within five days of placement.

Annual reevaluation procedures for certified homes now explicitly require background checks for all adult household members and registration in the RAP Back system.

Placement procedures were updated to prioritize the best alternative in the child's home county to maintain educational stability and ensure placements are the least restrictive setting.

Floor votes · House Mar 18, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
25
Key actions
10
Committee
9
Amendments
2
Apr 10, 2026
Signed into law
signed by Governor (Acts Ch.68)
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 88-0
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
House concurred in Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Committee
to Rules (H)
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 20, 2026
Committee
to Families & Children (S)
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Committee
to Committee on Committees (S)
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
3rd reading, passed 94-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 17, 2026
Introduced
floor amendment (2) filed to Committee Substitute
lower
Mar 13, 2026
Introduced
floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
lower
Mar 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Committee
to Families & Children (H)
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Committee
to Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Introduced
introduced in House
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.