Rep. Samara Heavrin

Maddy summaryHB 509 amends Kentucky law (KRS 199.430) to replace gendered language like "his or her" with gender-neutral terms in administrative procedures for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This change affects all interactions with the Cabinet, including staff, witnesses, and individuals receiving services, by updating how the law describes roles and responsibilities. The bill specifically revises sections governing depositions, subpoenas, witness testimony, and record handling to use inclusive language. It does not alter substantive policies or service requirements, only the wording of existing procedural rules. The change applies to all documents, communications, and actions under the Cabinet's authority.

Maddy summaryHB 523 updates Kentucky's statute (KRS 200.470) governing healthcare funding for children with special needs by replacing gendered language like "his or her" with gender-neutral terms. This change affects how the law refers to parents or legal guardians when determining eligibility for state-funded care and cost-sharing responsibilities. The bill does not alter the existing policy requiring families who can pay to cover treatment costs or the process for referrals. It is a procedural language amendment to make the statute inclusive, with no changes to funding rules or eligibility criteria. The bill remains in committee review after its January 2026 introduction.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense in Kentucky for the malicious distribution of images without consent, making it a Class B misdemeanor. It applies to individuals who intentionally share images online with the intent to sexually arouse others, degrade or exploit the person depicted, or invite comments involving sexual or abusive fantasies. The law specifically excludes internet service providers and telecommunications companies from liability when they host content provided by others. Importantly, a conviction under this new law would not require the offender to register as a sex offender. Consent to create an image does not automatically mean consent to distribute it, and the distribution must cause harm to a reasonable person to be considered a crime.

Create a new section of KRS 258.095 to 258.500 to require animal control officers to receive training on recognizing child abuse; provide that the Act may be cited as Kyan's Law.

Amend KRS 441.005 to define "restricted custody center" and make technical changes; create new sections of KRS Chapter 441 to require the Department of Corrections to promulgate administrative regulations providing the minimum standards for holdover facilities; require the Department of Corrections to contract with a fiscal court of a county or local or regional correctional authority to provide correctional services to state prisoners; allow prisoners being held for a nonviolent or nonsexual misdemeanor conviction to be housed in a restricted custody center; require jailers to get permission from the Department of Corrections before transferring a Class C or Class D felon to another jail unless required by statute or an emergency exists; establish the regional jail authority construction fund, and establish requirements for the Department of Corrections to submit a list of regional jail construction projects to the Legislative Research Commission; establish the regional jail conversion fund and establish requirements for receiving grant funds; amend KRS 431.215 to require the Commonwealth to pay a county a fee per day based on the county's actual costs to house prisoners for the time the prisoner was held before a conviction if the sentence the prisoner receives in whole or in part includes the amount of time served prior to judgment; amend KRS 441.025 to allow counties to contract with the Department of Corrections to house state prisoners and operate holdover facilities; amend KRS 441.045 to require the Commonwealth to pay counties for the costs of providing health services to prisoners the county is responsible for; amend KRS 441.420 to require the Department of Corrections to pay for architectural plans and engineering services associated with any tentatively approved construction of a local correctional facility; amend KRS 441.430 to allow a regional jail authority to receive tentative approval for new regional jail construction; amend KRS 441.520 to specify the rate that a jail that receives a transferred inmate can charge the originating jail; amend KRS 441.810 to require that the jailer of each county within a regional jail authority be a member of the board; amend various sections to conform.

Maddy summaryHB 524 amends Kentucky law (KRS 610.050) to replace gendered language like "himself, herself" with gender-neutral terms such as "himself, herself, or their" in court orders regarding temporary child custody. This change directly affects court proceedings involving child welfare, dependency, neglect, or abuse cases where custody orders are issued. The bill only updates the statutory language to be inclusive - it does not alter legal procedures, eligibility, or outcomes for children or families. The amendment ensures court documents use neutral language without changing any substantive requirements for custody decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 507 updates Kentucky's adoption statute (KRS 199.575) to replace gendered terms like "his or her" with gender-neutral language. This change affects the process for adopted individuals or preadoptive siblings seeking reunion information through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The bill modifies existing procedures - allowing 18+ individuals to request information about siblings they were raised with before adoption - but does not alter the substantive steps or requirements. The change solely ensures the statutory language is inclusive, without modifying how the adoption information system operates.

Direct the Transportation Cabinet to designate 2 bridges on Kentucky Route 920 in Grayson County as the Elmer Carmon Milliner Memorial Bridge and the PFC Clarence Ozbert Milliner Memorial Bridge.

Amend KRS 341.370 to prohibit disqualification from benefits for workers unemployed as a result of domestic violence and abuse, dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; create a new section of KRS Chapter 341 to direct the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 341.125 to require the secretary to provide training to personnel who process claims related to domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking and to report to the Legislative Research Commission annually the number of claims paid involving domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; amend KRS 341.360 to conform; amend KRS 341.530 to charge benefits to pooled account for workers displaced from employment through domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; amend KRS 341.550 to prevent benefit payments from pooled account from impacting an employer's experience rating.

Amend KRS 532.025 to include abuse of a corpse of the victim of kidnapping or murder by engaging in deviate sexual intercourse, sexual intercourse, or sexual contact as an aggravating circumstance; provide that the Act may be cited as Angela's Law.