Dozens of new Kentucky laws take effect July 15 impact cannabis, school safety and more

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Dozens of new laws go into effect in Kentucky on Monday, impacting everything from cannabis to school safety.

One new law going into effect on July 15 strengthens the punishment for torturing a dog or cat, which will go from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Another law updates Kentucky's upcoming medical cannabis program to include allowing schools to opt out.

The Safer Kentucky Act cracks down on repeat violent offenders and allows prosecutors to file a manslaughter charge against any who distributes fentanyl that causes a fatal overdose.

Another law addresses disciplinary issues on school buses and requires riders and parents to sign a transportation agreement with the district. A separate school safety bill allows some veterans and former police to serve as armed guards at schools.

The Kentucky legislative session filed more than 1,200 bills, and more than 200 of those bills were successfully enacted into laws focusing on child welfare, juvenile justice, and maternal health.

State Senator Denise Harper Angel's office provided a quick look at some of laws that go into effect.

Budget and Financial Measures:

House Bill 6: Establishes a $128 billion budget plan for the state executive branch, focusing on education, public safety, and economic development.

Public Safety and Crime:

House Bill 5 (Safer Kentucky Act): Addresses repeat violent offenders, includes provisions for manslaughter charges related to fentanyl overdoses, and criminalizes homelessness.
House Bill 278: Increases penalties for child sexual abuse and prevents convicted sex offenders from working in public schools.
Maternal and Infant Health:
Senate Bill 74: Requires health plans to cover pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, including substance use disorder treatment and breastfeeding-related services.

Education:

House Bill 535: Establishes academic standards for civic literacy in high schools.
House Bill 2: Proposes a constitutional amendment to allow financial support for education outside the public school system.
Health and Welfare:
House Bill 115: Eliminates co-pays for follow-up breast cancer diagnostic imaging.
House Bill 52: Requires health plans to cover preventive cancer screenings without deductibles.
Senate Bill 111: Removes insurance coverage limits on speech therapy for stuttering.

Consumer Protection:

House Bill 15: Establishes new privacy protections for digital consumers, allowing them to review and correct collected data.

Social Issues and Civil Rights:

Senate Bill 249: Requires sex offenders convicted of abusing minors to use their legal names on social media platforms.

Additional Noteworthy Bills:

Adoption Records (House Bill 87): Allows inspection of adoption records under certain conditions.
Animal Abuse (House Bill 258): Strengthens penalties against dog and cat torture.
Autonomous Vehicles (House Bill 7): Creates a regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles.
Medicinal Cannabis (House Bill 829): Updates Kentucky's medicinal cannabis program.
Vaping in Schools (House Bill 142): Bans tobacco and vaping products in public schools.
Juvenile Offenders (Senate Bill 20): Allows juveniles to be tried as adults for certain felonies involving firearms.

Health and Welfare:

House Bill 159: Protects health care providers from criminal liability for medical errors resulting from gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Senate Bill 145: Allows health care providers enrolled in Medicaid to conduct employee background checks using state abuse registries.
Crime and Public Safety:
House Bill 207: Creates felony penalties for possessing, trafficking, or promoting the use of child sex dolls, and expands laws against child pornography to include computer-generated images.
Senate Bill 319: Requires the Crime Victims Compensation Board to make applications available online and publish them in multiple languages.

Education:

House Bill 447: Updates regulations to allow school districts to use smaller passenger vehicles for student transportation.
Senate Bill 167: Mandates elementary schools to teach cursive handwriting and ensure proficiency by the end of fifth grade.
House Bill 611: Requires school officials to file a complaint with the county attorney when a student misses 15 days of school without an excuse.
House Concurrent Resolution 81: Establishes the Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force for Jefferson County Public Schools.

Consumer Protection:

House Bill 179: Allows employers to offer paid family leave insurance to employees.
House Bill 695: Establishes an adaptive kindergarten readiness pilot project within the Kentucky Department of Education.
Civil Rights and Social Issues:
Senate Bill 2: Enhances school safety by allowing veterans and former police officers to serve as school guardians.
House Bill 142: Bans all tobacco, alternative nicotine, and vapor products in public schools.
Government and Regulation:
House Bill 622: Requires vacant U.S. Senate seats to be filled through special elections instead of gubernatorial appointments.
House Bill 388: Includes multiple provisions to revamp Louisville Metro Government, including changes to election procedures for the metro council and mayor.

Environment and Infrastructure:

Senate Bill 215: Forbids state agencies from adopting or enforcing California's motor vehicle emission standards.
Senate Bill 198: Establishes the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority to support nuclear energy development.

Economy and Industry:

Senate Bill 127: Supports Kentucky's aerospace and aviation industries through public-private partnerships and workforce development.
House Bill 439: Creates a regulatory and licensing structure for the commercial sale of vintage distilled spirits.

Miscellaneous:

House Bill 357: Prevents the government from creating lists of privately owned firearms or their owners.
House Bill 386: Eases purchase limits on pseudoephedrine for people with chronic allergies.
Senate Bill 45: Establishes an alert system for finding missing people over the age of 17.

To read more about each of these bills, visit the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission website. Click here.

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