Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB592: AN ACT relating to status offenses.
Status: In committee, February 13, 2026
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 610 to establish a pilot program to be known as the Supporting Opportunities for Accountability and Restoration Program for children who are truant; require the pilot program to be established in no less than 10 public school districts; establish the responsive interventions to support and empower teams; establish criteria for participation and procedure for the program; create a new section of KRS Chapter 159 to establish the duties of the director of pupil personnel in school districts that are participating in the pilot program; amend KRS 159.140 to conform; create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to require schools to collect certain data relating to habitual truancy and require the Kentucky Department of Education to annually report data relating to habitual truancy to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Education and the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary; amend KRS 610.030 to require the use of an evidence-based family screening tool to identify family strengths, needs, and risks; create family diversion plans and require a child's parent to participate; amend KRS 605.030 to require a court-designated worker to coordinate the pilot program in the school districts that participate; amend KRS 17.125 to allow responsive interventions to support and empower teams to access information on juveniles involved with the juvenile justice system; amend KRS 600.020 to amend the definition of "habitual truant" and define "Supporting Opportunities for Accountability and Restoration Program" or "SOAR Program" and "Responsive Interventions to Support and Empower Teams" or "RISE teams"; create a new section of KRS Chapter 630 to provide that a child who is alleged to be a status offender, adjudicated a status offender, or is a status offender alleged or found to have violated a valid court order shall not be detained in a secure detention facility until the child is at least 16 years old; amen
What the bill says
An act relating to status offenses.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to status offenses. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 610 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: (1) A pilot program shall be established in no less than ten (10) public school districts selected by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to participate in a Supporting Opportunities for Accountability and Restoration Program, also known as the SOAR Program. The SOAR Program shall include at least one (1) school from each participating school district and shall begin August 1, 2026, and continue for four (4) years unless extended or limited by the General Assembly. (2) The Administrative Office of the Courts shall create and maintain a SOAR Program in each selected school to: (a) Identify and address barriers to school attendance among students in grades six (6) through twelve (12); and (b) Address barriers to successful completion of status offense diversions if a referral has been made to the RISE team as provided in subsection (6)(b) or (c) of this section. (3) All students in grades (6) through twelve (12) of a school participating in the SOAR Program who have been absent without excuse for more than five (5) days during a school term, along with a parent, guardian, or other person exercising custodial …
Sponsors
- Jason Nemes (R, HD-033) · primary sponsor
- Jim Gooch (R, HD-012)
Latest actions
- : to Judiciary (H)
- : to Committee on Committees (H)
- : introduced in House
Subjects: Criminal Procedure, Education, Elementary And Secondary, Reports Mandated, Courts, Children And Minors, Local Mandate
Common questions
- What is HB592?
- HB592 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to status offenses.
- What does HB592 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to status offenses.
- What is the status of HB592?
- In committee as of February 13, 2026. Latest action: to Judiciary (H) (February 13, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB592?
- Jason Nemes (R, HD-033), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB592?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb592.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.