Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB778: AN ACT relating to child welfare.
Status: Signed into law, April 10, 2026
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
What the bill says
An act relating to child welfare.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT relating to child welfare. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Section 1. KRS 199.462 is amended to read as follows: (1) Before an applicant is approved to provide foster care or relative caregiver services to a child, to be considered a fictive kin placement for a child, or[ approved] to receive a child for adoption, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall: (a) Require a criminal background investigation of the applicant and any of the applicant's adult household members by means of a fingerprint check by the Department of Kentucky State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; or (b) Request from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet records of all conviction information for the applicant and any of the applicant's adult household members. The Justice and Public Safety Cabinet shall furnish the information to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and shall also send a copy of the information to the applicant. (2) The request for records shall be in a manner approved by the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, and the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet may charge a fee to be paid by the applicant for the actual cost of processing the request. (3) The Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall not disapprove of any placement …
Sponsors
- Nick Wilson (R, HD-082) · primary sponsor
- Samara Heavrin (R, HD-018)
- Daniel Grossberg (D, HD-030)
- Sarah Stalker (D, HD-034)
Latest actions
- : signed by Governor (Acts Ch.68)
- : delivered to Governor
- : enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- : enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- : passed 88-0
- : House concurred in Committee Substitute (1)
- : posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
- : to Rules (H)
- : received in House
- : 3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
Votes
- Senate: Floor Vote (SCS 1) RSN# 4066 (March 31, 2026): 38 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House: Final Passage RCS# 393 (March 31, 2026): 88 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House: Pass RCS# 284 (March 18, 2026): 94 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: State Agencies, Education, Elementary And Secondary, Courts, Family, Courts, District, Local Mandate, Corrections Impact
Common questions
- What is HB778?
- HB778 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to child welfare.
- What does HB778 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to child welfare.
- What is the status of HB778?
- Signed into law as of April 10, 2026. Latest action: signed by Governor (Acts Ch.68) (April 10, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB778?
- Nick Wilson (R, HD-082), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB778?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb778.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.