Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky SB289: AN ACT relating to missing children.
Status: In committee, March 17, 2026
Amend KRS 16.175 to expand the criteria for determining when an Amber alert should be initiated to include when a child's disappearance may not have been voluntary and the physical safety of the child may be endangered and when a child is committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice or in the temporary custody of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, a relative, or a nonrelative placement; provide that the Act may be cited as Wynter's law.
What the bill says
An act relating to missing children.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to missing children. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Section 1. KRS 16.175 is amended to read as follows: (1) The Department of Kentucky State Police, in cooperation with the Transportation Cabinet, the Division of Emergency Management, and media providers[the Kentucky Broadcasters Association, and the Kentucky Press Association], shall operate a system to notify the public when a child has been abducted or identified by law enforcement as missing, and the department determines that public notification might aid in the recovery of the child. The system shall be known as the Kentucky Amber alert system. (2) The system shall utilize existing resources, including but not limited to electronic highway signs, the emergency broadcast system, law enforcement communications systems, and local, regional, and statewide media providers, as authorized and under conditions permitted by the federal government. (3) A[No] public alert using the system shall not be issued unless the department, in consultation with the law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the child was abducted or reported missing[in which the abduction of a minor occurred], has determined: (a) That the: 1. Child[minor] has [actually ]been abducted or that all available evidence strongly indicates that the child[minor] has been abducted; 2. Disappearance of the child may not have been voluntary and the physical …
Sponsors
- Brandon Storm (R, SD-021) · primary sponsor
- Matthew Deneen (R, SD-010)
- Brandon Smith (R, SD-030)
- Lindsey Tichenor (R, SD-006)
Latest actions
- : to Committee on Committees (H)
- : received in House
- : 3rd reading, passed 35-0
- : posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, March 16 2026
- : 2nd reading, to Rules
- : reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
- : to Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (S)
- : to Committee on Committees (S)
- : introduced in Senate
Votes
- Senate: PASS SB 289 RSN# 3938 (March 16, 2026): 35 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Short Titles And Popular Names, Children And Minors, Safety, Public Safety
Common questions
- What is SB289?
- SB289 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to missing children.
- What does SB289 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to missing children.
- What is the status of SB289?
- In committee as of March 17, 2026. Latest action: to Committee on Committees (H) (March 17, 2026).
- Who sponsored SB289?
- Brandon Storm (R, SD-021), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for SB289?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/sb289.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.