Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HCR36: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the Child Welfare and Family Court Reform Task Force.
Status: In committee, April 15, 2026
Establish the Child Welfare and Family Court Reform Task Force; establish duties and membership; require the task force to meet monthly during the 2026 Interim of the General Assembly and submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2026.
What the bill says
A concurrent resolution establishing the Child Welfare and Family Court Reform Task Force.
From the committee substitute text:
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the Child Welfare and Family Court Reform Task Force. WHEREAS, Kentucky has nearly double the national rate of child maltreatment at 14.2 per 1,000 children, compared to the national rate of 7.4 per 1,000 children; and WHEREAS, the most recent data indicates that Kentucky recorded a total of 14,484 child victims of maltreatment in a single year; and WHEREAS, the youngest Kentuckians remain the most vulnerable to abuse and neglect, as nearly 30 percent of the total victims of child maltreatment in Kentucky were children under the age of four; and WHEREAS, the total number of children in out of home care in Kentucky is over 8,000, and the total number of children waiting for adoption is 2,792; and WHEREAS, Kentucky children entering foster care still face lengthy wait times before achieving permanency, as nearly 30 percent of the children reunified with their families in 2023 spent more than 12 months in foster care, and over 50 percent of children adopted in 2023 spent at least three years in foster care; and WHEREAS, the average time it takes for a termination of parental rights disposition after the case filing date is 215 days, prolonging the child's time in foster care before the child is eligible for adoption; and WHEREAS, the average cost per day for one …
Sponsors
- Matt Lockett (R, HD-039) · primary sponsor
- David Meade (R, HD-080)
- Emily Callaway (R, HD-037)
- Jennifer Decker (R, HD-058)
- Kimberly Holloway (R, HD-002)
Latest actions
- : recommitted to Appropriations & Revenue (H)
- : 2nd reading, to Rules
- : reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
- : to Families & Children (H)
- : to Committee on Committees (H)
- : introduced in House
Subjects: State Agencies, Domestic Relations, Reports Mandated, General Assembly, Children And Minors, Courts, Family, Legislative Research Commission, Task Forces, Legislative Branch
Common questions
- What is HCR36?
- HCR36 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the Child Welfare and Family Court Reform Task Force.
- What does HCR36 do?
- In its own words: A concurrent resolution establishing the Child Welfare and Family Court Reform Task Force.
- What is the status of HCR36?
- In committee as of April 15, 2026. Latest action: recommitted to Appropriations & Revenue (H) (April 15, 2026).
- Who sponsored HCR36?
- Matt Lockett (R, HD-039), with 4 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HCR36?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hcr36.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.