Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky SB208: AN ACT relating to arrest-related deaths.
Status: In committee, February 18, 2026
Amend KRS 72.025 to require a post-mortem examination in deaths that occur during an arrest; create a new section of KRS Chapter 72 to require coroners to notify the Kentucky State Medical Examiner of arrest-related deaths; require publication of an annual public report; amend KRS 72.020 to conform.
What the bill says
An act relating to arrest-related deaths.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to arrest-related deaths. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Section 1. KRS 72.025 is amended to read as follows: Coroners shall require a post-mortem examination to be performed in the following (2) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of suicide; (3) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of the presence of drugs or poisons in the body; (4) When the death of a human being appears to be the result of a motor vehicle accident and the operator of the motor vehicle left the scene of the accident or the body was found in or near a roadway or railroad; (5) When the death of a human being occurs while the person is in a state mental institution or mental hospital when there is no previous medical history to explain the death; (6) When the death of a human being occurs[, or] while the person is in police custody, a jail or penal institution, or is in the process of being arrested or en route to being incarcerated; (7)[(6)] When the death of a human being occurs in a motor vehicle accident and when an external examination of the body does not reveal a lethal traumatic injury; (8)[(7)] When …
Sponsors
- Keturah Herron (D, SD-035) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : to Committee on Committees (S)
- : introduced in Senate
Subjects: Deaths, Corrections And Correctional Facilities, State, Sex discrimination: scope., Peace Officers And Law Enforcement, Sheriffs, Corrections Impact, Jails And Jailers, Public Records And Reports
Common questions
- What is SB208?
- SB208 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to arrest-related deaths.
- What does SB208 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to arrest-related deaths.
- What is the status of SB208?
- In committee as of February 18, 2026. Latest action: to Committee on Committees (S) (February 18, 2026).
- Who sponsored SB208?
- Keturah Herron (D, SD-035).
- Where is the official record for SB208?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/sb208.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.