Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB188: AN ACT relating to public safety.
Status: Signed into law, April 3, 2026
Amend KRS 508.025 to expand assault in the third degree to include causing or attempting to cause physical injury to a healthcare provider in a jail, penitentiary, or local or state correctional or detention facility; amend KRS 65.1591 to add jailers, deputy jailers, and correctional officers employed by a local detention center, local correctional facility, or regional jail to the list of public safety employees eligible to participate in a peer support counseling program.
What the bill says
An act relating to public safety.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to public safety. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Section 1. KRS 508.025 is amended to read as follows: (1) A person is guilty of assault in the third degree when the actor: (a) Recklessly, with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or intentionally causes or attempts to cause physical injury 2. An employee of a detention facility, or state residential treatment facility or state staff secure facility for residential treatment which provides for the care, treatment, or detention of a juvenile charged with or adjudicated delinquent because of a public offense or as a youthful offender; 3. A healthcare provider as defined in KRS 311.821 or other person employed by or under contract with a health clinic, doctor's office, dental office, long-term care facility, hospital, or a hospital-owned or affiliate outpatient facility, if the event occurs in or on the premises of a jail, penitentiary, local or state correctional or detention facility, including a facility which provides for the care, treatment, or detention of a juvenile charged with or adjudicated delinquent because of a public offense or as a youthful offender, health clinic, doctor's office, dental office, long-term care facility, hospital, or a hospitalowned or affiliate outpatient facility; 4. An employee of the Department for Community Based Services employed as …
Sponsors
- Kevin Jackson (R, HD-020) · primary sponsor
- Robert Duvall (R, HD-017)
- Daniel Elliott (R, HD-054)
- David Hale (R, HD-074)
- John Hodgson (R, HD-036)
- Scott Lewis (R, HD-014)
- Shawn McPherson (R, HD-022)
- Michael Meredith (R, HD-019)
- Kimberly Moser (R, HD-064)
- Steve Riley (R, HD-023)
- Wade Williams (R, HD-004)
Latest actions
- : signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 28)
- : delivered to Governor
- : enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- : enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- : received in House
- : 3rd reading, passed 38-0
- : posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 25 2026
- : 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill
- : reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar
- : to Judiciary (S)
Votes
- Senate: Floor Vote RSN# 3995 (March 25, 2026): 38 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House: Pass RCS# 57 (February 5, 2026): 97 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Crimes And Punishments, Crime Victims, Corrections And Correctional Facilities, State, Health And Medical Services, Local Mandate, Corrections Impact, Counties, Local Government
Common questions
- What is HB188?
- HB188 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to public safety.
- What does HB188 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to public safety.
- What is the status of HB188?
- Signed into law as of April 3, 2026. Latest action: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 28) (April 3, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB188?
- Kevin Jackson (R, HD-020), with 10 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB188?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb188.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.