Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB914: AN ACT relating to the protection of children.
Status: In committee, March 11, 2026
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 620 to require social service workers to wear body-worn cameras when interacting with children during investigations; require recordings to be stored for at least 5 years and be made available to parents or guardians, their counsel, and the court; establish a civil cause of action against employees of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services who knowingly submit a false statement, withhold exculpatory evidence, or violate a person's constitutional rights; waive qualified immunity; create a new section of KRS Chapter 605 to require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to submit an annual report to the Legislative Research Commission on the number of children removed from their homes and the average caseload of social service workers; create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to establish the family preservation fund; amend KRS 600.010 to provide that KRS Chapters 600 to 645 shall be interpreted consistently with federal law and that statutes in conflict with federal law are void to the extent of the conflict; require courts to apply strict scrutiny when reviewing state action that interferes with the fundamental rights of a parent relating to the parent-child relationship; amend KRS 610.070 to require audio and video recording of dependency, neglect, and abuse hearings; amend KRS 620.060 and KRS 620.080 to require clear and convincing evidence of neglect or abuse before removing a child from the home; amend KRS 620.090 to require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide a written explanation to the court in cases where placement is not made with relatives or fictive kin; amend KRS 620.155 to require appeals of removal orders to be heard within 24 hours of the order; amend KRS 625.090 to prohibit termination of parental rights if the Cabinet for Health and Family Services has not made reasonable efforts to reunite the child with the parents, unless reasonable efforts are not required under KRS 610.127; provide tha
What the bill says
An act relating to the protection of children.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to the protection of children. WHEREAS, the care, custody, and control of one's children is a fundamental liberty interest protected under the United States Constitution and affirmed in decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States; and WHEREAS, child protection systems must prioritize child safety while preserving families whenever possible; and WHEREAS, transparency, accountability, and constitutional compliance are essential to public trust; and WHEREAS, kinship placements preserve family bonds and reduce trauma; and WHEREAS, federal law, including the Adoption and Safe Families Act, requires reasonable efforts toward reunification when safe and appropriate; and WHEREAS, the purpose of this Act is to protect children while safeguarding parental rights, prevent unnecessary removals, promote kinship care, ensure reunification whenever safely possible, and hold government actors accountable for constitutional violations; NOW, THEREFORE, Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 620 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: (1) A social service worker shall wear a department-issued body-worn camera during an investigation pursuant to KRS 620.050 when the social service (b) Interviews a child outside a school setting; and (c) Removes a child from the home pursuant to a court order. (2) Recordings shall be preserved for at least five (5) years and, notwithstanding KRS 620.050(5), be made available …
Sponsors
- Josh Calloway (R, HD-010) · primary sponsor
- Candy Massaroni (R, HD-050)
Latest actions
- : to Families & Children (H)
- : to Committee on Committees (H)
- : introduced in House
Subjects: Short Titles And Popular Names, Funds, Reports Mandated, Courts, Children And Minors, Parental Rights, Courts, Family, Courts, Circuit
Common questions
- What is HB914?
- HB914 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to the protection of children.
- What does HB914 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to the protection of children.
- What is the status of HB914?
- In committee as of March 11, 2026. Latest action: to Families & Children (H) (March 11, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB914?
- Josh Calloway (R, HD-010), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB914?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb914.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.