Kentucky’s General Assembly was busy on Tuesday, one of the final days of the 2026 legislative session, passing a flurry of high-profile bills that affect everything from protecting children to a citizen’s privacy.
Lawmakers in the state House gave final approval to House Bills 4, 7, and 58.
House Bill 4 criminalizes grooming, a behavior where an adult psychologically manipulates a minor over time to push them to engage in sexual activity. The measure outlines penalties for those convicted of the crime, with some of the criteria qualifying as a felony.
House Bill 7 would allow school districts to use cameras on school buses to impose civil penalties on drivers who are caught driving past a deployed stop arm.
House Bill 58 aims to regulate automated license plate readers and the data they capture.
Commonly known as Flock safety cameras, police agencies in Louisville and across the country have praised the technology for its assistance in investigations.
But some privacy advocates have raised concerns over the cameras’ tracking ability and how the information can be shared with authorities across state lines for a prolonged period of time.
The bill would cap the number of days data could be saved and stored to 90, unless the information is actively being used by authorities in an investigation.
All of these bills are headed to Democratic Governor Andy Beshear’s desk for his signature. He has the option to either sign a bill into law, let it become law without his signature, or veto it.
The Republican-led Kentucky legislature would have the option to override vetoes of any of these bills.
Source: WHAS11
You must be logged in to post a comment.