State legislators in Kentucky passed two bills aimed at protecting children in the Commonwealth.
House Bill 4, which passed unanimously through the House and Senate, would make grooming a minor a criminal offense.
Under the bill, grooming would be considered a misdemeanor and a person could face up to one year in jail. The charge increases to a felony if the child is younger than 12.
Additionally, part of House Bill 253 with provisions from House Bill 102 focuses on child abuse prevention.
The bill would put a ban on non-disclosure agreements between schools and school employees. This means if a teacher has past sexual misconduct allegations, their previous school must disclose that information to a new school upon request. Another part of the bill is to protect teachers. If there is no basis to an allegation, it would be removed from that teacher’s permanent record.
The bill would also implement required training for teachers that is focused on preventing sexual misconduct and grooming.
Both bills are now awaiting signature from Governor Andy Beshear.
Source: WDRB
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