UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1187
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AN ACT relating to animal control officers. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS 258.095 TO 258.500 IS CREATED 3
TO READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) The board shall provide comprehensive evidence-informed training courses for 5
animal control officers on child abuse and neglect recognition and reporting that 6
encompass child physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect. 7
(2) The trainings may be provided in person or by utilizing currently available 8
technology and shall cover, at a minimum, the following topics: 9
(a) Recognizing child physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect; 10
(b) Reporting suspected child abuse and neglect in Kentucky as required by 11
Section 2 of this Act and preparing the appropriate documentation; 12
(c) Responding to the child; and 13
(d) Understanding the response of child protective services. 14
(3) The trainings shall include a questionnaire or other basic assessment tool upon 15
completion to document basic knowledge of training components. 16
(4) (a) All current animal control officers shall complete the training by January 17
31, 2026. 18
(b) Animal control officers employed, appointed, or contracted with after 19
January 31, 2026, shall complete the training within one hundred twenty 20
(120) days of being employed, appointed, or contracted. 21
Section 2. KRS 620.030 is amended to read as follows: 22
(1) Any person who knows or has reasonable cause to believe that a child is dependent, 23
neglected, or abused shall immediately cause an oral or written report, including but 24
not limited to electronic submissions, to be made to a local law enforcement agency 25
or to the Department of Kentucky State Police, the cabinet or its designated 26
representative, the Commonwealth's attorney, or the county attorney by telephone 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1187
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or otherwise. If the cabinet receives a report of abuse or neglect allegedly 1
committed by a person other than a parent, guardian, fictive kin, person in a 2
position of authority, person in a position of special trust, or person exercising 3
custodial control or supervision, the cabinet shall refer the matter to the 4
Commonwealth's attorney or the county attorney and the local law enforcement 5
agency or the Department of Kentucky State Police. Nothing in this section shall 6
relieve individuals of their obligations to report. 7
(2) (a) Any person, including but not limited to a physician, osteopathic physician, 8
nurse, teacher, school personnel, social worker, coroner, medical examiner, 9
child-caring personnel, resident, intern, chiropractor, dentist, optometrist, 10
emergency medical technician, paramedic, health professional, mental health 11
professional, peace officer, animal control officer, or any organization or 12
agency for any of the above, who knows or has reasonable cause to believe 13
that a child is dependent, neglected, or abused, regardless of whether the 14
person believed to have caused the dependency, neglect, or abuse is a parent, 15
guardian, fictive kin, person in a position of authority, person in a position of 16
special trust, person exercising custodial control or supervision, or another 17
person, or who has attended such child as a part of his or her professional 18
duties, shall: 19
1. Immediately make an oral or written report, including but not limited to 20
electronic submissions, in accordance with subsection (1) of this section; 21
2. Immediately notify the supervisor of the institution, school, facility, 22
agency, or designated agent of the person in charge; and 23
3. If requested, in addition to the report required in subsection (1) or (3) of 24
this section, file with the local law enforcement agency or the 25
Department of Kentucky State Police, the cabinet or its designated 26
representative, the Commonwealth's attorney, or county attorney within 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1187
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forty-eight (48) hours of the original report a written report, including 1
but not limited to electronic submissions, containing: 2
a. The names and addresses of the child and his or her parents or 3
other persons exercising custodial control or supervision; 4
b. The child's age; 5
c. The nature and extent of the child's alleged dependency, neglect, 6
or abuse, including any previous charges of dependency, neglect, 7
or abuse, to this child or his or her siblings; 8
d. The name and address of the person allegedly responsible for the 9
abuse or neglect; and 10
e. Any other information that the person making the report believes 11
may be helpful in the furtherance of the purpose of this section. 12
(b) Upon notification, the supervisor or the designated agent, if any, shall 13
facilitate the cooperation of the institution, school, facility, or agency with the 14
investigation of the report. 15
(c) Any person who knowingly causes intimidation, retaliation, or obstruction in 16
the investigation of the report shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. 17
(d) This section shall not require more than one (1) report from any institution, 18
school, facility, or agency. 19
(3) Any person who knows or has reasonable cause to believe that a child is a victim of 20
human trafficking as defined in KRS 529.010 shall immediately cause an oral or 21
written report, including but not limited to electronic submissions, to be made to a 22
local law enforcement agency or the Department of Kentucky State Police; or the 23
cabinet or its designated representative; or the Commonwealth's attorney or the 24
county attorney; by telephone or otherwise. This subsection shall apply regardless 25
of whether the person believed to have caused the human trafficking of the child is 26
a parent, guardian, fictive kin, person in a position of authority, person in a position 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1187
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of special trust, or person exercising custodial control or supervision. 1
(4) Any person who knows or has reasonable cause to believe that a child is a victim of 2
female genital mutilation as defined in KRS 508.125 shall immediately cause an 3
oral or written report, including but not limited to electronic submissions, to be 4
made by telephone or otherwise to: 5
(a) A local law enforcement agency or the Department of Kentucky State Police; 6
(b) The cabinet or its designated representative; or 7
(c) The Commonwealth's attorney or the county attorney. 8
This subsection shall apply regardless of whether the person believed to have 9
caused the female genital mutilation of the child is a parent, guardian, or person 10
exercising custodial control or supervision. 11
(5) Neither the husband-wife nor any professional-client/patient privilege, except the 12
attorney-client and clergy-penitent privilege, shall be a ground for refusing to report 13
under this section or for excluding evidence regarding a dependent, neglected, or 14
abused child or the cause thereof, in any judicial proceedings resulting from a report 15
pursuant to this section. This subsection shall also apply in any criminal proceeding 16
in District or Circuit Court regarding a dependent, neglected, or abused child. 17
(6) The cabinet shall establish and operate a statewide reporting system for the public 18
to make reports of child dependency, neglect, and abuse via telephone call or 19
written report, including but not limited to electronic submissions. The statewide 20
reporting system shall operate a twenty-four (24) hour on-call response system that 21
includes but is not limited to a child abuse hotline for the receipt of emergency and 22
nonemergency reports of child dependency, neglect, and abuse during and after 23
normal office hours. The cabinet may use contract employees to operate the system. 24
(7) The cabinet upon request shall receive from any agency of the state or any other 25
agency, institution, or facility providing services to the child or his or her family, 26
such cooperation, assistance, and information as will enable the cabinet to fulfill its 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1187
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responsibilities under KRS 620.030, 620.040, and 620.050. 1
(8) Nothing in this section shall limit the cabinet's investigatory authority under KRS 2
620.050 or any other obligation imposed by law. 3
(9) Any person who intentionally violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty 4
of a: 5
(a) Class B misdemeanor for the first offense; 6
(b) Class A misdemeanor for the second offense; and 7
(c) Class D felony for each subsequent offense. 8
Section 3. This Act may be cited as Kyan's Law. 9