UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1777
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AN ACT relating to the Kentucky State Police. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 16.170 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) As used in this section, unless the context requires otherwise: 4
(a) "Political activities" includes but is not limited to: 5
1. Registering to vote and voting; 6
2. Soliciting votes or endorsements on behalf of a political candidate or 7
political campaign; 8
3. Expressing opinions, either publicly or privately, on political subjects 9
and candidates; 10
4. Displaying political signs, pictures, stickers, badges, or buttons; 11
5. Participating in the activities of, or contributing financially to, a 12
political party, political group, candidate, campaign, or any 13
organization that supports a political candidate or campaign; 14
6. Attending or participating in a political convention, caucus, rally, or 15
other political gathering; 16
7. Initiating, circulating, or signing a petition in favor of or in opposition 17
to a candidate, public question, or a particular political position or 18
opinion; 19
8. Engaging in fundraising activities for any political party, political 20
organization, political group, candidate, or campaign; 21
9. Acting as a recorder, watcher, challenger, or similar officer at the 22
polls on behalf of a political party, political organization, political 23
group, candidate, or campaign; and 24
10. Becoming a political candidate; and 25
(b) "Political party," "political organization," and "political group" have the 26
same meaning as in KRS 118.015. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1777
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(2) No provision of law shall prohibit an officer of the department or individual 1
employed as a Trooper R Class or CVE R Class from participating in political 2
activities while off duty, out of uniform, and off the premises of his or her usual 3
place of employment. 4
(3) An officer of the department or individual employed as a Trooper R Class or CVE 5
R Class shall not: 6
(a) Use his or her official authority to: 7
1. Influence, coerce, or attempt to influence or coerce, a subordinate 8
employee to pay, lend, or contribute anything of value to a political 9
party, candidate, or campaign; or 10
2. Discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment due to 11
that person's political affiliation or political activity, unless otherwise 12
provided by law as a disqualification for employment; 13
(b) Discriminate in providing public services, including but not limited to law 14
enforcement services, on the basis of any political affiliation or political 15
activities of any person, group, or organization; or 16
(c) Suggest or imply that any employee or agency of state government has 17
officially endorsed a political party, political organization, political group, 18
candidate, or campaign. 19
(4) While engaging in any political activity under this section, an officer of the 20
department or individual employed as a Trooper R Class or CVE R Class shall 21
not: 22
(a) Wear a uniform or any part of a uniform that would identify him or her as 23
an officer or trooper; 24
(b) Use any equipment or property of the department; 25
(c) Display or otherwise attempt to cause others to believe the officer or 26
employee is carrying a firearm, star, badge, or other indication of law 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1777
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enforcement authority; 1
(d) Promote himself or herself as an officer of the department or Trooper R 2
Class or CVE R Class representing the interests of the department; 3
(e) Solicit contributions from employees or nonemployees during regular 4
working hours; or 5
(f) Solicit or receive any political contribution of any kind while on state 6
property, unless the property is rented or leased by a private individual or 7
corporate entity[shall, directly or indirectly, give, solicit or receive, or be in 8
any manner concerned in giving, soliciting or receiving, any assessment, 9
subscription or contribution for any political party or political purpose 10
whatever. No officer or individual employed as a Trooper R Class or CVE R 11
Class shall, orally or by letter, solicit or be in any manner concerned in 12
soliciting any assessment, subscription or contribution for any political party 13
or purpose whatever from any person holding a position in the department. No 14
officer of the department or individual employed as a Trooper R Class or 15
CVE R Class shall take any part in political management or affairs or in 16
political campaigns further than to cast his vote and to express privately his 17
opinion]. 18
(5) Any violation of the provisions of this section[hereof] shall be grounds for removal. 19
Section 2. KRS 16.195 is amended to read as follows: 20
For officers governed by KRS 16.186 to 16.195, the following subjects shall be administered 21
in the same manner as provided for state police officers governed by KRS 16.010 to 16.185: 22
(1) Prohibition against requesting or requiring victim of alleged sexual offense to 23
submit to polygraph or other examination, as provided by KRS 16.062; 24
(2) Organization of the department, as provided by KRS 16.040(1); 25
(3) Additional duties of the department, as provided by KRS 16.065; 26
(4) Uniforms, equipment, and facilities, as provided by KRS 16.070; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1777
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(5) Automobile liability insurance, as provided by KRS 16.075; 1
(6) Bonds of employees, as provided by KRS 16.080; 2
(7) Training school, as provided by KRS 16.090; 3
(8) Officers required to take educational course on AIDS, as provided by KRS 16.095; 4
(9) Travel expenses and per diem allowances, as provided by KRS 16.100; 5
(10) Fees or rewards, as provided by KRS 16.110; 6
(11) Disabled officer on hazardous duty may elect to be retained on payroll, as provided 7
by KRS 16.165. 8
(12) Election of benefits by disabled officer, as provided by KRS 16.167. 9
(13) Restrictions on political activity[ forbidden], as provided by KRS 16.170; and 10
(14) Indemnification of state police officer sued for act or omission in line of duty who 11
suffers financial loss, as provided by KRS 16.185. 12
Section 3. KRS 16.070 is amended to read as follows: 13
(1) The commissioner is the head and chief executive officer of the department. He or 14
she shall provide for himself or herself, each officer of the department, and each 15
individual employed as a Trooper R Class or CVE R Class, under the provisions of 16
KRS 45A.045 to 45A.650, such uniforms, equipment, and facilities, including 17
motor vehicles, necessary to the performance of their respective duties, but all 18
uniforms, equipment, and facilities, including motor vehicles, shall remain the 19
property of the Commonwealth. The commissioner may sell through the Finance 20
and Administration Cabinet, under the provisions of KRS 45A.045 to 45A.650, 21
such uniforms, equipment, and facilities, including motor vehicles, as become unfit 22
for use, and all moneys received therefrom shall be paid into the State Treasury and 23
credited to a revolving fund to be used by the department. 24
(2) The commissioner shall keep an inventory and shall charge against each officer and 25
each individual employed as a Trooper R Class or CVE R Class the value of all 26
property of the department issued to him or her, and if it is determined by the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1777
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commissioner that any loss or destruction of property was due to the carelessness or 1
neglect of an officer or an individual employed as a Trooper R Class, then the value 2
of the property shall be deducted from the pay of the officer or the individual 3
employed as a Trooper R Class or CVE R Class. 4
(3) (a) By agreement with the commissioner of highways of the Commonwealth, the 5
commissioner of the Department of Kentucky State Police may provide for 6
the leasing of motor vehicles and accessories thereto, radio facilities and 7
equipment, office equipment, and other property or facilities, upon [such 8
]terms and conditions and for [such ]compensation as provided in the 9
agreement[said agreement may provide]. 10
(b) The commissioner of highways and the commissioner of the Department of 11
Kentucky State Police may further provide, by agreement, for the service and 12
repair at any state garage of motor vehicles or accessories thereto which are 13
owned, operated, or rented by the department, upon [such ]terms and 14
conditions and for [such ]compensation as provided in the agreement[said 15
agreement may provide]. 16
(c) Subject to KRS Chapter 42, the department is authorized, by lease or 17
purchase, to acquire, maintain, and operate motor vehicles, and the officers of 18
said department, including the commissioner and individuals employed as a 19
Trooper R Class or CVE R Class, are authorized and empowered to operate 20
such motor vehicles in the course of their duties, and in carrying out the 21
purposes, responsibilities, and functions provided for in KRS 16.010 to 22
16.170, except as may be otherwise provided. 23
(4) The commissioner shall establish local headquarters so as to best distribute the 24
officers, individuals employed as a Trooper R Class or CVE R Class, and 25
employees of the department throughout the various sections of the Commonwealth 26
where they will be most efficient in carrying out the provisions of KRS 16.010 to 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1777
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16.199. 1