Kentucky strengthens child welfare laws, housing options

FRANKFORT – Many new laws enacted during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly session, including ones on gaming, first responders, schools, criminal justice, grooming and concealed carry, – will take effect this week. More than 190 bills passed during this year's 60-day session, and more than half take effect on Wednesday. The state constitution specifies that new laws take effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns unless they have special effective dates, are general appropriation measures, or include emergency clauses that make them effective immediately upon becoming law. Lawmakers adjourned the 2026 session on April 15, making July 15 the effective date for most bills. Affordable Housing – House Bill 333 will allow faith-based organizations to build small-scale affordable housing units on property located near religious institutions. Alternative Diplomas – House Bill 562 will create a new alternative diploma option for high school students with intellectual disabilities, allowing the students to be considered graduates rather than dropouts. It also calls for the state Department of Workforce Development to create a one-stop shop that identifies all employers in Kentucky that will recognize the new alternative diploma as a valid high school diploma. Alternative Sentencing – Much of Senate Bill 122 will not take effect until later this year. However, several provisions that aim to keep families intact when a parent is convicted of a felony will take effect. They require Kentucky courts to consider alternative sentences for certain nonviolent felony convictions when the defendant is a primary caretaker of a dependent child. Campaign Finance – House Bill 136 will allow the use of campaign funds to pay for the "reasonable costs" of security measures for candidates, office holders and family members. Child Pornography – House Bill 366 will expand child pornography prohibitions to include computer-generated images of a minor. It will also require someone convicted of possessing or viewing child pornography to serve at least 85% of their criminal sentence. Child Welfare – House Bill 778 changes Kentucky law related to child welfare. It seeks to ensure safe and adequate foster care placements and that children in foster care are not placed with someone on the sex offender registry. Also under HB 778, child injuries caused by ingestion or inhalation of a controlled substance will be included in the definition of neglect, and neglect will be added to the child abuse statute.