[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6343017,"mediaKeyId","2252947-48d47d32895a344f54decf41a03b3507","parentId",2252947,"title","Judiciary committee advances bill barring disability as sole basis for adoption denials or parental-rights termination","audioSeconds",967,"startMs",111000,"endMs",1078000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252947-48d47d32895a344f54decf41a03b3507&start=111&end=1078","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252947-48d47d32895a344f54decf41a03b3507/thumbnail_111000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6343017/Kentucky/Judiciary-committee-advances-bill-barring-disability-as-sole-basis-for-adoption-denials-or-parental-rights-termination","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343017-e45e8ad83fa7b8b0aa3e2949238f5999/orig.mp4?Expires=1775941565&Signature=OyeBcnVt6lKAZZbQbhzR~ep2ex2dwqsRnJfyf28hLvqMGOAzUF660DUdaFc3sSd5Mzh1xzOOgeHaw2nuveNTQsMY9Wz6YaPDXID-7dZ9aDRkaE7N-9WGRUaDBDEl-lyh5zMD1vWWEbvRxEZ6BjXyHuAO4ATkZgeNs7DK6PaK77O8TbnmqAWsx3d4IF0Fi5AG0I99MBXP4abIyZ-pUXv1epa0S35IsoWhmdBJyTeQxCFleeh4j1v51nn2XR~TEKgX7wtdiPNnnOpSlARlBUbKDw9P48EGZkjX-zSULzJBxnLPDuwKB~vESkksya-Q5rvA8bOzSe9cIjtXaXVP~nGIhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Committee on Judiciary","date","2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 26, a measure to prevent discrimination against parents with disabilities in adoption and parental-rights termination cases, was reported favorably out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a unanimous 7-0 vote.

Sponsor Brandon Storm, senator of the 20th District, told the committee the bill \"ensures that disability alone cannot be the sole reason that an adoption petition is denied or that parental rights are terminated.\" The measure was presented by Storm alongside Marcus Vanover, family court judge for Lincoln, Pulaski and Rockcastle counties, and Crystal Adams, chair of the Justice Commission’s intellectual and developmental disabilities work group.

The bill’s supporters said it responds to court rulings and national guidance that identified inconsistent practices for parents with disabilities. Judge Marcus Vanover, who leads a dependency, neglect and abuse work group for the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health, cited recent cases in Kentucky and said the bill is intended to provide guidance to judges and child-welfare actors. \"These cases all underscore the need for change in Kentucky to ensure that appropriate services are addressed in all cases and that individuals with disabilities are not wrongfully discriminated against on the sole basis of that disability,\" Vanover said.

Crystal Adams cited federal technical assistance and national research on parental removal rates for people with disabilities and said the bill would align state practice with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Adams told the committee that, \"As of January 2025, Kentucky has 8,301 children in out‑of‑home care with active placements,\" and cited national figures indicating higher removal rates for parents with psychiatric or intellectual disabilities.

Key provisions described by proponents include: a statutory definition of disability; a prohibition on using disability as the sole basis for denying adoption or terminating parental rights; a requirement that courts and agencies consider and document supportive services and reasonable accommodations before such outcomes; a retention requirement for related documentation; and technical corrections to existing Kentucky Revised Statutes to improve clarity.

Senator Carroll, speaking as a parent of an adult child with special needs, asked whether the bill creates a proactive path for parents to request services before child-welfare involvement. Judge Vanover and Storm said the bill is focused on adoption and termination proceedings where the cabinet (child-welfare agency) is already involved, though several senators discussed whether additional proactive service programs should be developed by the cabinet.

Motion and vote: Senator Deneen moved to report the bill favorably; Senator Thomas seconded. The clerk recorded aye votes from Senator Carroll, Senator Deneen, Senator Nemez, Senator Reid, Senator Thomas, Vice Chair Wheeler and Chair Storm. The committee recorded a unanimous 7-0 favorable recommendation to the floor.

What’s next: The bill was reported with a favorable recommendation to the full Senate. Committee testimony and proponents’ statements indicated sponsors are willing to work further on implementation details, particularly the scope of services and how the cabinet would operationalize supportive services in practice.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary (2-6-25)","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 26, a measure to prevent discrimination against parents with disabilities in adoption and parental-rights termination cases, was reported favorably out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a unanimous 7-0 vote.","taxTitle","Judiciary, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Kentucky","taxId",29204,"location","Kentucky","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343009,"Judiciary committee advances sextortion bill creating felony and civil remedies, directs school education",1851,1370000,3221000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252947-48d47d32895a344f54decf41a03b3507&start=1370&end=3221","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252947-48d47d32895a344f54decf41a03b3507/thumbnail_1370000.jpg","/articles/6343009/Kentucky/Judiciary-committee-advances-sextortion-bill-creating-felony-and-civil-remedies-directs-school-education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343009-7ccc09771c687ed53e13e30b163c198f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775941565&Signature=D6ENMGSlj0JuzaTX1CH-647-4u-QiT4A-AbzrDDH6ImpluA-ZBCDg0IGI-9fYcWBtJv7svbVLZ1QLhQAjxZKP~5WPAU-ngdtvrkez5kHYeZS1vuip8R7jBG3k~wNHRtz-37yJoA7qsjO~Hz61kZuMQFE4pGWL~hXnMH9nCrMPdyn1VsEQkyLvKoHMhbfv2H8ORYxoy5-wvCH2vnJ2PzLDpsWkKAwXiA9brIIV5TCymsthpWzdvXb-jp~MUXXlAs5OO2auCOR7loph7QzUJjqTxiTPRqQRFmGIZ9hOot0bVm-KihGS0OzXOmR7upITgabUxwPJ6SngE-aBewcUz3Ygg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 73, a bill that would make sextortion a felony and create civil remedies and school-based education requirements, was reported favorably out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with the committee’s expression of opinion.

Senator Julie Rocky Adams (State Senate District 36) sponsored the bill and introduced witnesses including attorney Sarah Collins and Lady T. Thompson, a human-trafficking expert. Adams told the committee the bill \"will strengthen laws by making sextortion a felony\" and would provide victims \"clear legal remedies to seek justice and recover damages.\" She said the measure also mandates education in schools and resources for students to contact hotlines, law enforcement or counseling.

Attorney Sarah Collins described a client known as Jane Doe and recounted the case of an individual she identified as Brian Wilson, who Collins said extorted at least 25 women. Collins told the committee that her client was inundated with abusive messages, that local officers were unsure how to assist and that the woman later became suicidal. Collins argued current law prosecutes sextortion under a patchwork of statutes and said a specific crime and civil cause of action are necessary for effective prosecution and victim relief.

Lady T. Thompson, a human-trafficking expert, urged legislators to treat sextortion as a gateway to trafficking that often begins online and escalates into in-person exploitation. Thompson cited federal and nonprofit reporting showing dramatic increases in online exploitation of minors and urged prevention, training for law enforcement and survivor supports.

Members discussed details including whether the required school postings and education should be age‑appropriate, how to treat threats that never are carried out versus completed acts, and the statutory consequences where victims are under age 12. Senator Reid and others asked that materials be suitable for younger students; Senator Adams said she would work with the committee on possible clarifying amendments. Senator Stivers gave a brief explanation of his aye vote and said he supported pursuing the legislation while flagging concerns about materials for younger students.

Motion and vote: A motion to report SB 73 favorably was seconded and the clerk recorded aye votes from Senator Carroll, Senator Deneen, Senator Nemez, Senator Reid, Senator Thomas, Vice Chair Wheeler and Chair Storm. The committee reported the bill favorably with expression of opinion.

What the bill would do (as presented): create the crime of sextortion as a felony; provide a civil cause of action allowing victims or their representatives to sue offenders; include sextortion in existing statutory definitions of sex crimes; require local school districts and postsecondary institutions to provide information and resources (including hotlines) and direct principals to notify students; and authorize educational campaigns on sextortion prevention.

Next steps: Sponsors indicated openness to floor amendments to clarify age-appropriate school materials, definitions around threats versus completed acts, and penalty ranges where victims are very young. The bill will proceed to the full Senate for further consideration.","Senate Bill 73 would create a felony offense for sextortion, allow civil suits by victims, and require school-based education and resources; the Senate Judiciary Committee reported the bill favorably with an expression of opinion after testimony from survivors, advocates and legal counsel.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343013,"Committee unanimously backs bill to make tampering with telecom and other key infrastructure a felony",228,1108000,1336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252947-48d47d32895a344f54decf41a03b3507&start=1108&end=1336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252947-48d47d32895a344f54decf41a03b3507/thumbnail_1108000.jpg","/articles/6343013/Kentucky/Committee-unanimously-backs-bill-to-make-tampering-with-telecom-and-other-key-infrastructure-a-felony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343013-f225910815bbd4c9c11fa83a86eb2d3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775941565&Signature=jzR0DuObDpw4GNFWZU4ruBuRvq9V6XQwxhNwSJnF5NO3DKeRnxoTG7AJudgjnNuejVLS6rKvJOS8rCIFNI3M-m74FctNfLHBEBWHtFeQ6JLxVZ8awGQAaTV41tWXW85OjWifGKriFsYQYz8DgnwEXZREQoqhyLG9ztKbNfW-vdKFh0sL-bCulrUqDQcjmkjVuYgdI0OGhKFmJJ5u30z8Ng1UGNI8FvFoU6pm4-gRkAIWqEZc-BkGmssrcw8sMTymm7m~NzmvFc~p25JkSqVZzMuTJCG7k1PE~Kgh~K51wQXjnADpinSB5LylXBvDXDxEXkpa86~WvUN9e87uyO7TUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-0 to report Senate Bill 64 favorably after industry witnesses and the bill sponsor described an increase in vandalism and theft that has damaged telecommunications infrastructure.

Senator Brandon Storm, sponsor, said the measure would protect \"key infrastructure assets\" by naming telephone lines and broadband networks among covered assets and making damage or tampering that renders those assets inoperable a class D felony. Representatives from Charter Communications and AT&T explained the legislative need.

Dalton Mortman, director of state government affairs for Charter Communications, told the committee the company had experienced a rising number of incidents targeting plant and fiber, including more than 20 incidents of theft and vandalism in February 2024 that affected roughly 30,000 customers. \"It's requiring us to pull all of our resources out of the field, to remove them from projects that are expanding broadband,\" Mortman said, describing operational impacts.

Holly Spade, identified as external affairs for AT&T, added that telecommunications networks serve public-safety functions — including 9‑1‑1 centers and hospitals — and said including telecom in the statute would reduce service disruptions from vandalism and theft.

Committee action and votes: The committee adopted a committee substitute and then voted on the bill as amended. Senator Reid seconded the motion to report the bill; the clerk recorded aye votes from Senator Carroll, Senator Deneen, Senator Nemez, Senator Reid, Senator Thomas, Vice Chair Wheeler and Chair Storm. The committee recorded a unanimous 7-0 recommendation to the floor.

What the bill does: As described by the sponsor and industry witnesses, the measure (1) clarifies the definition of covered critical assets to include telephone and broadband facilities, (2) makes damaging or tampering with those assets a class D felony when the act renders the asset inoperable or dangerous, and (3) provides prosecutors a specific criminal charge for repairable and non‑repairable interference with communications infrastructure.

Next steps: SB 64 will move to the full Senate with a favorable committee recommendation. Industry witnesses said they will continue to work with law enforcement and the legislature on implementation and enforcement details.","Senate Bill 64 would add telephone lines and broadband services to the definition of key infrastructure assets and create a felony for damage or tampering that renders service inoperable; the Senate Judiciary Committee reported the bill favorably, 7-0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Judiciary committee advances bill barring disability as sole basis for adoption denials or parental-rights termination

Judiciary committee advances sextortion bill creating felony and civil remedies, directs school education

Committee unanimously backs bill to make tampering with telecom and other key infrastructure a felony