[{"_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",6680376,"mediaKeyId","2362021-922d72dcdeface8bfc6cf226e1c9a6eb","parentId",2362021,"title","Committee backs Family Preservation and Accountability Act to expand sentencing options for caregivers","audioSeconds",1463,"startMs",1468000,"endMs",4132,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2362021-922d72dcdeface8bfc6cf226e1c9a6eb&start=1468&end=4","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2362021-922d72dcdeface8bfc6cf226e1c9a6eb/thumbnail_1468000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6680376/Kentucky/Committee-backs-Family-Preservation-and-Accountability-Act-to-expand-sentencing-options-for-caregivers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680376-c49ff00dc45a68b0de1769d76a02c52b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163971&Signature=Fu72r2NthK1Ft~30YWOWhviyds2q1cQkvycInLrO~QIj35bvfnE~XV~AfJ-N1dZuMihaPHZ4Edad~9VuLhidNH92LJlDVVTAOVcBSMCOvYAufl2RB68lXt0DRWY3e8BeH13aXcb2CEaDTvwVWdv~3AdpbnwvDJOaOysGluqPoIfBg~NA00LFc~1VMVvPzT7mALmuQ6EFQ~c4ZHjwra9Bc9-rz9XxWOwWw3bT-ImAkJdZiRogKScm-mjkL3l0fXbg7YR95ailURY~xbyK1fm5ZRLaidxNzuBmlW0hdnjZh3hYN8y3XjNTv7p-3BBRkbRNxT6Qzjp2WXggpxylB30BpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kentucky Legislature","date","2025-02-20T15:53:23.143Z","article","The House Committee on Families and Children voted to recommend a committee substitute to House Bill 291, titled the Family Preservation and Accountability Act, by a recorded 13–0 vote.

Representative Wilson, sponsor of the substitute, said the measure lets a criminal defendant move the court to determine whether they are a caregiver and, if so, gives judges additional alternatives at sentencing such as probation with family services, counseling or other community-based programs. Wilson and supporters framed the bill as a way to preserve family unity and reduce the harms of parental incarceration while protecting child safety and public safety.

Witnesses who testified in support included Amanda Hall of Dream.org, who described long-term personal harm from parental incarceration; Courtney Downs of Kentucky Youth Advocates, who cited data on the number of children affected by parental incarceration; Scott West, a criminal-defense attorney, who said the bill is designed not to supplant judicial discretion but to add a tool judges can use at sentencing. Kentucky Free presented a fiscal analysis estimating direct incarceration-cost savings and potential broader economic effects.

Judge Patricia Sumi testified as an opposing witness with concerns about procedural and definitional matters. Sumi, a general-jurisdiction circuit judge, said judges already receive family information in pre-sentence reports and cautioned that making a written factual finding about caregiving status could require evidentiary hearings and risk conflict with family-court determinations. Sponsors said the committee substitute addressed several judicial concerns, including clarifying that the determination under the substitute would not be binding in family court and that judges would still retain discretion.

After debate and comments from committee members and witnesses, the chair called the roll and reported the committee approved the substitute 13–0 with a favorable recommendation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Standing Committee on Families & Children (2-20-25)","oneSentenceSummary","The House Committee on Families and Children recommended the Family Preservation and Accountability Act (committee substitute to House Bill 291), which would let felony defendants ask a judge to consider their status as a caregiver and permit courts to impose noncustodial sentences that keep primary caregivers with their children.","taxTitle","Committee on Families and Children, House of Representative, Committees, Legislative, Kentucky","taxId",29120,"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},6680379,"Committee advances ‘Baby Maya’ child-protection bill with rebuttable presumption and reporting requirements",516,339000,855000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2362021-922d72dcdeface8bfc6cf226e1c9a6eb&start=339&end=855","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2362021-922d72dcdeface8bfc6cf226e1c9a6eb/thumbnail_339000.jpg","/articles/6680379/Kentucky/Committee-advances-Baby-Maya-child-protection-bill-with-rebuttable-presumption-and-reporting-requirements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680379-d5f6a6326320c28a5131c6f0416216c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163971&Signature=U~cacdQ8zNeJg88KVhh4DPnjF1w2oFHeeAa~fHy1NDWo-466b9Lmaf9-kAo-OEanMAa3DRCr7bykH1WD7mK347GZvB656p8EkjRfz-qKewm0yRqBOPoxX~sIkxo3aUdQ0wzPG-U69vSx4OXdvRhYdmXjBKkKfFxCwtMgodRBsvPGQF8NgC3SF1g9aSrLWoKtszw77YWdVi7ogmnCRhTerCM9-2cwrG9kSgrXS8eAAuTKdhsCVhJR-TQiglOW02dukzmXh2oorDes3GhMgt7kR0s7ofpmtexfqAtf-kGn-YH2cViViGO8A~s0SnTCiPEdOPvHm6QI~wi5w4H6kv9S5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Families and Children voted to recommend House Bill 574, legislation the sponsor described as intended to prevent a repeat of the case known in testimony as “Baby Maya.” The committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation by a 12–1 vote.

Sponsor Rep. Myron Dossett said the bill is intended to add “guardrails” after the death of an infant referred to in testimony as Baby Maya. Dossett said the measure would require a report to Kentucky State Police, local law enforcement, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the commonwealth’s attorney or a county attorney when a person has reasonable knowledge that a child has been born to a parent who previously had children removed for neglect or abuse.

The bill’s text, as presented in committee, includes multiple parts: a reporting requirement (Section 1); a rebuttable presumption enabling the cabinet to make an initial determination regarding immediate safety and potential removal (Section 2); a conforming amendment to KRS (Section 3); an ex parte emergency custody order to enable immediate removal when there is risk of harm (Section 4); other conforming changes (Section 5); and a provision naming the act “Baby Maya law” (Section 6).

Committee members asked whether the bill creates additional mandatory reporters or penalties for failing to report. Wesley Duke, general counsel for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and Commissioner Lisa Dennis of the Department for Community Based Services said Kentucky already is a mandatory-reporting state and the bill does not expand the list of mandated reporters or add new penalties. Dennis said the cabinet currently lacks a technical data-sharing system with hospitals but officials and the Kentucky Hospital Association have been part of discussions about sharing information such as addresses with law enforcement when permitted by law.

Chair Heffern clarified that the bill’s rebuttable presumption does not automatically remove parental rights but allows the cabinet to make an initial determination and, if warranted, seek emergency custody. After discussion, the committee moved and seconded the bill; the chair reported passage with a favorable recommendation 12–1.","House Bill 574, called the “Baby Maya” bill in committee, would require certain people to report births to parents with prior child-removal histories and create a rebuttable presumption allowing initial removal and an ex parte emergency custody order in some cases; the committee approved the bill 12–1.",{"_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},6680384,"Committee approves 1-hour dementia training for DCBS workers",298,73000,371000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2362021-922d72dcdeface8bfc6cf226e1c9a6eb&start=73&end=371","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2362021-922d72dcdeface8bfc6cf226e1c9a6eb/thumbnail_73000.jpg","/articles/6680384/Kentucky/Committee-approves-1-hour-dementia-training-for-DCBS-workers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680384-0968145e571b81d4f709750b612b0667/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163971&Signature=cqGgeoJ9cnom~GDHenl3QolYlNRoHvZVZnB1izsWxVKUPPMcg2dBnwnynJnDy-bwCR77q1OLUoDHLdIN6FwUWCm0nMqmbI-7JvQ3pbVKVaaRMBBRmyLBILdzCdWklSDGLPesZwrCitpGZTfCpOcAF-evBNUU0nNcTHCI7iSiupKMKZboZrRCHT-4WkpQYUn5UkUQllxhLYX4k2ukjfCxXGSEfAjnHBbmLnpWX9EnhsFCoi~~HGEr-UD1GyrbmWCJmfIzfBgXheHsEmcCOVPBF4dg2A-guh7ICRypQ802Uh9c-BbIV2W8Z8wHVTHfzX9GDFt4Fbv5e1P~bp5nPOMj8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Families and Children on Feb. 20 voted to give House Bill 479 a favorable recommendation, approving a requirement that Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) employees complete one hour of dementia training.

Sponsor Rep. Derek Lewis said the bill is nonpartisan and aimed at improving frontline workers' ability to recognize and respond to dementia. “Dementia is not partisan,” Lewis said. He told the committee materials in members’ packets show a statewide dementia rate of 10.4 percent among people 65 and older.

The bill requires one hour of dementia training for DCBS workers. Training may be offered free by the Alzheimer’s Association or any other entity that meets the bill’s required metrics. Lewis described the measure as “very straightforward” and said it carries no fiscal note.

Committee members moved and seconded the bill and, after brief comment, Chair Heffern called the roll. The chair reported the committee approved the bill 11 to 0 with favorable expression and recommended it for the House floor.

The measure’s sponsor and the Alzheimer’s Association emphasized the training’s intent to help staff recognize signs of cognitive impairment and better serve families who interact with DCBS. No formal amendments or fiscal changes were recorded in committee.","The House Committee on Families and Children voted unanimously to recommend House Bill 479, which would require one hour of dementia training for Department for Community Based Services employees, with training available free through the Alzheimer’s Association or other approved providers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee backs Family Preservation and Accountability Act to expand sentencing options for caregivers

Committee advances ‘Baby Maya’ child-protection bill with rebuttable presumption and reporting requirements

Committee approves 1-hour dementia training for DCBS workers