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House narrows court-security transport authority in passage of SB312
Summary
The House passed Senate Bill 312 clarifying that certified court security officers may transport court-ordered detainees; a floor amendment limited the change to violent felony offenders defined under KRS 439 before final passage.
The House approved Senate Bill 312, a bill aimed at removing a gap in statutes governing transports associated with KRS 202A involuntary hospitalizations and commitments.
Explaining the bill on the floor, the gentleman from Carter said the legislation clarifies that certified court security officers can transport individuals ordered by the court, addressing a practical gap where many agencies lacked staff to use deputy sheriffs for transport. The bill would allow court-certified security officers to escort and transport individuals “as ordered by the court,” which sponsors said would ease the burden on law enforcement and hospitals.
House floor amendment one narrowed the bill’s application: the amendment, described by the gentleman from Carter, limited a substantial change so it would apply only to violent felony offenders as defined in KRS 439. During questioning, members asked which offenses qualify as violent felonies; the sponsor listed murder, sexual assault, burglary and robbery as typical inclusions under KRS 439.
The House adopted the amendment and passed SB312 as amended; the clerk reported 77 yeas and 16 nays. Supporters said the measure fills a statutory transportation gap for individuals subject to court orders and involuntary hospitalizations while critics raised concern about scope and definitions before the amendment narrowed the bill.
The bill’s proponents emphasized that the change would not expand custody beyond court orders but would give courts and local systems a practical transport option where sheriff staffing is limited.
