AN ACT relating to alternative sentences.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 533 to define terms; require the court, upon conviction of the defendant, to consider the defendant's status as a caretaker of a dependent child; provide that a court's determination of a defendant's status as a caretaker of a dependent child shall not be admissible as evidence or be determinative in any subsequent proceeding; provide that the defendant shall have the right to present an alternative sentencing plan and…

Introduced: January 21, 2026

Last action: January 29, 2026

To Judiciary (H)

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This bill requires Kentucky courts to consider whether a person convicted of a crime is the primary caretaker of a dependent child before deciding on a sentence. It gives defendants the right to present an alternative sentencing plan and a family impact statement, and allows courts to order sentences that support keeping the parent-child relationship intact, such as participation in certain programs. Courts can still revoke the alternative sentence and order incarceration if the defendant…

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