SB122
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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 23, 2026
Last action: April 10, 2026
In effect since July 15, 2026
Acts from the 2026 Regular Session that don't carry an emergency clause or set their own effective date took effect 90 days after the session adjourned (Ky. Constitution § 55).
Plain-language summary
This law requires Kentucky courts to consider whether a convicted person is a 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 the parent-child relationship rather than defaulting to incarceration. Courts can still revoke the alternative sentence and impose imprisonment if the defendant does not meet the conditions. Who it may affect: people convicted of crimes who are primary caretakers of dependent children, and the children in their care.
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Legislative History
Primary Sponsor
Co-sponsors (2)
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