AN ACT relating to the establishment of the External Detainee Fatality Review Panel.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 441 to establish the External Detainee Fatality Review Panel to conduct comprehensive reviews of all fatalities of individuals detained by law enforcement, in county or regional jails, or in any facility operated by the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or an entity under contract with either department; establish membership and duties of the panel; set a schedule for appointment of members.

Introduced: February 18, 2026

Last action: February 18, 2026

To Committee On Committees (S)

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This bill would create a new independent panel responsible for reviewing every death that occurs while a person is in the custody of law enforcement, a county or regional jail, or a state corrections or juvenile justice facility. The panel would have defined membership and duties and would follow a set schedule for appointing its members. The goal is to provide outside oversight of these deaths rather than leaving reviews solely to the agencies involved. Who it may affect: people held in jails or correctional facilities, their families, and the law enforcement and corrections agencies responsible for detainee care.

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