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Bill Summary · SB 162

Overview

  • Bill: SB 162 (2026 Session, Kentucky)
  • Topic: Special provisions relating to children, focusing on juvenile justice, education for state agency children, and the structure of cross-agency coordination for children and transition-age youth with behavioral health needs.
  • Purpose: Enhance information sharing within the juvenile justice system, clarify funding and education arrangements for state agency children, and create a State Interagency Council and regional interagency councils to coordinate services and supports for children and transition-age youth with behavioral health needs.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Information sharing in the juvenile justice system (KRS 17.125)

    • Designates certain state agencies as part of Kentucky’s juvenile justice system that may share information about a juvenile in a facility, program, or informal adjustment.
    • Agencies include law enforcement, prosecutors, the Attorney General, jails/detention facilities, courts, AOC, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Health and Family Services Cabinet, and family accountability, intervention, and response teams.
    • Shared information remains subject to confidentiality rules; sharing for official purposes is allowed on a bona fide need-to-know basis.
    • Schools must provide records when a complaint is filed, limited to enabling pre-adjudication services; records released must be certified as restricted to authorized personnel and maintained in the student’s file.

  • State agency children and education funding (KRS 158.135)

    • Defines “state agency children” (children in stateCustody or placement funded by CHFS or private facilities per therapeutic foster care agreements; includes certain home/community-based services and DJJ-referred day treatments).
    • Reimbursement: Districts providing services to state agency children must be reimbursed via contract with the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children, with parity to services for other district students.
    • Education funding and support: Requires setting aside funds to reimburse districts for expenditures exceeding 20% of total funding for state agency children to cover additional educational needs.
    • Funding increases: Encourages increases in funding for state agency children education comparable to biennial base funding increases (KRS 157.360) and to address rising numbers.
    • Educational programming: KY Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children must operate a 230-day school program.
    • JJ Dept. of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) coordination: DJJ contracts with a public university or nonprofit to provide educational services using all eligible funds (excluding Oakwood/Hazelwood and certain DOE funds) to support a statewide education collaborative.

  • State Interagency Council for Services and Supports to Children and Transition-Age Youth (KRS 200.505)

    • Creates a State Interagency Council, chaired by the Governor-designated chair, to oversee services and supports for children and transition-age youth with behavioral health needs.
    • Composition includes senior agency commissioners (Education, Behavioral Health, Community Based Services, Public Health, Medicaid, DJJ, etc.), AOC, court-related offices, housing, vocational rehabilitation, and higher education representatives.
    • Adds non-voter members: a parent of a child/transition-age youth with behavioral health needs (and an alternate), a youth (16-25) with behavioral health services experience (and alternate), and a representative from a nonprofit family organization serving consumers.
    • Roles for appointees: two-year terms, possibility of reappointment, expense reimbursements for certain members, and no additional compensation beyond ongoing duties.
    • Duties: annual recommendations to Governor/Legislative Research Commission; direct regional interagency councils to serve as regional loci of accountability; assess regional effectiveness; meet monthly; develop comprehensive service arrays; promulgate regulations as needed.

  • Regional interagency councils for the system of care (KRS 200.509)

    • Establishes regional interagency councils within each area development district (up to three per large districts).
    • Required membership includes: regional CMHC children’s services directors, court-designated specialists/workers, special education representatives with behavioral health experience, parent and alternate-parent members, transition-age youth with behavioral health needs, youth alternates, other local agencies, and one representative from DJJ, family resource/youth services centers, vocational rehab, community-based services, and local health departments.
    • Functions: regional planning, quality improvement, expansion opportunities, awareness, interagency agreements, and regional advice to the state council; possible local interagency councils at the discretion of regional councils.
    • No additional compensation; reimbursed expenses for parent/youth members when outside their normal duties.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Juvenile justice system stakeholders: law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, DJJ facilities and programs, and school districts.
  • State agency children and families: students placed in state-funded facilities or receiving state-funded services, including therapeutic foster care.
  • Local school districts and educators: funding and administrative processes to serve state agency children; potential changes in reporting and record-sharing requirements.
  • Families and youth: direct involvement in regional/state interagency councils, including parent and youth perspectives.
  • Regional and statewide service systems: regional interagency councils and the overarching State Interagency Council for Services and Supports to Children and Transition-Age Youth.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Information sharing provisions take effect under confidentiality rules; pre-adjudication records requests by agencies must be documented and limited to purposes necessary to serve the juvenile.
  • Education funding and regional council structures imply phased development across districts; specifics will be guided by regulations and annual budgets.
  • The State Interagency Council and regional councils are to establish ongoing processes, meet at least monthly (regional councils), and issue annual recommendations to the Governor and Legislative Research Commission.
  • The bill repeals the existing Family Accountability, Intervention, and Response Teams framework (KRS 605.035), consolidating those duties into the broader interagency council system.

Note: This summary focuses on the substantive components and their likely impact on agencies, schools, families, and service delivery for children and transition-age youth. For exact statutory text, timelines, and any fiscal implications, refer to the enrolled bill and accompanying fiscal notes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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