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HB 586

AN ACT relating to health services for youths.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Clines

HB 586 enables broader delivery of school-based health services (via trained staff and delegations) and requires sunscreen policies that allow self-application by students.

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Bill Summary · HB 586

Summary of HB 586 (2026 Regular Session, Kentucky)

Purpose and intent

HB 586 relates to health services for youths in Kentucky schools and local youth camps. The bill aims to expand and clarify who may provide school-based health services, authorize certain health-related practices (notably sunscreen possession and self-application), and establish policy requirements for sunscreen use in schools and youth camps. It also creates definitional updates to support these provisions and increases liability protections for delegated health care activities performed by trained school staff.

Key provisions and changes

Section 1: Health services in schools (KRS 156.502 amendments)

  • Defines terms:
    • Health services: direct health care, administration of medication, health care via medical equipment, or clinical procedures (excludes only first aid or emergency procedures).
    • Medication: includes prescription and nonprescription drugs; excludes sunscreen.
    • Sunscreen: FDA-approved OTC product for UV protection.
    • School employee: public school employee.
  • Delivery of health services in schools:
    • May be provided by:
    • Physicians (licensed under KRS Chapter 311),
    • Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), registered nurses (RNs), or licensed practical nurses (LPNs) (KRS Chapter 314),
    • Nonlicensed health technicians (with delegated authority and written approval, trained by a physician or nurse, per delegating professional’s scope),
    • School employees delegated to perform a health service (with training and written written approval).
    • Delegations to school employees:
    • Must include specific training for the health service (if it could be delegated).
    • Written approval from the delegating physician or nurse.
    • Approval form must indicate consent to perform the service when the employee’s job description does not already include the health service.
    • Training acknowledgment is recorded in the student’s records and the employee’s personnel file.
    • Delegation remains valid only for the current school year.
  • Contingency if no delegation exists:
    • The school district must arrange for the health service to prevent disruption to attendance or participation until proper delegation is in place.
  • Sunscreen policy in schools:
    • Local boards of education must adopt policies governing:
    • For K-5 students: allowed to possess sunscreen and self-apply with parental permission.
    • For grades 6–12: may possess and self-apply sunscreen without parental permission.
    • Policy coverage includes:
    • Sunscreen use while at school, in school-sponsored activities, and in before/after school or summer programs provided by the school.
  • Liability protections:
    • School staff delegated to perform medical procedures are protected under the federal Paul P. Coverdell Teacher Liability Protection Act of 2001, subject to a high evidentiary standard: the claimant must show by clear and convincing evidence that harm was caused by negligence, willful or criminal misconduct, or conscious, flagrant indifference.
  • No denial of rights:
    • Nothing in the section should deny a student the right to attend public school or to receive public school services, or to prevent emergency first aid or emergency procedures.

Section 2: Amendments to KRS 194A.380 et seq. (definitions and related terms)

  • Adds and clarifies several terms used in the context of youth-related facilities and offenses:
    • Criminal offenses against a minor (to include a broad list of offenses involving minors).
    • Local government definitions (localities, youth day camps).
    • Sex crimes definitions and staff member definitions for youth camps.
    • Sunscreen again defined and clarified as not a prescription or nonprescription drug, and not requiring prescription or order for possession/self-application by a child.
    • Violent offender definition (specific felony offenses related to violence and sex offenses).
    • Youth camp definitions (camp or camp-like programs operated by local governments for minors).

Section 3: New section on sunscreen policies for youth camps

  • Requires each youth camp to adopt a policy allowing a child to carry and self-administer sunscreen provided by the child or parent.

Affected parties and impact

  • Public school students, by grade level:
    • K–5: may have sunscreen and self-apply with parental permission.
    • 6–12: may possess and self-apply sunscreen without parent permission.
  • School employees and health staff:
    • Authorized to provide health services in schools under defined delegations.
    • Delegation requires training, written approval, and year-long validity (per school year).
    • Provides liability protection for delegated health care tasks, with a high evidentiary standard for malpractice claims.
  • Health care professionals (physicians, APRNs, RNs, LPNs) and nonlicensed health technicians:
    • Can provide health services within their scope of practice in school settings or via delegation.
  • Youth camps (local government-run):
    • Must adopt sunscreen carry/self-application policies.
    • Definitions broaden oversight regarding staff and volunteers who care for minors.
  • Students in after-school, before-school, and summer programs:
    • Policies cover sunscreen use in these programs as well.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Delegations to school employees are valid only for the current school year; districts must reauthorize annually.
  • If no delegation exists, districts must arrange alternative means to provide health services to avoid attendance or participation disruption.
  • Local boards must adopt sunscreen policies for different grade bands (K–5; 6–12) and specify the contexts covered (in-school, activities, and related programs).
  • Section 3 creates a new policy requirement for youth camps to authorize sunscreen carry/self-administration.

Notes

  • The bill includes explicit protections for school staff acting under delegated health duties, enhancing workforce capacity to deliver health services within schools.
  • Sunscreen is treated distinctly from medications, emphasizing accessibility and self-management for students while preserving safety and parental involvement where appropriate.

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

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