AN ACT relating to juvenile justice.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Danny Carroll

Keeps Department of Juvenile Justice employees from needing in-person court appearances outside their home county, unless the court declares them a necessary trial witness.

to Committee on Committees (S)

#civilactions #civilprocedure #stateagencies #technicalcorrections

Summary of SB 327 (2026RS) – Kentucky

Purpose and intent

SB 327 relates to juvenile justice and clarifies rules governing when employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice may be required to attend as witnesses in civil actions arising from or related to their employment. The measure primarily seeks to protect juvenile justice staff from mandatory in-person courtroom appearances outside their assigned county, while preserving the ability for testimony to be obtained through deposition or other procedural means.

Key provisions and changes

Amends KRS 15A.066 to address witness requirements for Department of Juvenile Justice employees in civil actions connected to their employment.

General rule: An employee shall not be required to give personal attendance as a witness at civil actions outside the employee’s county of assignment. This provision applies to civil suits arising out of or related to the employee’s employment.

Exceptions and procedures:

Deposition or other forms of testimony may still be used in lieu of in-person testimony, in accordance with Rules of Civil Procedure.
If a court determines that the employee is a necessary witness for trial, the court may order the employee to attend the trial in person, despite the general rule.

Who is affected

Department of Juvenile Justice employees who would otherwise be summoned as witnesses in civil actions related to their official duties.

Courts handling such civil actions, which may consider whether a witness is necessary for trial and issue in-person attendance orders accordingly.

Procedural and timeline aspects

The bill sets a two-part framework:

A general prohibition on in-person appearance outside the employee’s home county, with testimony by deposition permitted.
A court-based exception allowing in-person attendance if the employee is deemed a necessary witness for trial.

No specific dates or transitional provisions are included beyond the general effective language of the statute (typical for a bill of this nature). The action history shows introduction on March 2, 2026, with referral to the Senate Committee on Committees.

Practical impact and considerations

For Department of Juvenile Justice staff, this bill reduces the burden of being widely traveled solely for civil proceedings related to their employment, improving efficiency and potentially reducing disruption to duties within their assigned county.

Courts retain control to compel in-person testimony when a witness is essential to the case, ensuring critical information is available for trial.

The bill preserves the use of depositions and other procedural mechanisms to obtain testimony when in-person attendance is not essential.

If you’d like, I can add a quick comparison to current law (pre-SB 327) or draft a one-page briefing for stakeholders.