HB177: AN ACT relating to children and declaring an emergency.

Legislative Summary

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 405 to establish definitions; provide for parental rights; establish that no governmental entity shall substantially burden the rights of parents unless required by a compelling governmental interest of the highest order and in the least restrictive means; establish specific rights of parents, with some limitations; provide that specific governmental employees shall not encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from a parent; recognize additional rights beyond those enumerated; require local boards of education or boards of directors of public charter schools to adopt specific policies to promote involvement of parents in education; allow the Kentucky Department of Education to provide consultation and model policies that shall not be binding on schools; require a report from the Kentucky Department of Education on the consultation and model policies provided to schools; require obtaining parental consent prior to procuring, soliciting to perform, arranging for the performance of, providing a referral for, or providing medical or mental health services to a child; require verification of identity for remote parental consent; establish limits of the applicability of the requirement; establish a cause of action for violation; establish terms and conditions for the cause of action; waive sovereign, governmental, and qualified immunity; specify applicability; amend KRS 160.715 to provide a procedure for requesting, inspecting, and reviewing specific information held by a school district or public charter school; and amend KRS 214.185 to establish the conditions required for providing medical or mental health services to a minor without consent of the parent or legal guardian; EMERGENCY.