Gov. Beshear signs legislation to support law enforcement and increase public safety

LEXINGTON, Ky. (KFVS) - Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear joined lawmakers and local officials to sign three pieces of legislation that will support law enforcement as well as increase public safety.

Senate Bill 89 allows the legislative body of an urban-county government to re-employ individuals as police officers who have retired from the Police and Fire Retirement Fund.

House Bill 380 expands the eligibility of potential peace officers to include individuals who have not yet turned 21 years old at the time of basic training, but who will have reached the statutorily required qualification of being 21 years old by the time certification is completed.

Under current law, all certified peace officers must be at least 21 at the time of certification. This legislation clarifies that training of the officer may occur while the individual is still 20 years old, so long as they will have reached the required age of 21 by the time certification occurs.

House Bill 540 will expand definitions related to the use of school resource officers to apply to private or parochial schools as well as public schools, creating consistency of expectations across different types of schools.

The Governor said this bill builds on legislation he signed last year which required all public-schools to have a school resource officer per campus as funding and personnel allowed.

Copyright 2023 KFVS. All rights reserved.