HB360 revises Kentucky law governing peace officer certification and decertification. It expands and clarifies the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council’s authority to automatically revoke certification for certain disqualifying events, including felony convictions, specified sex offenses, firearm prohibitions, dishonorable or bad-conduct military discharges, and willful falsification to obtain or keep certification. It also authorizes discretionary revocation for training failures, professional malfeasance or nonfeasance, certain misdemeanor convictions involving dishonesty, violence, or sexual abuse, some military discharges, and resignation or retirement while under investigation for conduct that likely would have led to termination.
The bill defines key terms such as “professional malfeasance,” “professional nonfeasance,” “general employment policy,” and “regulation,” and it sets procedures for reporting, hearings, appeals, subpoenas, and reinstatement. Agencies must report qualifying conduct to the council within 15 days, and the council must act within specified timelines, generally completing proceedings within 180 days. The bill also allows the council to suspend agencies from the Kentucky Law Enforcement Foundation Program fund for failing to report required information.
HB360 adds a new civil cause of action for peace officers who are the subject of knowingly false, deliberately misleading, or malicious reports to the council, allowing compensatory and punitive damages. It also amends the statute of limitations to give such claims a three-year filing period. Finally, it updates the statutory definition of “police officer” for retirement-related provisions in KRS 15.410 to 15.510 to include additional categories of officers and investigators, such as school resource officers, certain detectives, and State Fair Board special police officers.
The bill’s impact is to strengthen statewide certification oversight for law enforcement officers, create clearer grounds and procedures for decertification, and impose reporting obligations on employing agencies. It also creates a legal remedy for officers harmed by false reports, which may affect internal discipline, whistleblowing, and complaint processes. The legislation would affect the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, law enforcement agencies, certified peace officers, and individuals or entities that submit reports to the council.
Overall, the bill appears aimed at accountability and professional standards in policing, with a generally reform-oriented but also protective tone. The text suggests support for stronger decertification mechanisms and reporting requirements, while the new civil remedy indicates concern about misuse of the complaint process. Without committee transcripts or recorded votes, there is no direct evidence of partisan or stakeholder sentiment, but the structure of the bill reflects both enforcement and due-process protections, which may be intended to balance law enforcement accountability with safeguards against bad-faith accusations.
HB360 amends KRS 15.391 and related statutes to expand the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council’s authority over peace officer certification, including automatic and discretionary revocation, reporting duties for agencies, hearing procedures, appeal rights, and reinstatement standards. It also creates a new cause of action in KRS Chapter 411 for false reports to the council and adds that claim to the three-year limitations period in KRS 413.115. In addition, it revises the definition of “police officer” in KRS 15.420 for purposes of retirement-related provisions, broadening the list of covered law enforcement positions.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the bill’s sentiment must be inferred from its text alone. The measure appears to reflect a strong policy interest in police accountability, certification integrity, and timely reporting of misconduct, while also including procedural protections for officers and a remedy for malicious false reporting. That combination suggests a generally serious, reform-minded approach with an effort to address fairness concerns for officers.
The most likely points of contention are the expanded grounds for decertification, especially the definitions of professional malfeasance and nonfeasance, the treatment of resignation or retirement during investigations, and the requirement that agencies report qualifying conduct within 15 days. Law enforcement agencies may be concerned about administrative burden, evidentiary standards, and the risk of decertification based on internal findings, while officer advocates may focus on due process, appeal rights, and the new civil cause of action for false reports. The bill also could prompt debate over whether the council should have authority to suspend agencies from the Kentucky Law Enforcement Foundation Program fund for noncompliance.