HB 415 — AN ACT relating to educators.

(c) 1.

High-quality, evidence-based suicide prevention training, including risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, response procedures, referral, postvention, and the recognition of signs and symptoms of possible mental illness.

2.

As used in this paragraph, "postvention" means a series of planned supports and interventions with persons affected by a suicide for the purpose of facilitating the grieving or adjustment process, stabilizing the environment, reducing the risk of negative behaviors, and limiting the risk of further suicides through contagion;

and (d) Self-study review of seizure disorder materials.

(3) (a) Each local school district superintendent shall appoint a certified school employee to fulfill the role and responsibilities of a professional development Page 12 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA coordinator who shall disseminate professional development information to schools and personnel.

Upon request by a school council or any employees of the district, the coordinator shall provide technical assistance to the council or the personnel that may include assisting with needs assessments, analyzing school data, planning and evaluation assistance, organizing districtwide programs requested by school councils or groups of teachers, or other coordination activities.

(b) The manner of appointment, qualifications, and other duties of the professional development coordinator shall be established by the local board of education.

(c) The local district professional development coordinator may participate in the Kentucky Department of Education annual training program for local school district professional development coordinators.

The training program may include but not be limited to the demonstration of various approaches to needs assessment and planning;

strategies for implementing long-term, school-based professional development;

strategies for strengthening teachers' roles in the planning, development, and evaluation of professional development;

and demonstrations of model professional development programs.

The training shall include information about teacher learning opportunities relating to the core content standards.

The department shall regularly collect and distribute this information.

(4) The department shall provide or facilitate optional, professional development programs for certified personnel throughout the Commonwealth that are based on the statewide needs of teachers, administrators, and other education personnel.

Programs may include classified staff and parents when appropriate.

Programs offered or facilitated by the department shall be at locations and times convenient to local school personnel and shall be made accessible through the use of technology Page 13 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA when appropriate.

They shall include programs that:

address the goals for Kentucky schools as stated in KRS 158.6451, including reducing the achievement gaps as determined by an equity analysis of the disaggregated student performance data from the state assessment program developed under KRS 158.6453;

engage educators in effective learning processes and foster collegiality and collaboration;

and provide support for staff to incorporate newly acquired skills into their work through practicing the skills, gathering information about the results, and reflecting on their efforts.

Professional development programs shall be made available to teachers based on their needs which shall include but not be limited to the following areas:

(a) Strategies to reduce the achievement gaps among various groups of students and to provide continuous progress;

(b) Curriculum content and methods of instruction for each content area, including differentiated instruction;

(c) School-based decision making;

(d) Assessment literacy;

(e) Integration of performance-based student assessment into daily classroom instruction;

(f) Nongraded primary programs;

(g) Research-based instructional practices;

(h) Instructional uses of technology;

(i) Curriculum design to serve the needs of students with diverse learning styles and skills and of students of diverse cultures;

(j) Instruction in reading, including phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary;

(k) Educational leadership;

and (l) Strategies to incorporate character education throughout the curriculum.

Page 14 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA (5) The department shall assist school personnel in assessing the impact of professional development on their instructional practices and student learning.

(6) (a) Upon the request of a school district or school council, the department shall assist with the development of long-term school and district improvement plans that include multiple strategies for professional development based on the assessment of needs at the school level.

(b) Professional development strategies may include but are not limited to participation in subject matter academies, teacher networks, training institutes, workshops, seminars, and study groups;

collegial planning;

action research;

mentoring programs;

appropriate university courses;

and other forms of professional development.

(c) In planning the use of the four (4) days for professional development under KRS 158.070, school councils and districts shall give priority to programs that increase teachers' understanding of curriculum content and methods of instruction appropriate for each content area based on individual school plans.

The district may use up to one (1) day to provide district-wide training and training that is mandated by state or federal law.

Only those employees identified in the mandate or affected by the mandate shall be required to attend the training.

(d) State funds allocated for professional development shall be used to support professional development initiatives that are consistent with local school improvement and professional development plans and teachers' individual growth plans.

The funds may be used throughout the year for all staff, including classified and certified staff and parents on school councils or committees.

A portion of the funds allocated to each school council under KRS 160.345 may be used to prepare or enhance the teachers' knowledge and teaching practices related to the content and subject matter that are required Page 15 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA for their specific classroom assignments.

(7) (a) The department shall develop and maintain a list of approved comprehensive evidence-informed trainings on child abuse and neglect prevention, recognition, and reporting that encompass child physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect.

(b) The trainings shall be web-based or in-person and cover, at a minimum, the following topics:

1.

Recognizing child physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect;

2.

Reporting suspected child abuse and neglect in Kentucky as required by KRS 620.030 and the appropriate documentation;

3.

Responding to the child;

and 4.

Understanding the response of child protective services.

(c) The trainings shall include a questionnaire or other basic assessment tool upon completion to document basic knowledge of training components.

(d) Each local board of education shall adopt one (1) or more trainings from the list approved by the department to be implemented by schools.

(8) (a) By May 1, 2027, the Kentucky Department of Education, in collaboration with the Education Professional Standards Board, shall develop a training for school district employees, to be available via multiple delivery options, related to appropriate relationships and communication with students, inappropriate relationships and communication with students, sexual grooming, and sexual misconduct.

Each local school district shall require all current employees to complete the training by June 30, 2027.

(b) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, every local school district shall require all new employees to undergo the training described in paragraph (a) of this subsection within ninety (90) days of the employee's initial hiring.

Any new employee who has completed the training within the prior five (5) Page 16 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA years with a previous employer shall be exempt from the requirement under this paragraph.

(c) The requirements of this subsection shall apply to public charter schools as a health and safety requirement under KRS 160.1592(1).

(9) The department shall establish an electronic consumer bulletin board that posts information regarding professional development providers and programs as a service to school district central office personnel, school councils, teachers, and administrators.

Participation on the electronic consumer bulletin board shall be voluntary for professional development providers or vendors, but shall include all programs sponsored by the department.

Participants shall provide the following information:

program title;

name of provider or vendor;

qualifications of the presenters or instructors;

objectives of the program;

program length;

services provided, including follow-up support;

costs for participation and costs of materials;

names of previous users of the program, addresses, and telephone numbers;

and arrangements required.

Posting information on the bulletin board by the department shall not be viewed as an endorsement of the quality of any specific provider or program.

(10)[(9)] The department shall provide voluntary training to address the characteristics and instructional needs of students at risk of school failure and most likely to drop out of school.

The training shall be developed to meet the specific needs of all certified and classified personnel depending on their relationship with these students.

The training for instructional personnel shall be designed to provide and enhance skills of personnel to:

(a) Identify at-risk students early in elementary schools as well as at-risk and potential dropouts in the middle and high schools;

(b) Plan specific instructional strategies to teach at-risk students;

(c) Improve the academic achievement of students at risk of school failure by Page 17 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA providing individualized and extra instructional support to increase expectations for targeted students;

(d) Involve parents as partners in ways to help their children and to improve their children's academic progress;

and (e) Significantly reduce the dropout rate of all students.

(11)[(10)] The department shall establish teacher academies to the extent funding is available in cooperation with postsecondary education institutions for elementary, middle school, and high school faculty in core disciplines, utilizing facilities and faculty from universities and colleges, local school districts, and other appropriate agencies throughout the state.

Priority for participation shall be given to those teachers who are teaching core discipline courses for which they do not have a major or minor or the equivalent.

Participation of teachers shall be voluntary.

(12)[(11)] The department shall annually provide to the oversight council established in KRS 15A.063, the information received from local schools pursuant to KRS 158.449.

Section 3.

KRS 156.492 is amended to read as follows:

(1) The Kentucky Department of Education may enter into an agreement with any building and construction trade organization to develop a training program for school counselors providing services to students in the Commonwealth.

The purpose of the training program shall be to promote building and construction trades and training facilities available to students by making school counselors aware of what is available to students participating in the building and construction trade.

The training program shall include information relating to:

(a) The pay and benefits available to people who work in the building and construction trades;

and (b) Job opportunities, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and pathways within the building and construction trade industry.

Page 18 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA (2) The participating trade organization shall ensure ample opportunities for school counselors that serve grades seven (7) through twelve (12) to complete the training created under subsection (1) of this section annually and shall bear all costs associated with the training.

The participating trade organization may choose to offer professional development opportunities to teachers who serve students in grades seven (7) through twelve (12), if resources are available for this purpose.

(3) The department shall include the training program created in this section on the electronic consumer bulletin board created pursuant to KRS 156.095[(8)] if requested by the training program.

(4) A school counselor serving students in grades seven (7) through twelve (12) may complete four (4) hours of training developed under this section which shall count towards the twenty-one (21) hours required annually pursuant to KRS 156.101(4)(b)2.

(5) Local boards of education or school-based decision making councils may incorporate this training as part of the four (4) days of professional development required pursuant to KRS 158.070(3)(a) for teachers who serve students in grades seven (7) through twelve (12) if offered by the participating trade organization.

Section 4.

Upheld by a Circuit Court in an appeal of the results of an Page 19 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA administrative hearing conducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B;

However, if an employer-employee Page 11 of 20 XXXX 1/15/2026 1:58 PM Jacketed UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1308 bargained contract contains procedures for filling certified position openings created by the resignation, dismissal, nonrenewal of contract, transfer, or death of a certified staff member, or creation of a new position for which certification is required, a vacancy shall not exist, unless certified positions remain open after compliance with those procedures.

All employees of the local district shall have the qualifications prescribed by law Page 20 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA and by the administrative regulations of the Kentucky Board of Education and of the employing board.

If the waiver is approved, the appointment shall not be made until the person recommended Page 12 of 20 XXXX 1/15/2026 1:58 PM Jacketed UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1308 for the position has been approved by the chief state school officer.

However, this shall not apply to a relative who is a classified or Page 21 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA certified employee of the school district for at least thirty-six (36) months prior to the superintendent assuming office and who is qualified for the position the employee holds.

Page 13 of 20 XXXX 1/15/2026 1:58 PM Jacketed UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1308 2.

(a) Has been convicted of an offense that would classify a person as a violent Page 22 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA offender under KRS 439.3401;

and Page 14 of 20 XXXX 1/15/2026 1:58 PM Jacketed UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1308 5.

Certified individuals who were employed in another certified position in a Kentucky school district within six (6) months of the date of hire and who had previously submitted to a national and state criminal background check and who have a clear CA/N check Page 23 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA for the previous employment;

Page 15 of 20 XXXX 1/15/2026 1:58 PM Jacketed UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1308 (d) A superintendent may require a volunteer or a visitor to submit to a national and state criminal history background check by the Department of Kentucky State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and have a clear CA/N check, provided by the individual;[ and] (e) The superintendent of a school district operating under an alternative transportation plan approved by the Kentucky Department of Education in accordance with KRS 156.153(3) shall require the driver of any non-school bus passenger vehicle authorized to transport students to and from school pursuant to the alternative transportation plan who does not have a valid commercial driver's license issued in accordance with KRS Chapter 281A with an "S" endorsement to:

Page 24 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA 1.

and (f) ForPursuant anto applicantthe forOpen Records Act, as set forth in KRS 61.870 to 61.884, a superintendent may submit to each school district that employs or previously employed a certified position:applicant and the Education Professional Standards Board a request for any records concerning disciplinary actions or professional misconduct concerning the applicant prior to extending an offer of employment.

Page 16 of 20 XXXX 1/15/2026 1:58 PM Jacketed UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1308 1.

A superintendent may contact each school district that employs or previously employed the applicant and the Education Professional Standards Board to request the applicant's personnel file or official certification file prior to extending an offer of employment;

2.

Upon request, the Education Professional Standards Board shall provide the superintendent with the applicant's official certification file, including any written admonishment or response under Section 1 of this Act;

3.

Upon request, a school district shall provide the superintendent with the applicant's personnel file, including any records the school district received from the Education Professional Standards Board concerning the applicant;

4.

If the applicant is employed by the superintendent, copies of records received under this paragraph shall be included in the personnel record of the school district unless the records would be duplicative;

and 5.

A school district, the Education Professional Standards Board, and the employees of the district or board making a disclosure pursuant to a superintendent's request under this paragraph shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as a result of making the disclosure.

Application for the criminal record and a request for a clear CA/N check of a probationary Page 1725 of 2028 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 1/15/20262/25/2026 1:583:33 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRHB 1308415/GA employee shall be made no later than the date probationary employment begins.

Any fee charged by the Department of Kentucky State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall be an Page 1826 of 2028 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 1/15/20262/25/2026 1:583:33 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRHB 1308415/GA amount no greater than the actual cost of processing the request and conducting the search.

(10) Notwithstanding any provision of the Kentucky Revised Statutes to the contrary, whenany certified or classified employee of the school district shall notify the superintendent within ten (10) business days of being[when an employee of the school district isis] charged with any offense which is classified as a felony,felony.[,] theThe superintendent may transfer the employee to a second position until such time as the employee is found not guilty, the charges are dismissed, the employee is terminated, or the superintendent determines that further personnel action is not required.

Transfers shall be Page 27 of 28 HB041510.100 - 1308 - XXXX 2/25/2026 3:33 PM GA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 415/GA made to prevent disruption of the educational process and district operations and in the interest of students and staff and shall not Page 19 of 20 XXXX 1/15/2026 1:58 PM Jacketed UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1308 be construed as evidence of misconduct.

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