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HB 623KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState Billdead
Did Not Advance

Kentucky HB 623 protects crime-victim employees from workplace retaliation for attending court

Original title: AN ACT relating to leave from employment.

Last action · February 19, 2026: to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)Sponsor: Rachel Roarx

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Kentucky HB 623 prohibits employers from discharging, discriminating, or retaliating against crime-victim employees who take leave to attend legal proceedings associated with prosecuting the crime. The measure requires employees to provide reasonable notice or documentation, allows employers to require accrued paid leave, and establishes civil penalties and lawsuits for violations.

Why it matters

Crime victims who are employed gain explicit statutory protection against job loss and workplace retaliation when attending necessary court hearings or investigative proceedings. Employers face potential civil lawsuits, back pay orders, attorney fees, and civil penalties ranging from $100 to $1,000 per offense for violations or breaches of confidentiality.

Background
  • The Kentucky General Assembly is the state legislature responsible for enacting and amending state statutes regarding labor and employment. context
  • KRS Chapter 337 governs labor standards, wages, and workplace leave requirements within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Crime-victim employees

Crime-victim employees gain explicit statutory protections against workplace retaliation, discharge, and confidentiality breaches when taking leave to attend legal proceedings.

Directly affected

Employers

Employers must grant approved leave, maintain strict confidentiality of employee records, and face potential civil penalties, lawsuits, back pay, and attorney fees for violations.

Directly affected

Education and Labor Cabinet

The cabinet is responsible for imposing civil penalties for violations in accordance with KRS 336.985.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What notice must an employee give before taking crime victim leave?
An employee must give reasonable notice of intent to take leave by providing a copy of the scheduled hearing notice provided by the court or agency. If prior notice is not practicable, documentation must be provided within two business days after returning to work.
Can an employer require an employee to use paid time off for this leave?
Yes. An employee may elect to use, or an employer may require the employee to use, accrued vacation time, personal leave time, , or sick leave time.
What penalties can an employer face for violating these leave provisions?
Employers who willfully and intentionally violate retaliation or confidentiality rules may face civil lawsuits for actual damages and injunctions, court costs, attorney fees, reemployment orders, back pay, and civil penalties between $100 and $1,000 per offense assessed by the Education and Labor Cabinet.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

2 actions
  1. Feb 19, 2026HouseCommittee
    to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
  2. Feb 11, 2026HouseIntroduced
    introduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Rachel RoarxHouse · District 38DemocraticPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Expansion of Protected Crime Victim Leave

The bill broadens worker protections by explicitly prohibiting employer retaliation, requiring strict confidentiality of employee leave records, and tying specific civil penalties to violations.

Education and Labor CabinetCircuit Court

Connected Entities

Circuit Court, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Education and Labor Cabinet
locationCircuit Court“Court where civil lawsuits for damages and injunctions may be filed”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky“Legislative body enacting the bill”Map →
OrganizationEducation and Labor Cabinet“Cabinet responsible for imposing civil penalties under KRS 337.990”Map →

Sources

Open source document

apps.legislature.ky.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
  • Controversy25
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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