20 Dec Face It 2025 Policy Priorities

The 2025 Kentucky state legislative session begins on January 7th. As a 30-day non-budget session, this year presents a critical opportunity to strengthen policies that reduce risks to child safety and ensure Kentucky’s children are protected from abuse and exploitation.

Join the Face It Policy Team in advocating for the following policy priorities during this session to keep Kentucky’s children safe and free of harm:

Reducing the Risk of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in Schools
Schools should be a safe environment for children to learn and thrive. Allowing individuals who have a history of sexual misconduct to work in an environment with vulnerable children puts them at a higher risk of harm. In order to create a safer school environment, Kentucky should:

– Strengthen hiring practices by requiring thorough background and reference checks for all public and private school employees.
– Ensure transparency by mandating that applicants disclose any past investigations or actions related to sexual misconduct.
– Promote prevention through comprehensive training for educators on recognizing and responding to sexual misconduct, grooming behaviors, and inappropriate communication.

House Bill 36, sponsored by Representative James Tipton, will ensure appropriate disclosures, checks, and training are complete for potential public and private school employees.

Boosting Child Safety Online by Addressing Sexual Extortion

The rise of online sexual extortion, or “sextortion,” poses a growing threat to Kentucky’s youth. Digital platforms have created easily accessible spaces where predators exploit children through coercion and manipulation.To protect children from online exploitation, Kentucky should:

– Hold offenders accountable by establishing sexual extortion as a felony under state law.
– Strengthen legal tools by including sexual extortion within the definition of a “sex crime,” ensuring these cases are prosecuted with the seriousness they deserve.
– Empower families and schools by developing and distributing educational materials that help parents, guardians, and youth recognize warning signs, understand the risks, and know how to seek help.

Senate Bill 73, sponsored by Senator Julie Raque Adams, will increase awareness of and ensure appropriate responses to sexual extortion.

How You Can Advocate for Kentucky’s Kids

Ready to make a difference? Here’s how you can advocate for Kentucky’s children:

1. Review the 2025 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children state policy priority fact sheets.
2. Find Your Legislator – Use this Look Up Tool to identify who represents you in Frankfort.
3. Write or Call Your Legislator – Share why these policy changes are critical to protecting Kentucky’s kids. This can be daunting so here are some tips.
4. Stay Connected – Track the progress of Face It policy priorities and other bills that impact children through the Kentucky Youth Advocates General Assembly Bill Tracker.
5. Attend Advocacy Events – Join Children’s Advocacy Week in March to unite with advocates from across the state and speak up for Kentucky’s children.

Moving Forward Together

The Face It Policy Team is committed to working with partners, policymakers, and community advocates to advance these priorities. Together, we can ensure that Kentucky’s children are safer both in schools and online.

Stay tuned for additional items that the policy team is following and supporting as the legislative session progresses. Follow along through Face It’s blog, social media updates, and Face It Friday emails for opportunities to take action and stay informed.