AN ACT relating to the awarding of a medal of distinction by the General Assembly.

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AN ACT relating to the awarding of a medal of distinction by the General 1
Assembly. 2
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 3
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 2 IS CREATED TO 4
READ AS FOLLOWS: 5
(1) The Kentucky General Assembly Medal of Distinction is hereby created. 6
(2) Persons eligible to receive the medal include: 7
(a) Present members of the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard, 8
or a reserve component of the Armed Forces or National Guard , and 9
veterans of those services who were separated or released therefrom with an 10
honorable discharge, discharge under honorable conditions, or general 11
discharge under honorable conditions, and are stationed or otherwise 12
residing in the Commonwealth of Ken tucky or were born in the 13
Commonwealth; 14
(b) Present and former first responders operating in the Commonwealth of 15
Kentucky, including firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, 16
ambulance services personnel, peace officers, sheriffs, public safety 17
telecommunicators, and others who are employe d or volunteer their time to 18
render aid to persons in distress; 19
(c) Citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky; and 20
(d) Entities operating within the Commonwealth of Kentucky or otherwise 21
providing services to the citizens of the Commonwealth. 22
(3) The medal shall be the preeminent award conferred by the Commonwealth and 23
may be awarded to recognize: 24
(a) The commission of a valorous or heroic deed performed in the saving of a 25
life; 26
(b) An injury or death, or having faced the threat of injury or death, in the 27
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service of the Commonwealth or the individual's community or on behalf of 1
the health, welfare, or safety of other persons; 2
(c) Service to persons within the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth as a 3
whole, or communities within the Commonwealth of such magnitude that 4
the provision of that service has substantially and remarkedly improved the 5
quality of life of persons within the Commonwealth; or 6
(d) The commission of such other meritorious acts as in the opinion of the 7
General Assembly warrant the award of the medal. 8
(4) (a) The Legislative Research Commission shall designate an interim joint 9
committee or subcommittee thereof to serve as a selection committee to 10
receive and evaluate nominations for the Kentucky General Assembly 11
Medal of Distinction submitted under paragraph (b) of this subsection. 12
(b) Any member of the General Assembly may submit written nominations for 13
the awarding of the medal to the chair or co -chair of the selection 14
committee. 15
(c) Awardees of the medal shall be designated through the passage of a 16
concurrent resolution during a regular session of the General Assembly. 17
(d) Preliminary work products of the selection committee, including submitted 18
nominations and initial drafts, shall be confidential under KRS 7.117 and 19
shall not be subject to the Ke ntucky Open Records Act, KRS 61.870 to 20
61.884. 21
(5) The Legislative Research Commission shall determine the design of the medal, 22
which shall be such that it is practical to be worn on a uniform. 23
(6) The member or members who nominate a medal awardee under s ubsection (4)(b) 24
of this section shall be personally responsible for the cost of the medal and may 25
use the allowance specified in KRS 6.220 to pay for the costs of the medal. 26
(7) State and local agencies that regulate uniforms worn by persons under their 27
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command shall allow the display of the medal upon the uniforms, but may restrict 1
the display of the medal under certain circumstances in the same manner as 2
other medals and awards worn on uniforms by persons under their command. 3