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SB143 • 2026
AN ACT relating to legislative ethics.
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
AN ACT relating to legislative ethics.
introduced in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
AN ACT relating to legislative ethics.
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 203 Page 1 of 2 XXXX 1/30/2026 9:21 AM Jacketed AN ACT relating to legislative ethics. 1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2 SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS 6.601 TO 6.849 IS CREATED TO 3 READ AS FOLLOWS: 4 (1) A legislator or legislative agent shall not intentionally engage in sexual 5 harassment of any legislator, legislative agent, or employee of the legislative 6 branch of state government. 7 (2) Violation of subsection (1) of this section by a legislator or legislative agent is 8 ethical misconduct. 9 (3) An employee of the legislative branch of state government aggrieved by a 10 violation of subsection (1) of this section may notify and seek prote ction with the 11 human resources staff of the legislative branch, and may file a claim in 12 accordance with KRS 344.200. 13 (4) As used in this section, "sexual harassment": 14 (a) Means any sexual advance, request for sexual favors, or other verbal or 15 physical conduct or communication of a sexual nature if: 16 1. Submission to the advances, requests, conduct, or communication is 17 an explicit or implicit term or condition of obtaining or retaining 18 employment; 19 2. Submission to or the rejection of advances, requests, conduct, or 20 communication affects decisions concerning a person's employment; 21 and 22 3. The conduct or communication has the purpose or the effect of: 23 a. Unreasonably interfering with the person's ability to perform his 24 or her job functions; 25 b. Creating a hostile work environment; or 26 c. The conduct or communication is sexual harassment as defined 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 203 Page 2 of 2 XXXX 1/30/2026 9:21 AM Jacketed in: 1 i. KRS Chapter 344; 2 ii. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; 3 iii. State or federal case law; 4 iv. A policy or administrative regulation enforced by the 5 federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; or 6 v. A policy or administrative regulation enforced by the 7 Kentucky Commission on Human Rights; 8 (b) Includes but is not limited to the following conduct or communication: 9 1. Unwanted sexual contact or conduct of any kind, including sexual 10 flirtations, touching, advances, actions, propositions, intercourse, or 11 assault; 12 2. Unwelcome verbal communication of a sexual nature, including l ewd 13 comments or innuendo, sexual jokes or references, or offensive 14 references; 15 3. Demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or sexually suggestive comments 16 or behavior directed at a person or in the presence of any person in a 17 public or private setting; 18 4. The display in the workplace of demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or 19 sexually suggestive objects, pictures, or photographs; 20 5. Demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or sexually suggestive written, 21 recorded, or electronically transmitted messages; or 22 6. Other co nduct or communication not specifically described in the 23 subsection but that is substantially similar to the conduct or 24 communication described in this subsection; and 25 (c) Includes a single incident described in this subsection if it is linked to an 26 employment benefit or is severe. 27