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FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – Bipartisan legislation sponsored by State Sens. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, and Steve West, R-Paris, was introduced Tuesday, which would give Kentucky’s high school coaches, parents and athletic personnel more tools to identify and combat abuse of student athletes.

The legislation, Senate Bill 120, was inspired by a Courier Journal investigation, which found at least 80 cases of alleged sexual misconduct toward a child by Kentucky middle- and high-school coaches over the past 15 years.

“High school sports should be a place where Kentucky kids are able to learn, grow, and compete in a healthy and safe environment,” said Chambers Armstrong. “This bill gives our coaches and school personnel more tools to spot and report child abuse, helping Kentucky’s student-athletes stay safe.”

Co-sponsor West noted, “Protecting our student-athletes is a responsibility we all share. This bipartisan legislation strengthens our ability to identify and report abuse, ensuring that Kentucky’s young athletes can compete in a safe and supportive environment. By equipping coaches and school personnel with the tools they need, we are taking a necessary step toward preventing harm and holding offenders accountable.”

Julian Tackett, commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletics Association, added, “Nothing is more important than the safety of these students who parents have entrusted to our school programs. Any step we can facilitate to help our school administrators, coaches, parents and students know the right steps and their obligations under current law will be beneficial to students.”

The bipartisan bill, which has the full support of the Kentucky High School Athletics Association, would include providing dedicated training on reporting child abuse for all school personnel involved in high school athletics.

The measure has not yet been assigned to a committee.