SENATE APPROVES SEN. MEREDITH BILL UPDATE STATUTES FOLLOWING CHILD SUPPORT TRANSITION
SB 198 updates statutes related to the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 11, 2026) — On Wednesday, the Senate approved Senate Bill (SB)198, legislation sponsored by Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, that updates several state statutes following the transition of child support enforcement responsibilities to the Office of the Attorney General.
The legislation aligns Kentucky law with recent structural changes that moved the state’s child support enforcement program from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the Attorney General’s Office. Lawmakers approved that transition in earlier legislation aimed at strengthening oversight and improving the efficiency of child support enforcement for Kentucky families.
“Over the past several years the General Assembly has worked to modernize how Kentucky enforces child support obligations,” Meredith said. “Senate Bill 198 continues that work by updating statutes to reflect the program’s new structure and ensuring state law aligns with the Attorney General’s responsibilities.”
SB 198 also includes several updates to state law affecting the Department of Law's operations. The bill requires staff who access federal tax information to undergo criminal background checks in order to comply with federal security requirements. In addition, the legislation clarifies that each state agency serves as the custodian of its own records and establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for certain legal actions brought by the Attorney General.
The bill makes additional technical updates to administrative procedures, including clarifying that hearing officers are not parties to court appeals of agency decisions and updating statutes to reflect the Attorney General’s responsibilities in child support enforcement.
Kentucky’s child support program serves families across the commonwealth and handled more than 220,000 cases in the most recent fiscal year, collecting more than $336 million in payments to support children and custodial parents, according to 2025 numbers from the Attorney General’s office.
SB 198 now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Learn more about bills, committees, and other important updates on the 2026 Regular Session at www.kylegislature.gov.