---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to child welfare."
description: "AN ACT relating to child welfare."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2021RS"
identifier: "HB 448"
citation: "Kentucky HB 448 (2021RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Children and Minors", "Courts", "Mental Health", "State Agencies"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["A. Bowling", "B. Reed", "B. Wesley", "D. Bentley", "D. Frazier", "D. Lewis", "DJ Johnson", "J. Bray", "J. Decker", "J. Tipton", "K. Moser", "M. Prunty", "N. Kirk-McCormick", "R. Goforth", "S. Sharp", "S. Westrom", "T. Smith", "W. Lawrence"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 21
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-02-09T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-03-22T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/af77bafa-02f6-430a-ab7f-cd70803bc668"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/21RS/hb448.html"
source_hash: "e0fa7946bd4e441d19ce69daa03b55442dae6ae9f59f1cd80289ed5035799ebc"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky HB 448 (2021RS) — AN ACT relating to child welfare.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/21RS/hb448/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 61** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/21RS/documents/0061.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/21RS/hb448/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- PASS HB 448 — **pass** (pass) · lower
- Pass — **pass** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- A. Bowling — primary (person)
- B. Reed — primary (person)
- B. Wesley — primary (person)
- D. Bentley — primary (person)
- D. Frazier — primary (person)
- D. Lewis — primary (person)
- DJ Johnson — primary (person)
- J. Bray — primary (person)
- J. Decker — primary (person)
- J. Tipton — primary (person)
- K. Moser — primary (person)
- M. Prunty — primary (person)
- N. Kirk-McCormick — primary (person)
- R. Goforth — primary (person)
- S. Sharp — primary (person)
- S. Westrom — primary (person)
- T. Smith — primary (person)
- W. Lawrence — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-02-09T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in House `introduction`
- **2021-02-09T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** to Health & Family Services (H) `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-24T05:00:00+00:00** posted in committee
- **2021-02-25T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2021-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, March 1, 2021
- **2021-03-01T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 92-0 with Committee Substitute `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2021-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-03T05:00:00+00:00** to Health & Welfare (S) `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-11T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-12T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2021-03-12T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Monday, March 15, 2021
- **2021-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** passed over and retained in the Consent Orders of the Day `passage`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 36-0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2021-03-22T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (ActsCh. 61) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/af77bafa-02f6-430a-ab7f-cd70803bc668`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).