Of the nearly 800 bills introduced in the 2026 General Assembly session, the thread of child protection runs through several. These bills also indicate a new and dangerous technological universe inhabited by kids that has necessitated such protections in the first place.
Consider that last week, the House unanimously passed HB 4 — the Anti-Grooming Bill. The bill defines grooming behavior as a “course of conduct directed at a minor that is intended to establish an emotional connection with that minor through manipulation, trust-building, or influence to either facilitate future acts of sexual conduct or to normalize or desensitize the minor to sexual conduct.” This is the first time such a bill has been introduced in Kentucky because it wasn’t as widespread an issue a few years ago.
Kentucky legislators are also addressing cultural forces that increasingly threaten minors. HB 360 prohibits children from being exposed to sexually explicit performances by banning such performances in public or in places where minors could be present. Most would agree that children should not be exposed to sexually explicit performances, yet the perennial attempt at similar restrictions has failed to pass, largely due to language that’s on shaky constitutional grounds.
It’s not just Republicans taking the lead. Several Kentucky House Democrats signed on to HB 154, which removes the statute of limitations to sue for childhood sexual abuse and assault. Many survivors of sexual abuse carry shame and trauma for years before they come forward to share their stories, and this bill would allow them to sue for damages.
HB 366 increases penalties related to possessing or viewing content of a sexual performance by a minor. It updates current law by including computer-generated images of minors. Technology is rapidly advancing and the law must catch up. HB 366 also requires that individuals convicted of these crimes serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before being eligible for probation or parole. The bill unanimously passed the State House last week.
Another bill increases penalties for child sexual abusers to a new level. HB 399 proposes to make first degree sexual abuse a capital offense when the victim is under 12 years old. According to the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 870 cases of child sexual abuse in Kentucky in 2023.
Children are made vulnerable by living in a new social media universe. Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat introduce a new way of participating in and understanding the world. They also give child predators access to children. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) tracked online enticement and related categories that often encompass grooming behavior and found that in the first six months of 2025 their CyberTipline received 518,720 online enticement reports (up 56% compared to the first half of 2024).
HB 227 addresses the growing body of evidence that social media is harmful to minors. The bill would prohibit children under the age of 15 from using social media without parental permission and would place the burden of age verification on social media companies.
This shift in responsibility is significant. For too long, Big Tech has built platforms designed to capture and monetize attention without regard to the negative impacts, especially on children. Algorithms are engineered to keep users scrolling, feeding them content tailored to their interests. For young girls, constant exposure to curated images fosters unhealthy comparison and anxiety. For all children, the addictive design meant to keep them online for hours on end can negatively impact attention spans and mental health.
Just a few weeks ago, TikTok reached a settlement in a high-profile lawsuit brought by a California resident who claimed that social media platforms, including TikTok, were designed to be addictive and that this design contributed to mental health harms including anxiety and depression.
The United States lags behind other nations in confronting social media harms. Australia banned social media use for those under age 16. Great Britain appears to be following suit. Kentucky’s HB 227 is a step toward recognizing that protecting children online is just as important as protecting them at the playground.
Taken together, these bills address cultural shifts and technological threats to child safety. Children are not consumers to be targeted, nor objects to be exploited. They are vulnerable image-bearers of God and they need special protection in the online world.