AN ACT relating to constables.
     Amend KRS 15.315, relating to the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, to add two constables to the council KRS 16.220 to include constables among the recipients of grants from firearm sales; amend KRS 61.315, relating to death benefits for peace officers, to include constables and deputy constables; amend KRS 61.362, relating to agreements with peace officers and residential property owners, to enforce law on residential property to include constables; amend KRS 64.200, relating to constable financial record management, to specify that the constable pays funds to the county treasurer for inclusion in a constable account to be used by the constable for expenses; amend KRS 65.255, relating to cooperative utilization of peace officers, to add a constable who is a certified peace officer or qualified constable; amend KRS 70.036, relating to sheriff uniforms, to include constable uniforms and require county to pay for uniform for certified peace officer constables and qualified constables and deputies and "qualified" constable basic training; amend KRS 70.320, relating to deputy constables, to specify salaries for the constable and qualified deputy constables, to permit specified numbers of qualified deputy constables, to permit a qualified deputy constable to serve without salary; and to specify that excess fees are returned to the county each fiscal year; create a new section of KRS Chapter 70 to create a course of 40 hours and an annual 40-hour in-service training to maintain the qualified status for constables and deputy constables; specify that a constable who is a certified peace officer is automatically a qualified constable; create a new section of KRS Chapter 422, relating to service of process, to have person seeking process to elect the method of serving process; create a new section of KRS Chapter 65 to require a local government which maintains a public safety radio system or public safety answering point to permit constable and deputies to utilize the system and to require the county to pay costs of utilization; amend KRS 70.310, relating to bond for constables and deputies, to require all bonds to be paid by the county; amend KRS 70.320, relating to deputy constables, to permit specified numbers of deputy constables to be appointed for each constable; amend KRS 70.330 to require the Kentucky Constable Association to recommend candidates to fill a vacancy in the office of constable; amend KRS 70.430, relating to fiscal reporting by some constables, to require fiscal reporting to the county clerk by all constables; amend KRS 70.440, relating to false reporting by some constables, to include all constables; amend KRS 189.950, relating to use of blue lights and sirens by various officials, including constables, to permit use of blue lights and sirens on vehicles operated by a constable certified as a peace officer or listed as a qualified constable; amend KRS 431.005, relating to arrests, to permit constables and deputy constables who are certified peace officers or qualified constables and qualified deputy constables to make domestic violence arrests without viewing the commission of the offense; amend KRS 431.007, relating to peace officers operating in another jurisdiction in Kentucky, to make arrests to include a constable or deputy constable certified as a peace officer and a constable and deputy constable listed as a qualified constable or qualified deputy constable; amend KRS 64.200 to conform; repeal KRS 64.190, relating to constable fees.

     (Prefiled by the sponsor(s).)

     Oct 3-To: Interim Joint Committee on Local Government
     Jan 8-introduced in Senate; to Judiciary (S)