Kentucky lawmakers have advanced two bills aimed at combating the rise in educator sexual misconduct, with House Bill 4 making it a criminal offense for the first time and House Bill 253 banning schools from using non-disclosure agreements to cover up misconduct. The bills also aim to prevent offenders from transferring from school to school. Other bills, including House Bill 443, would explicitly punish school employees for sending or engaging in sexual activity with a student under Kentucky's rape and sodomy laws. The push comes as multiple cases of sexual abuse have emerged across the state.