Public school teachers in Kentucky would have employment liability coverage offered by the state under a bill that passed the House budget committee Tuesday.
According to a release, the Educators Employment Liability Insurance Program that would be created by House Bill 508 would provide up to $2 million in liability coverage for each certified public school employee in the state as of this July.
House Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade, who co-sponsored the bill, said they traveled across the state and spoken to educators and the two things that kept coming up the most were out-of-pocket expenses for classroom materials and out-of-pocket expenses for liability insurance. He added the easiest one to do this session was the liability insurance part.
Legislators say House Bill 508 would appropriate $7 million in funding form the state Budget Reserve Trust Fund for the program over the next fiscal year, per the bill. Future funding could come from the state General Fund, gifts, and grants from public and private sources, and federal funds.
When state Representative Kelly Flood of Lexington asked why the legislation is being introduced this session instead of during the 2020 Regular Session when the General Assembly will consider the next two-year state budget, Meade replied to “give those teachers some peace of mind.”
Meade said the state fund will fix a gap in coverage between other sources of liability insurance for teachers — including the Kentucky Education Association, homeowner insurance policies, among other sources.
House Bill 508 now goes to the full House for its consideration.
