Kentucky Senate passes bill to provide liability insurance to teachers

The Kentucky Senate on Friday passed a bill that would require school districts to provide teachers with at least $1 million in primary liability coverage and would establish a fund providing an additional $1 million in excess liability coverage.

The primary coverage would protect certified employees of each school district in the state from liability arising in the “course and scope” of their employment.

Senate Bill 3 would also establish an Educators Employment Liability Insurance Program, administered by the Kentucky Department of Education, that would provide excess coverage to protect “all certified employees of Kentucky public schools from liability for judgments or settlements.”

Under the bill, the department would have until July 1 to have secured at least $1 million per occurrence and $3 million in aggregate excess liability insurance for each certified employee.

The bill passed by a 32-0 vote in the Senate and moves on to the House.