KENTUCKY — The 2025 legislative session of the Kentucky General Assembly is in the books.

This year, lawmakers in the State House and Senate, introduced 1,167 bills and resolutions for consideration.

Senate Bill 73 was sponsored by Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville. It passed out of the General Assembly with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., at the end of March. The law criminalizes sextortion, making it a sex crime and a felony. It also mandates education about sextortion in schools and in law enforcement agencies.

State Rep. Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield, is the chair of the House Standing Committee for Families & Children and joined this "In Focus Kentucky" segment to share how she led the charge in the House of Representatives to ensure SB 73's passage.

"Helping kids is my No. 1 goal," Heavrin said. "Being chair of Families and Children in the House gives me a special insight into things that are really affecting families and children across Kentucky."

"(When) Senator Raque Adams asked me to carry the bill, it was an absolute honor. During the summer, I had a Child Welfare Working Group and Kentucky State Police joined us, and they said that sextortion is one of the fastest growing crimes in Kentucky among our kids. Ultimately, it's one of the fastest growing crimes across the United States. So I think being able to hold offenders accountable under our Kentucky laws is so important, and this one allows families to have conversations with their kids about, 'Hey, this is what's going on.' But also, the biggest park was holding people accountable for their actions." 

You can watch the full In Focus Kentucky segment in the player above.