The Kentucky House of Representatives passed a KLC initiative on Tuesday that could lessen wait times at the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) academy. Representative Kimberly Moser (R-Taylor Mill) sponsored House Bill 565 to allow online options for some law enforcement training courses.

“House Bill 565 modernizes some training at the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) by allowing some online course,” Moser stated. “This will provide new options for vital training that can often be difficult to schedule and can require extensive travel for an officer.”

The measure could help ease delays at the academy. Due to demand, new officers must wait several months for a spot in a class.

House Bill 565 requires DOCJT to create administrative regulations that establish 10% of basic training hours online no later than January 1, 2024, and 30% of annual in-service course instruction online by no later than January 1, 2025.

DOCJT would create reasonable procedures and rules to ensure attendance, active participation, and successful mastery of subject matters presented in the online courses. The online coursework would not require the demonstration of diminishable skills.

The bill also clarifies that DOCJT would ensure that people with VA benefits can continue to take classes in person if the US Department of Veterans Affairs does not consider online courses as required independent study.

Representatives voted 61-31 to approve the measure that now heads to the Senate.