{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-67c.319","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 67C.319","heading":"Rules for qualification, appointment, and discipline of officers -- Chief","body":"examiner -- Promotional examinations -- Review of results -- Filling\npromotional vacancies.\n(1) Every consolidated local government police force merit system board create d shall\nmake, promulgate, and when necessary, amend rules for the qualifications, original\nappointment, probation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay -off, reinstatement,\nsuspension, and removal of the officers covered by KRS 67C.303, 67C.305,\n67C.307, and 67C.309. No rule or regulation made, promulgated, or amended by\nany consolidated local government police force merit system board shall be\ninconsistent with the express provisions of this chapter. The board shall publish its\nrules and any amendments and shall supply certified copies to the mayor, legislative\ncouncil, and the police chief and shall post a copy conspicuously in the office or\nplace where the headquarters of the consolidated local government police is\nmaintained. The copies of the rules and ame ndments shall be distributed and posted\nin the manner prescribed within three (3) days after adoption.\n(2) The rules in addition to other matters shall specifically provide for and cover the\nfollowing:\n(a) Physical, mental, educational, citizenship, and ag e requirements for new\nofficers;\n(b) Physical, mental, educational, citizenship, age, and length of service\nrequirements for promotion from lower to higher rank or classification;\n(c) A requirement that police officers, since their most recent date of entr y into\nthat rank, have at least:\n1. Five (5) years of continuous service as police officers before being\neligible for promotion to the rank of sergeant; and\n2. One (1) year of continuous service as police sergeants before being\neligible for promotion to the rank of lieutenant;\n(d) Provision for open, competitive, written, oral, and other mental and physical\nexaminations to determine the relative fitness of all candidates for original\nappointment and for promotion;\n(e) A requirement of public notice of all e xaminations to be given by the merit\nboard;\n(f) Organization and meetings of the board; and\n(g) Procedure and conduct of public hearings.\n(3) The board, with the approval of the mayor, shall employ a chief examiner who shall\nbe professionally qualified and  experienced in the field of testing and who shall\nformulate, give, grade, and administer all written or other examinations as required\nby the board.\n(4) Physical fitness for promotion shall be presumed unless certified to the contrary by\nthe chief of police who shall supply the board with medical records of the disability.\n(5) At least ninety (90) days' notice shall be given before a promotional examinatio n is\nconducted.\n(6) Promotional tests shall be graded, as determined by the board, to include scores on\nthe written, oral, or other examination components. In addition, seniority shall be\nawarded for each year of full -time continuous service since being hi red as a police\nrecruit or police officer. If the candidate has been rehired after a period of\nseparation, seniority for promotional tests shall be calculated from the most recent\nhire date. The results of the written, oral, or other examination components  shall be\ncombined with the seniority component to determine the applicant's final earned\nrating. The board shall determine the weight for each component of the final earned\nrating, including seniority. The weight assigned to seniority as a component shall\nnot exceed ten percent (10%) of the maximum number of points attainable for all\nexamination components combined. If the number of candidates exceeds the\nnumber of positions in the rank for which the candidates are being tested, the chief\nexaminer may set a cut -off score on any of the tests, excluding seniority, that\ncandidates must meet or exceed in order for them to progress in the selection\nprocess. The cut -off score shall be set such that the number of candidates equals\none-half (1/2) the number of positions in the rank for which the candidates are being\ntested, that number to be rounded up, at the time of the posting. If ties exist at the\ncut-off score, individuals having tied scores shall progress in the selection process.\n(7) Promotional eligibility l ists shall contain the names of successful candidates in the\norder of their standing through examination. An individual's results and ratings are\nsubject to review by the individual candidate but are otherwise confidential.\n(8) The chief examiner shall com pile the results of all examinations. Upon completion\nof grading of examinations, candidates shall be informed by mail of the final\nevaluated rating attained and their individual ranking on the eligibility list. An\napplicant may, by appointment, discuss hi s or her examination results within the\noffices of the chief examiner during business hours at any time when such review\nwill not interfere with the work of the board. Such review must be requested within\nten (10) calendar days following the establishment of the eligibility list. The board\nshall make examination questions and answers available for inspection by the\napplicant upon the filing of a written challenge.\n(9) In filling promotional vacancies, the chief of police shall select from not more than\nfive (5) candidates graded highest on the appropriate eligibility list. The board shall\ndetermine the justification for not promoting a candidate with the higher evaluated\nrating who has been certified for promotion four (4) times. If the board determines\nthat the candidate's nonpromotion is unjustified or unsupported by the evidence, the\ncandidate shall be promoted. The certified rank list for promotions shall be valid for\ntwo (2) years and shall not be extended. All promotional vacancies shall be filled\nwithin sixty (60) days of the vacancy.\n(10) For the purposes of this section:\n(a) \"Continuous service\" means the period of time in which a police officer has\nbeen employed full -time in that position with the consolidated local\ngovernment police department witho ut separation. Continuous service shall\nnot be broken if an employee, who has been involuntarily terminated, is\nreinstated by legal process; and\n(b) \"Separation\" means removal from employment as a police officer but shall not\ninclude lawful leaves of absen ce from duty such as military leave, medical\nleave, or other lawful absences where return to duty is ordinarily expected.","path":["KRS Chapter 67C"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=47724","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:49:29Z","sha256":"9b503533b8873a03c88cb0385c906c37c4183b7b1445b123717c2984c6e8f36b","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-67c.317","next":"us-ky/krs-67c.321"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}