SB 168 amends two Kentucky transportation statutes (KRS 186.230 and 186.120) to replace gendered terms like "he," "his," and "him" with gender-neutral language. It directly affects county clerks who administer vehicle registration and licensing under these statutes. The bill makes no changes to policies, fees, or procedures - only updates the language to be inclusive. This is a technical correction to align with modern standards for gender-neutral writing.
SB 139 updates Kentucky's fire protection district laws to use gender-neutral language. It revises KRS 75.160 by replacing phrases like "he or she" with inclusive terms when describing fire department chiefs and their duties. The bill does not change any actual powers, responsibilities, or enforcement authority for fire department members. It directly affects how fire protection district personnel are referenced in state law, ensuring terminology aligns with modern standards. This is a procedural language update with no impact on substantive policy or public safety operations.
Establish Subtitle 13 of KRS Chapter 286, the Kentucky Financial Services Code, and create new sections to regulate earned wage access services; define terms; establish exemptions from the subtitle; establish licensing requirements for certain earned wage access services providers; establish requirements for change of control of a licensee; provide circumstances under which the commissioner of the Department of Financial Institutions is authorized to take adverse action, enter emergency orders, deny a license, or take other regulatory actions; authorize licensees and other persons aggrieved by a final decision of the commissioner to request an administrative hearing; establish trade practice requirements for earned wage access services providers; require licensees to maintain an agent in this state for service of process; require an annual report by licensees; require the commissioner to make and publish an analysis and recapitulation of the annual reports submitted by licensees; establish recordkeeping requirements for licensees; provide that certain information is confidential and not subject to disclosure; authorize the commissioner to promulgate administrative regulations for the proper conduct of business under the subtitle and to conduct examinations and investigations; prohibit a licensee from being subject to liability for an act or omission made in conformity with a notice, opinion, or interpretation issued by the commissioner; establish civil and criminal penalties; provide that a contract made in violation of the subtitle is void; amend KRS 286.4-410, 286.11-007, and 371.150 to conform; authorize certain earned wage access providers to continue to act without a license during initial implementation; provide that Sections 1 to 26 may be cited as the Kentucky Earned Wage Access Services Act.
SB 173 creates a program through which the Kentucky Board of Education helps certified teachers purchase personal computers at discounted rates. The bill requires the Board to secure the lowest prices via competitive bidding and arrange vendor-provided training on computer use. This directly affects all certified teachers in Kentucky by providing financial assistance and technical support for personal computer purchases. The legislation amends KRS 156.690 to establish this specific teacher support program, with no mention of gender-neutral language in the actual bill text (contrary to the abstract).
SB 184 is a technical correction to Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 214.630, updating wording about fee waivers for indigent defendants in health services cases. It clarifies that courts must waive all fees and costs for people unable to pay and require court-appointed attorneys from the Department of Public Advocacy. This bill does not change eligibility for fee waivers or create new obligations - it only fixes a minor error in existing law. The change has no substantive policy impact, as it aligns the statute’s language with current practice.
SB 187 amends Kentucky's retirement statute (KRS 61.530) to replace gendered terms like "his or her" with gender-neutral language. This change directly affects all state employees covered by Kentucky's retirement system who may have been referenced under the current gendered phrasing. The bill's sole provision updates the statutory language to be inclusive, without altering any retirement benefits, eligibility rules, or contribution requirements. It is a procedural update to modernize the law's wording, not a substantive policy change. The bill is currently in committee review after its February 2025 introduction.
SB 158 amends Kentucky law to replace gendered language ("his or her") with gender-neutral terms in a program that provides certified teachers with assistance to purchase computers. The bill directly affects all Kentucky certified teachers by updating the statutory description of the existing computer purchase program. Key provisions require the Kentucky Board of Education to negotiate competitive prices for computers and arrange vendor training for participating teachers. This change removes gendered pronouns from the law while maintaining the program's core mechanism of supporting teacher technology access.
SB 140 updates Kentucky's veterans' bonus law (KRS 40.050) by replacing gendered terms like "his or her" with gender-neutral language throughout the statute. This change affects all veterans and beneficiaries referenced in the law, including those receiving payments for active duty service or surviving family members of veterans who died in service. The bill does not alter any benefit amounts ($9/month for domestic service, $15/month for overseas), eligibility rules, or payment caps ($300 or $500 maximum). It solely modernizes the statutory language to be inclusive, with no policy or financial changes.
SB 156 amends Kentucky Revised Statute 56.020 to replace gendered language ("He or she") with gender-neutral terms in administrative procedures. The bill specifically updates the Secretary of State's duties regarding the recording and indexing of state-owned property records. This change directly affects how the Secretary of State's office manages and documents land or building records for state government use. The bill does not alter substantive policy but modernizes existing language in state administrative law. (2 sentences, as it is a procedural amendment to statutory language).
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 189 to define terms; establish that automated license plate readers (ALPRs) shall only be used as set forth in this section; ALPRs may be deployed and maintained for the purposes of protecting public safety, conducting criminal investigations, ensuring compliance with law, regulating parking, controlling acess to secured areas, deterring crime and theft, and the Transportation Cabinet's toll collection activities; establish a 90-day data storage limit unless being used for criminal prosecutions or toll collection; prohibit the selling of data obtained by ALPRs and prohibit sharing of data except with law enforcement officers or agencies; require law enforcement agencies and neighborhood associations to adopt and publish a written policy for the use of ALPR systems; amend KRS 189.990 to add a penalty for improper use of an ALPR or captured license plate data.
SB 141 amends Kentucky law (KRS 36.230) to replace gendered terms like "his or her" with gender-neutral language regarding the Civil Air Patrol unit within the Department of Military Affairs. This change directly affects the unit's commanding officer and administrative structure by updating the statutory language to be inclusive. The bill does not alter program operations or create new requirements, only revising the existing statute's wording to use gender-neutral terms. It is a procedural update to align the law with modern inclusive language standards.
Create a new section of KRS 186.400 to 186.640 to require the Transportation Cabinet establish at least one permanent driver license regional office in each county with a population of 50,000 or more; create a new section of KRS Chapter 186 to require the Transportation Cabinet establish a mutual agreement with county clerks to issue operator's licenses and personal identification cards in each county that does not have a driver licensing regional office; amend KRS 186.531 to conform; amend KRS 186.577 to require that all driver vision testing results be disclosed to the driver in a private area; require each driver license regional office be equipped with adequate vision testing equipment; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2026.
