Direct the Department for Libraries and Archives and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to cooperate in exploring ways to increase enrollment in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Program; direct the department and the cabinet to submit a report on the progress of identifying ways of increasing enrollment in the program to the Governor and the Legislative Research Commission by November 1, 2026.
Amend KRS 159.075 to require a school district to take the necessary steps to ensure that a child of a military family who has an individualized education program or section 504 plan shall receive comparable services when the child begins school; amend KRS 200.664 to require a point of entry to take the necessary steps to ensure that a child with an individualized family services plan shall receive comparable services prior to the child's arrival to their new location.
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 61 to prohibit public agencies from denying permits or licenses for reasons not specified by law; implement a 30-day time frame for ruling on applications for a permit or license if no time frame is otherwise specified by law; establish procedures for applications for a permit or license which are not ruled upon during the applicable time frame or are denied; for appeal process.
Amend KRS 216B.040 to require that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services conduct public hearings on certificate of need applications as requested by applicants and by holders of certificates of need and licenses; amend KRS 216B.062 to require a final decision within 90 days; amend KRS 216B.085 to require that only the applicant may request a public hearing; require that notice of the public hearing be given only to the applicant; require that only the applicant have the right to be represented by counsel and to present evidence and arguments at the public hearing; require that the cabinet notify only the applicant of the decision and that the decision is final unless a request for reconsideration is filed by only the applicant; amend KRS 216B.090 to permit only the applicant to request a hearing for purposes of reconsideration of the cabinet; amend KRS 216B.095 to delete notice of a cabinet decision regarding a request for a nonsubstantive review to any affected party; amend KRS 216B.115 to permit an appeal to the Franklin Circuit Court by the applicant of any final decision of the cabinet regarding an application to be made.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 150 to define terms; require that any permit issued to take a lower Ohio River trophy catfish shall expire on May 31, 2027; prohibit the issuance or reissuance of an any lower Ohio River trophy catfish permits after that date; after the effective date of the Act, prohibit the transfer or reissuance of any lower Ohio River trophy catfish permit; prohibit the transportation of live trophy catfish except by boat while in the course of legally fishing; amend KRS 150.990 to make a violation of the prohibition on transporting live trophy catfish a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class D felony for each subsequent offense.
Establish the Child Welfare and Family Court Reform Task Force; establish duties and membership; require the task force to meet monthly during the 2026 Interim of the General Assembly and submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2026.
Amend KRS 161.155 to allow school district employees to use sick leave for observance of religious holidays not otherwise included on the school's calendar if the employee submits a personal statement verifying the observance and gives advance notice to the district; permit local school districts to compensate teachers and employees prior to retirement for accrued accumulated sick leave above 15 days at up to 30% of the teacher's or employee's daily wage; provide that compensation for sick leave compensated prior to retirement shall not impact retirement benefits or contributions to the Teachers' Retirement System or County Employees Retirement System and shall be considered as payment for services rendered; require the Kentucky Department of Education to annually report to the Legislative Research Commission on school districts who have established a program to compensate unused sick leave prior to retirement; amend KRS 78.616 and 161.220 to conform and to make technical amendments.
Amend KRS 161.540 to specify payment obligations for the inclusion of annual leave payments in a retiring member's pension benefits from the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) by requiring the state to pay the actuarial costs for annual leave accrued through July 31, 2026, and the last employer pay the actuarial costs for annual leave accrued on or after August 1, 2026.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to establish the Adult Workforce Diploma Pilot Program; define terms; establish the Adult Workforce Diploma Pilot Program fund; establish eligibility criteria for the program; direct the Education and Labor Cabinet to administer the program; provide payments to program providers for students who complete specified milestones; require program result reporting to the Kentucky Board of Education, the Secretary of State, and the Legislative Research Commission; specify a program end date of July 1, 2029.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 189 to require the Transportation Cabinet conduct a quality assurance check 6 months after each highway pavement marking or other highway paint application; require the Transportation Cabinet repair or reapply the highway pavement markings within 30 days of a failed quality assurance check.
Create a new section of KRS 186.400 to 186.640 to define "communication disorder"; establish that at the time of application for an instruction permit, operator's license, or personal identification card a person may choose to have a notation on the document indicating that they have a communication disorder; direct that no fee shall be charged for the inclusion or removal of a notation; provide that a person may request removal of the notation; direct that the Department of Kentucky State Police shall implement training on interacting with persons who have a communication disorder; amend KRS 186.531 to conform; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2027.
Direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet's Division of Water to prepare and submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission by December 15, 2026, on recommendations for state and local governments to more easily access public waterways after flooding for debris removal and clean-up.
