Create a new section of KRS Chapter 277 to require each railroad company to destroy or remove obstructive vegetation at intersections with public roads or highways; direct the Transportation Cabinet or local government to remove obstructive vegetation if the railroad company fails to do so after receiving written notice from the cabinet or local government; establish procedures for reimbursement by the railroad company for the vegetation removal.
Urge the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville to explore opportunities to participate in the United States Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy University Program and to extend their curricula to offer courses and degree paths to train the workforce that will construct and operate the next generation of nuclear energy facilities; encourage the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville to collaborate with the United States Department of War to explore possible nuclear energy-related grant funding and research opportunities.
Authorize the Office of State Budget Director to release a portion of the moneys previously appropriated for the Kentucky Water and Wastewater Assistance for Troubled or Economically Restrained Systems Program; EMERGENCY.
Amend KRS 246.055 to authorize the Department of Agriculture to accept nonfederal funds and grants from any source, public or private, that benefit the Department's programs; EMERGENCY.
Direct the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, and Eastern Kentucky University to coordinate a search for actionable solutions to physician shortages and to explore and expand health care opportunities in medically underserved areas in collaboration with community, state agency, professional associations, and other stakeholders; require a report to the General Assembly by January 1, 2027; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY, EFFECTIVE July 1, 2026.
Amend KRS 61.598, relating to pension spiking and the definition of "bona fide promotion or career advancement," to retroactively exempt pension spiking adjustments that were due to increases in rates of pay authorized or funded by the legislative or administrative body of an employer or mandated in a collective bargaining agreement approved by the legislative body of the employer for members of the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, County Employees Retirement System, or State Police Retirement System who retired on or after July 1, 2022; require the Kentucky Public Pension Authority to review and make necessary adjustments to benefits payable on or after July 1, 2022, to impacted members; RETROACTIVE.
Amend KRS 341.243 to change the employer's contribution rate to the service capacity upgrade fund; of the rate subtracting .075% until December 31, 2026; provide that beginning January 1 2027, the rates shall be adjusted by subtracting 0.0115%; require the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet to set the adjustment percentage annually to be effective January 1 of each subsequent year, not to exceed 1.025%.
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 278 to establish the membership of the Public Service Commission; provide for the appointment, confirmation, and replacement of commissioners; establish the qualifications of the commissioners; provide for the election of the chair and the delegation of his or her duties; set the terms and term limits for commissioners; set qualifications for intervenors in cases before the commission; provide that in cases in which the Attorney General intervenes, he or she shall be the sole advocate for residential consumers; amend KRS 278.020 to increase the minimum voltage and length of electric transmission lines for which a certificate of public convenience and necessity is required for construction; amend KRS 278.040 to provide that the commission is an independent department of state government that is administratively attached to the Auditor of Public Accounts only for the limited functions and purposes that the commission requests; allow the commission, in its sole discretion, to conduct procurements under KRS Chapter 45A, identify and determine the compensation for categories of its professional employees, and engage hearing officers and other entities on a contractual basis; prohibit the commission from being reorganized under KRS Chapter 12; amend KRS 278.060 to prohibit the immediate family members of commissioners from having any official relationship to any utility; allow for a commissioner or an immediate family member to have a pension or a retirement savings account with utility as long as no contributions have been made to it for at least 1 year prior to the commissioner's appointment; amend KRS 278.070 to allow the officer who appointed a commissioner to remove the commissioner for cause; amend KRS 278.100 and 278.120 to allow the commission to appoint and have sole discretion in fixing the compensation of the executive director; require the executive director to be subject to confirmation by the Senate; amend KRS 278.702, 12.020, 43.015, 64.640, 160.617, and 224.10-022 to conform; repeal KRS 278.050, relating to membership of the Public Service Commission; require the Auditor of Public Accounts to make initial appointments to the commission on or before July 1, 2026, and provide for the staggering of the appointments; allow current members of the commission to serve out the remainders of their terms provided that they meet the qualification requirements of the Act; terminate the terms of current commissioners who do not meet the qualification requirements of the Act and provide for their replacement; direct the transfer of all records, files, or documents associated with functions previously performed by the Energy and Environment Cabinet to the Auditor of Public Accounts; EMERGENCY.
Amend KRS 230.210 to define various terms; create new sections of KRS Chapter 230 to authorize the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation to regulate the conduct of fantasy contest operators; require the use of geolocation technology; require fantasy contest operators to implement procedures to prevent fraud, abuse, and money laundering; require notification to the corporation for a confirmed breach of a sport's governing body's internal rules and codes of conduct, conduct that corrupts any outcome, and confirmed illegal activities; establish licensing requirements for a fantasy contest operator; allow the corporation to promulgate administrative regulations to establish additional qualifications and requirements for licensing to preserve the integrity and security of fantasy contests; prohibit a license from being issued to a person that has been convicted of a felony, crime involving illegal gaming or gambling, or any crime involving theft or fraud; require a fantasy contest operator to conduct an independent audit; require a fantasy contest operator to be at least 21 years old; require the corporation to investigate all reasonable allegations of prohibited conduct; require each fantasy contest operator to include a statement regarding obtaining assistance with real-money gaming problems on the operator's website or mobile application; prohibit a fantasy contest operator from paying any price or award to a person who is on the self-exclusion list; create a new section of KRS Chapter 230 to establish the purse stabilization fund from fixed-odds wagers on horse racing taxes and fees; amend KRS 138.552 to define "fixed-odds wagering"; impose a 15% excise tax on the adjusted gross revenue of fixed-odds wagers on live horse racing; amend various sections of KRS Chapter 230 to establish the corporation's jurisdiction over fantasy contests and fixed-odds wagering; establish the Attorney General's concurrent jurisdiction with the Commonwealth's attorneys and county attorneys of this state for the enforcement of KRS Chapter 230 and 238; require the corporation to establish a process for the compilation, dissemination, and notification of the self-exclusion list; allow the corporation to authorize additional racing dates or amend racing dates; define "affiliate" and "beneficial interest"; prohibit an association or track or its affiliate from holding a license to conduct charitable gaming; require associations and tracks to accelerate the adoption of technologies, update the totalizator by April 1, 2027, and update technologies related to pari-mutuel wagering annually; require associations and tracks to disable all wagering simultaneously, but not later than the moment the starting gate is opened for commencement of a race; change the age of access to sports wagering from 18 to 21; allow a track to conduct fixed-odds wagering on horse racing; require a track or service provider to have a mandatory minimum hold of at least $2,000 per race; define "proposition bet"; prohibit sports wagering licensees and service providers from offering any proposition bets on individual players participating in collegiate sporting events; prohibit a track or association from participating in or contracting with platforms that offer events contracts through prediction markets; prohibit a track or association from contracting with a service provider that offers events contracts through a prediction market; amend various sections of KRS Chapter 238 to redefine "chairperson" and "charitable gaming facility"; define "licensed charitable gaming facility"; establish the power of the office relating to licensure issuance and renewal and imposing fines and penalties; require a background check for any person associated with an applicant if the corporation deems it necessary; change the distributor and manufacturer licensing fee from $1,000 to $5,000; change the charitable organization's licensing fee from $300 to $1,000; require an applicant to submit an application at least 60 days prior to the expiration of its existing license or its first expected date of operation; prohibit a person under the age of 21 from participating in the play of charitable gaming activities or events; increase the limit for a prize for an individual charity game ticket from $599 to $1,499; establish an affirmative defense for any prosecution for selling charitable gaming supplies to a minor if the sale was induced by the use of false identification; change the charitable gaming facility licensing fee from $2,500 to $5,000; prohibit an owner or affiliate of a licensed charitable gaming facility from soliciting licensed charitable organizations or holding a distributor license under KRS Chapter 238; allow the corporation to investigate and have free access to the office or place of business of a charitable gaming license or facility where licensed charitable gaming is offered; increase the administrative fine for a violation of KRS Chapter 238 from $1,000 to $5,000; allow a person to apply to the corporation for a stay of the ruling of the notice of violation; require a summary suspension to cease operations if there is an imminent risk to the health and safety of the public or a misappropriation of charitable gaming revenues; repeal and reenact KRS 238.538 to require a licensed charitable organization to only offer the play of electronic devices at locations authorized by the corporation and one additional location in either the same county or a county that is contiguous to the charitable organization's office location; require a charitable gaming facility to transfer its license first to one of the licensed charitable organizations it is affiliated with as of January 1, 2026, and next to any licensed charitable organization; prohibit a charitable gaming facility from transferring more than 3 licenses from locations where persons 21 years old and under are permitted to locations where only persons 21 years or older are permitted within 90 days of the effective date of this Act; establish the occurrences in which the play of charitable gaming devices shall be lost and forfeited at an additional location; amend KRS 243.500, 436.480, 525.090, 528.010, and 528.070 to exempt fantasy contests, fixed-odds wagering, and wagering on live horse races and historical horse races; amend KRS 2.015, 68.182, 91.202, 92.282, and 238.550 to conform; require the corporation to present a status report on the purse stabilization fund not later than November 30, 2027; provide that the Act may be cited as the Wagering Consumer Protection Act.
Amend KRS 164.2807 to provide for the administrative attachment of the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission (EPIC) to the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, and the independent functions of EPIC; require EPIC to maintain separate accounts for all funds appropriated to it; provide the executive director of EPIC with the sole authority to hire staff and retain contractors; allow the commission in its sole discretion to set compensation for its professional employees; allow the commission to conduct its own procurements and perform its own bidding and negotiations under KRS Chapter 45A; limit the membership of the EPIC board to no more than 2 members who reside outside of the Commonwealth; amend the membership of the EPIC executive committee to consist of the EPIC commission board chair, the vice chair, 2 appointees made by the Attorney General, and 1 appointee elected by the membership of the board; require, instead of allow, EPIC to employ an executive director; allow the executive director to have the full authority to act on behalf of EPIC in all matters, with the advice of the commission; specify the termination and compensation adjustment procedures for the executive director; provide that all information, records, and data submitted by utilities and produced by EPIC members and staff shall be confidential and exempt from disclosure under KRS 61.870 to 61.884; establish the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission fund and specify the purposes of the fund; make conforming changes; require the Attorney General to make appointments to the EPIC executive committee on or before August 1, 2026, and terminate the terms of the current appointees for those positions on the effective date of the Act; EMERGENCY.
Amend KRS 65.003, relating to local ethics, to specify the composition of the commission in a consolidated local government and allow the commission to use the county attorney's office for legal council by procurement methods; amend KRS 67C.103 to place controls on council district formation and redistricting and to allow regulations issued by local health boards and local solid waste management boards operating under KRS Chapter 109 or 212 that apply to individuals residing or businesses operating within the jurisdiction of the consolidated local government be subject to being overridden by the consolidated local government council within 45 days of issuance; prohibit the council from not accepting legislation with specified form requirements of KRS 83A.060; allow the consolidated local government council, or either of the 2 major political caucuses, to hire or retain legal counsel; create a new section of KRS Chapter 67C to require an office of internal audit to be created and headed by a chief audit executive who is appointed; amend KRS 67C.115 and 69.210 to conform; amend KRS 67C.111 to allow cities of 3,000, rather than 6,000, to be incorporated in the boundaries of the consolidated local government and set the petition requirement relating to incorporation to 66% rather than 75% and grant 1 year for the petition to be completed; amend KRS 67C.147 to allow the consolidated local government council to sub-classify property into land and improvements for purposes of levying the ad valorem tax within the area formerly comprising the city of the first class; establish controls on the calculation of the compensating tax rate and the 4% tax rate, and the application of the homestead exemption; outline the transition of presently serving ethics commission members; outline transition from the current chief audit executive to the appointed position.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 199 related to the quality-based graduated early care and education rating system program to establish the intent of the General Assembly related to the program; establish processes and procedures for how the program is changed by administrative regulation; require a program modernization plan and final recommendations for modernization to be created and submitted to the Legislative Research Commission; amend KRS 199.891 to define terms; create new requirements for how the Cabinet for Health and Family Services establishes and operates the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program; delete language related to a previous 1 time requirement for the cabinet to submit recommendations and best practices to the Legislative Research Commission; establish a new January 1, 2028 submission deadline for the cabinet to make publicly available a standardized application for certification and instructions for the program; establish new requirements for applications by local governments to participate in the program; require an annual report by the Cabinet for Economic Development regarding the program; amend KRS 199.8983 to increase the membership of the Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council; establish that the council shall additionally advise the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on the operations, funding, and licensing of child-care microcenters; create new sections of KRS Chapter 199 to define terms; establish licensure for child-care microcenters; establish the Kentucky Child-Care Microcenter Program to regulate the standards and operations of child-care microcenters; establish early care and education training requirements for licensed child-care providers and certified family child-care home providers; establish that the Education and Labor Cabinet shall compile, produce, and make publicly available a monthly report providing a comprehensive snapshot of all licensed and certified child care services, Head Start services, child care services regulated by the United States Department of Defense, and state-funded public preschool services operating within the Commonwealth; establish a voluntary designation process through which any licensed or certified child-care provider may identify as a faith-based program; require the Office of State Budget Director to produce a comprehensive annual report outlining all state and federal spending on child care and early childhood education services and submit it annually to the Legislative Research Commission; establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall submit an approval request to the federal Administration for Children and Families to utilize a cost estimation model to inform payment rates beginning with the fiscal year 2028-2030 Child Care and Development Fund state plan; amend KRS 199.882 to change the definitions of "contribution" and "state match" and define "third-party administrator"; amend KRS 199.883 to establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall enter into a contract with a private third-party administrator to administer the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program and establish duties and requirements of the third-party administrator; amend KRS 199.885 to establish the third-party administrator is responsible for issuing state fund matches out of the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership fund; amend KRS 199.886 and 199.887 to specify how employers and employees interact directly with the third-party administrator instead of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
