Kentucky Bills

Amend KRS 198B.050 to exempt certain temporary structures from state building code compliance if erected by or for a state or government agency, city, or municipality; require a temporary structure to be inspected and brought into compliance or removed after 6 months; exempt portable or temporary shower or toilet units from state building code compliance if intended to be used for less than 6 months; require a portable or temporary shower or toilet unit to be inspected and brought into compliance or removed after 6 months.

Amend KRS 6.661 to establish that the co-chairs of the Legislative Research Commission may employ an executive director of the Legislative Ethics Commission, as well as other necessary staff and contract personnel; require the co-chairs of the Legislative Research Commission to fix the compensation of staff and contract personnel of the Legislative Ethics Commission; establish that members of the staff of the Legislative Ethics Commission are subject to removal by the co-chairs of the Legislative Research Commission at any time; amend KRS 6.686 to allow the Legislative Ethics Commission to impose sanctions on persons who file a complaint that is determined to be frivolous, was filed for an improper purpose, or contains factual allegations lacking evidentiary support; provide that sanctions apply retroactively to January 2, 2026; RETROACTIVE, in part.

Amend KRS 78.5520 to redefine "hazardous position" to include code enforcement and zoning inspection personnel employed by a consolidated local government for the purposes of benefits of the County Employees Retirement System.

Amend KRS 70.260, 70.261, 70.262, 70.263, 70.267, 70.270 and 70.273 to include certified court security officers employed by sheriffs within the purview of deputy sheriff merit boards.

HB 509 amends Kentucky law (KRS 199.430) to replace gendered language like "his or her" with gender-neutral terms in administrative procedures for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This change affects all interactions with the Cabinet, including staff, witnesses, and individuals receiving services, by updating how the law describes roles and responsibilities. The bill specifically revises sections governing depositions, subpoenas, witness testimony, and record handling to use inclusive language. It does not alter substantive policies or service requirements, only the wording of existing procedural rules. The change applies to all documents, communications, and actions under the Cabinet's authority.

HB 523 updates Kentucky's statute (KRS 200.470) governing healthcare funding for children with special needs by replacing gendered language like "his or her" with gender-neutral terms. This change affects how the law refers to parents or legal guardians when determining eligibility for state-funded care and cost-sharing responsibilities. The bill does not alter the existing policy requiring families who can pay to cover treatment costs or the process for referrals. It is a procedural language amendment to make the statute inclusive, with no changes to funding rules or eligibility criteria. The bill remains in committee review after its January 2026 introduction.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 507 to establish the offense of child abuse homicide as a capital offense; amend KRS 199.896 to require licensed child-care centers to maintain video surveillance of all public areas within the facility and retain video footage for 90 days; amend KRS 507.030 to increase the age of a child victim of manslaughter in the first degree from 12 or under to under 18; amend KRS 507.040 to increase the penalty of manslaughter in the second degree from a Class C to a Class B felony if the victim is under the age of 18; amend KRS 508.100 to add knowingly as a mental state of a person guilty of criminal abuse in the first degree; increase the age of a victim from under age 12 to under age 18; increase the penalty of criminal abuse in the first degree from a Class C to a Class B felony and from a Class B to a Class A felony if the victim is under the age of 18; amend KRS 508.110 to increase the age of a victim of criminal abuse in the second degree from age 12 or less to under 18; increase the penalty from a Class D to a Class C felony; amend KRS 508.120 to increase the age of a victim of criminal abuse in the third degree from age 12 or less to under 18; increase the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony; amend KRS 532.025, relating to aggravating circumstances in death penalty eligible cases, to increase the age of a victim of an intentional killing from under 12 to under 18; amend KRS 625.090 to create a rebuttable presumption that parental rights must be terminated if a parent has been convicted of a felony involving serious physical injury to any child or convicted of causing or contributing to the death of a child as a result of abuse; provide that the Act may be cited as Jayden's Law.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 61 to require a permitting authority to issue a decision on any permit application within 60 days; automatically grant any permit if a permitting authority fails to render a decision within 60 days; require any denial or conditional approval of a permit to be based on clearly established applicable laws or regulations; grant Circuit Court jurisdiction over any permitting matter; require the Circuit Court to determine whether a permitting decision by the permitting authority was based on clear and convincing evidence; require the Circuit Court to award the applicant attorney's fees and costs if the court finds against the permitting authority; allow third-party challenges to permitting decisions only if the third-party has property adjacent to property that has been granted a permit and where the third-party can demonstrate concrete and particularized harm resulting from issuance of a permit; allow an applicant to appeal any adverse decision from a third-party challenge; require a third party to pay applicant's attorney's fees and costs if the permit is finally approved following a third-party challenge; create a new section of KRS Chapter 100 to grant by-right approval to housing projects which meet a planning unit's code or regulations; grant Circuit Court jurisdiction over any denial of a housing project under the section; require the Circuit Court to determine whether a denial by the planning unit was based on clear and convincing evidence; require Circuit Court to award the applicant attorney's fees and costs if the court finds against the planning unit; provide that the section does not prevent monitoring by the planning unit or affect restrictions in rules or regulations of a homeowners association, condominium association, or other property owners association; amend KRS 198B.060 to permit third-party plan review and inspections under new procedures; create a new section of KRS Chapter 198B to define terms; require regulatory authorities to provide information to prospective applicants regarding requirements to apply for a permit; require a regulatory authority to inform an applicant of whether the application is complete within 3 days and include whether the regulatory authority is able to perform plan review and inspection within specified time limits; require a regulatory authority to conduct plan review within 7 days of receipt of a complete application and inspections within 5 days of any request for an inspection being made; permit an applicant to use a qualifying third-party inspector; set out circumstances under which a regulatory authority may collect fees depending on use of a third-party inspector; set out what a third-party inspector may review and set out qualifications and requirements the third-party inspector must meet; require a regulatory authority to issue a permit within 1 business day of the completion of required plan reviews and inspections associated with an otherwise complete application; state that any ordinance, rule, or regulation contrary is void and unenforceable; state that a regulatory authority may issue a stop work order if a condition of a project constitute an immediate threat to public safety and welfare; establish immunity for the regulatory authority for action of an applicant or third-party inspector.

Amend KRS 247.801 to amend the definition of "agritourism activity"; define "working animal"; create a new section of KRS 247.800 to 247.810 to prohibit a city, town, county, or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth from restricting a person from engaging in an agritourism activity; require that an agritourism activity comply with public health and safety requirements and any existing law enforceable by police powers of local government.

Amend KRS 160.345 to remove the Kentucky Department of Education's reporting requirement on school physical activity, prohibit the department or the Kentucky Board of Education from requiring a school to complete any component of a comprehensive school improvement plan that is not expressly required from that specific school by federal law or state statute; amend KRS 156.101 to remove superintendents' reporting requirement on instructional leaders who fail to complete required training; amend KRS 160.380 to remove superintendents' annual reporting requirement on a district's minority teacher recruitment process; amend KRS 158.1413 to remove superintendents' reporting requirement on school districts' essential workplace ethics programs; repeal KRS 158.867, relating to minimum requirements for summer learning camps; authorize the Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Board of Education to continue to collect designated existing reports; prohibit the Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Board of Education from requiring designated reports; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2026.

Create new sections of Subtitle 19 of KRS Chapter 304 to establish regulatory requirements relating to credit personal property insurance; define terms; establish exemptions from the regulatory requirements; establish limits on the amount and term of credit personal property insurance sold in conjunction with a closed-end credit transaction; require credit personal property insurance to cover a substantial risk of loss of, or damage to, the collateral pledged or secured in the credit transaction; prohibit an insurer from requiring bundling of other credit insurance coverages and from using gross debt in determining premiums; require a creditor to deliver, or cause to be delivered, a policy, certificate, memorandum or other disclosure disclosing the costs and coverage within 30 days after the date of the loan; require policies, certificates, plans, contracts, applications, enrollment forms, and schedules of premiums rates to be filed with the commissioner of the Department of Insurance; establish requirements for the refund of unearned premiums upon cancellation prior to the scheduled maturity date; establish requirements relating to the reporting and payment of claims; provide that a person aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner may request an administrative hearing; provide that a violation by an insurer is subject to the penalty provisions of Subtitle 99 of KRS Chapter 304; amend KRS 304.19-010, 304.19-020, 304.19-080, 304.19-090, and 304.19-130 to conform; direct that certain sections apply to contracts issued or renewed on or after the effective date of the Act.

SB 6 appropriates $150 million from Kentucky's General Fund for the state's endowed research fund during the 2026-2027 budget year. The funds must be evenly distributed across five university research consortium accounts established under Kentucky law, with unspent money carried forward to future years to avoid lapsing. This bill directly supports Kentucky's public universities and their research initiatives by providing dedicated, long-term funding. The legislation declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation upon passage, emphasizing its focus on advancing research and economic opportunities.