Kentucky Bills

in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 23, 2026

HB 400: AN ACT relating to fertility treatment.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 216 to define terms; establish fundamental rights relating to fertility treatment; prohibit the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying, burdening, or infringing on those rights unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means; prohibit the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from discriminating in the protection or enforcement of those rights; create a civil cause of action against a state or local official who violates those rights.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 23, 2026

HB 401: AN ACT relating to medicinal cannabis.

Amend KRS 218B.010 to add additional qualifying medical conditions for the use of medicinal cannabis; amend KRS 218B.025 to exempt medicinal cannabis resulting from at-home cultivation activities from possession limits and from the requirement that medicinal cannabis be kept in the original container received from a dispensary; amend KRS 218B.030 to conform; amend KRS 218B.035 to permit the use or consumption of medicinal cannabis by smoking while located on private property owned by the cardholder; amend KRS 218B.140 to remove the requirement that raw plant material packaged or sold in the state be marked or labeled as "not intended for consumption by smoking"; create a new section of KRS Chapter 218B to permit registered qualified patients who are at least 18 years of age and designated caregivers to possess, cultivate, and harvest up to 3 mature medicinal cannabis plants and 3 seedlings on private property owned by the cardholder.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 23, 2026

HB 405: AN ACT relating to occupational license fees levied by a board of education.

Amend KRS 160.603, relating to occupational license taxes for schools, to require a favorable vote of the local board of education prior to taking any other action to levy or increase the tax; require publication of the meeting in which the vote is expected to occur on the local board of education's website; subject an increase in the tax rate under KRS 160.607 to publication and public hearing requirements; expand the notification requirements for the public hearing; amend KRS 160.607 to require compliance with the publication and public hearing requirements and also a favorable vote by the fiscal court prior to authorizing an increase in a tax rate above the general maximum rate for school districts in counties having 300,000 or more inhabitants; amend KRS 160.484 to require the fiscal court to vote on an increase in a tax rate above the general maximum rate for school districts in counties having 300,000 or more inhabitants; set requirements for the rate based on the outcome of the vote; amend KRS 160.485, relating to recall procedures for proposed license tax levies or rate increases, to conform.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Kentucky · Senate Jan 23, 2026

SB 120: AN ACT relating to the Kentucky Board of Education and declaring an emergency.

Amend KRS 156.029 to make members on the Kentucky Board of Education who represent each of the Supreme Court districts be elected in partisan elections instead of appointed; provide that the term of office will be 4 years from the first Monday in January following the election; provide that the initial term of a member elected to represent an even-numbered Supreme Court District will be 2 years and the initial term of a member elected to represent an odd-numbered Supreme Court District will be 4 years; remove language regarding the requirement to balance the demographic composition of the board; require the members elected to represent a Supreme Court district to reside in the district for at least 12 months prior to the election and for the duration of their terms; provide that general election laws apply and that removal is in accordance with KRS 415.050 and KRS 415.060; permit the board to appoint the student member of the board in April of the student's sophomore year, rotate nonvoting member appointments by Supreme Court district instead of congressional district; povide that a vacancy shall be filled in accordance with Section 152 of the Constitution of Kentucky; amend KRS 156.040, 118.105, 118.165, 118.305, 118.315, 118.325, 118.356, 118.365, and 160.220 to conform; repeal KRS 156.031, 156.147, and 156.1475; provide that the terms of members appointed between the effective date of this Act and January 3, 2028, expire on that date; EMERGENCY.

in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 23, 2026

HB 404: AN ACT relating to employment.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to prohibit all employers of 75 or more employees from demoting, dismissing, disciplining, or discriminating against an employee who misses work because of duties related to being a candidate, member-elect, or member of the General Assembly or legislative body of certain local governments; require an employer to grant a leave of absence if the employee requests it, not to exceed 3 terms for a member of the House of Representatives, or 2 terms for a member of the Senate or a member of a specified legislative body of a local government; amend KRS 336.990 to provide a penalty for employers who violate Section 1 of the Act.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 23, 2026

HB 413: AN ACT proposing an amendment to Sections 71 and 82 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to term limits for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Propose to amend Sections 71 and 82 of the Constitution of Kentucky to establish limits on the number of terms for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor to a maximum of 2 terms and a total of 8 years served in office; provide that an individual is ineligible as Lieutenant Governor if he or she is ineligible to become Governor; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 23, 2026

HB 406: AN ACT relating to a supplemental payment for recipients of a monthly retirement allowance from the systems administered by the Kentucky Public Pensions Authority, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.

Appropriate $96 million from the Kentucky Permanent Pension Fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the Kentucky Public Pensions Authority to fund 1-time supplemental payments on July 1, 2026, to recipients of a retirement allowance who have been retired for at least 12 months from the Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) and the State Police Retirement System (SPRS); allow the Board of Trustees of the County Employees Retirement System to, by board decision, provide a one-time supplemental payment to recipients of a retirement allowance who have been retired at least 12 months by increasing employer contribution rates over a one-year or two-year period; specify that the 1-time supplemental payment shall be equal to the monthly payment received by the recipient in the month of June 2026; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 22, 2026

HB 375: AN ACT relating to automated license plate readers.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 189 to define "automated license plate reader" or "ALPR"; prohibit the use, deployment, and maintenance of an ALPR system; allow a person to bring a civil action for a violation and allow recovery of actual and punitive damages; make the use, deployment, and maintenance of an ALPR system a Class D felony and set a fine of $10,000.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Technology

in committee · Kentucky · Senate Jan 22, 2026

SB 109: AN ACT relating to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and declaring an emergency.

Amend KRS 243.033 to modify alcoholic beverage caterer duties and privileges; remove caterer Sunday sales restrictions; prohibit the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control from imposing or attempting to enforce minimum customer thresholds or maximum event limits for caterers; amend KRS 243.090 to require the department to approve or deny a license application within 45 days after receipt of the application; amend KRS 438.3061, 438.3063, 438.3065, 438.3067, 438.3069, 438.310, 438.312, 438.316, and 438.337 to delay the retailer tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product license requirement until February 1, 2027; make the delay RETROACTIVE to January 1, 2026; EMERGENCY.

in committee · Kentucky · Senate Jan 22, 2026

SB 117: AN ACT relating to worker fairness in the construction industry.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 337 to prohibit subcontractors from misclassifying employees on capital projects as independent contractors; define terms; establish criteria for classifying workers as employees or independent contractors; provide a complaint and appeal process for misclassification violations; provide that no prime contractor or subcontractor, nor any agent thereof shall retaliate against any person for taking action or providing information to investigators for violations; provide that a complaint shall be dismissed without prejudice if the Department of Workplace Standards fails to take action within 180 days after filing a complaint; provide that prime contractors or subcontractors shall post a notice for filing complaints or inquiries with the commissioner of the Department of Workplace standards; require each contract for a capital project shall require a prime contractor and any subcontractors to enroll and verify the work eligibility of all employees through the E-Verify program; require the department to promulgate administrative regulations; require the commissioner to provide any order or decision that a subcontractor has misclassified an employee as an independent contractor to the Department of Worker's Claims, the Department of Revenue, and the Office of Unemployment Insurance no later than 60 days after the order or decision; amend KRS 337.990 to establish penalties for violations; amend KRS 45A.145 to prohibit subcontractors or any corporate officer or shareholder that owns at least 10% of the outstanding stock of the corporation with 2 or more violations in 5 years from contracting with the state for 2 years; create new sections of KRS Chapters 341 and 342 and amend KRS 131.190 to require the Department of Revenue, the Office of Unemployment Insurance, and the Department of Workers' Claims to provide one another with any assessment or orders arising out of the misclassification of an employee; create a new section of KRS Chapter 337 to require the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet to develop a training program relating to employee misclassification; provide that Sections 1 to 8, 13, and 14 of this Act may be cited as the Kentucky Workers Fairness Act; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Kentucky · Senate Jan 22, 2026

SB 114: AN ACT relating to education.

Amend KRS 160.210 to require a county school district having reached an end-of-year enrollment of 25,000 or more students have 7 divisions with 1 board member appointed from each division and 4 members appointed from the county at large; require board members to be appointed by the chief executive officer of the county and confirmed by the legislative body of the county; require appointments to the board reflect no less than the proportional representation of the 2 leading political parties; amend KRS 160.160 to define "chief executive officer"; require school districts having reached 25,000 or more students to be under the management and control of a board of education consisting of 11 members; amend KRS 160.170 to require every person appointed to a board of education to take the board oath; amend KRS 160.190 require a board vacancy in a county school district having reached an end-of-year enrollment of 25,000 or more students be filled by the chief executive officer of the county; amend KRS 160.180 to require an appointed member of a board of education be subject to removal pursuant to KRS 156.132; amend KRS 156.132 require the chief state school officer recommend removal of appointed county board of education members guilty of immorality, misconduct, incompetency, willful neglect of duty, or nonfeasance; authorize the chief executive officer to remove an appointed member for cause in accordance with KRS 160.210; amend KRS 160.240, 304.48-250, and 304.50-055 to conform; allow elected members of county boards of education in districts having reached an enrollment of 25,000 to serve out the terms elected for; require initial appointments of 2 at large members to be for 2 years and 2 appointments to be for 4 years; require boards that require additional divisions to have accomplished those divisions by January 1, 2027; require additional positions not represented by an elected member to be filled by January 1, 2027; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2027.

in committee · Kentucky · House Jan 22, 2026

HB 371: AN ACT relating to outdoor recreation.

Create a new section of Subchapter 12 of KRS Chapter 154 to establish the Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry within the Cabinet for Economic Development; establish the office duties and responsibilities; amend KRS 12.020 to conform.

Bill results