Small Business and Information Technology

Amend KRS 525.080, relating to harrassing communications, to include sending repeated electronic communications in a manner reasonably likely to harass, annoy, alarm, torment, embarass, or offend another and include posts to social media or an internet website any material that is reasonably likely to cause emotional distress, abuse, or torment; elevate harassing communications from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor.

This bill amends Kentucky law to update technical requirements and deadlines for the Finance and Administration Cabinet's public website displaying executive branch spending records. It requires the website to show detailed financial information including payee names, expenditure categories, descriptions, amounts, and links to supporting documents, with data updated weekly from state accounting systems. The legislation also mandates that all state branches share website development software and data to reduce costs and improve public access to government records. Additionally, it clarifies that the Finance and Administration Cabinet maintains exclusive control over executive branch records regardless of where the information is physically stored.

This bill amends Kentucky law to authorize the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority to create and fund a loan program for small businesses. It allows the authority to lend up to $100,000 to eligible businesses for purposes like expansion, construction, or working capital, with terms that can be more lenient than standard industry practices. To qualify, businesses must operate in manufacturing, agribusiness, services, or technology, avoid being primarily retail-focused, and commit to creating at least one new full-time job. The changes apply to new or existing small businesses operating within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 367 to protect consumers using mental health chatbots; define terms; establish prohibitions and exceptions for how suppliers are to handle individually identifiable health information; prohibit supplier from advertising a specific product or service unless that product or service is clearly and conspicuously disclosed; require supplier to clearly and conspicuously disclose that the mental health chatbot is artificial intelligence and provide when this disclosure should appear; provide an affirmative defense to liability and list requirements to achieve that defense; grant enforcement authority to the Attorney General; include severability provision; provide that the Act may be cited as the Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health Act.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 367 to define terms; require app store providers to verify user ages, obtain parental consent for minor accounts, notify users and parents of significant changes, share age and consent data with developers, and protect age verification data; prohibit app store providers from misrepresenting parental consent disclosures; require developers to verify age and consent status through app stores and notify app stores of significant changes; prohibit developers from misrepresenting parental consent disclosures; require the Office of Consumer Protection within the Attorney General's Office to establish standards for age verification methods; provide that a violation of the Act is a deceptive act or practice in the conduct of trade or commerce; provide that a parent or guardian has a private right of action for violations, provide a safe harbor for compliant developers; require the Office of Consumer Protection to promulgate administrative regulations in contemplation of the Act in accordance with KRS 13A.200; EFFECTIVE, in part, December 1, 2026.