Rep. Jim Gooch

Create various new sections of KRS 218A to define terms and establish a medicinal cannabis program; create a new section of KRS Chapter 138 to establish an excise tax on certain transfers of medicinal cannabis; amend KRS 139.470 to exempt the sale of medical cannabis from the state sales tax; amend KRS 138.870 to exempt medicinal cannabis from the excise tax on controlled substances; amend KRS 216B.402 to require hospital emergency departments to report cases of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome to the Department for Public Health; amend KRS 218A.010, 218A.1421, 218A.1422, and 218A.1423 to conform; amend KRS 218A.202 to require the Department for Public Health to utilize the electronic system for monitoring controlled substances to monitor medicinal cannabis; amend 218A.500 to conform; amend KRS 342.815 to establish that the Employer’s Mutual Insurance Authority shall not be required to provide coverage to an employer if doing so would subject the authority to a violation of state or federal law; some sections EFFECTIVE July 1, 2023; APPROPRIATION.

Amend KRS 156.070 to require KHSAA to promulgate administrative regulations or bylaws requiring schools to designate all interscholastic athletics based upon the biological sex of the students eligible to participate; prohibit male students from participating in girls' athletics; establish how to designate biological sex; prohibit designated agencies from entertaining complaints or investigations of policies; create a cause of action against a school that violates these provisions; create a new section of KRS Chapter 164 to require a public postsecondary education institution or private postsecondary education institution that is a member of a national intercollegiate athletic association to designate all intercollegiate and intramural athletics authorized by the institution based on biological sex of students eligible to participate; require that institutions prohibit male students from participating in womens' athletics; prohibit designated agencies from entertaining complaints or investigations of policies; create a cause of action against a postsecondary institution that violates these provisions; title the Act "Fairness in Womens' Sports Act."

Create a new section in KRS Chapter 336 to prohibit public entity employers from requiring employees and applicants from disclosing his or her immunization status; create a new section in KRS Chapter 164 to prohibit postsecondary schools from requiring a student, staff, or faculty member to disclose his or her immunization status; amend KRS 344.120 to include the discrimination on the basis of "immunization status" as an unlawful practice; create a new section in KRS Chapter 365 to prohibit a business from requiring customers to disclose his or her immunization status as a condition for service or entry upon the premises; create a new KRS Chapter 214 to prohibit a public entity from creating standardized documentation with the purpose of certifying vaccination status; amend KRS 214.036 to allow objection to immunization on the basis of "conscientiously held beliefs".

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 45A to require all costs and expenses related to election administration be paid for with public funds; prohibit a state governmental body employee from accepting anything of value to assist with election administration unless entered into as a lawful contract; create a new section of KRS Chapter 65 to require all costs and expenses related to election administration be paid for with public funds; prohibit a local governmental body employee from accepting anything of value to assist with election administration unless entered into as a lawful contract; require a local governmental body employee to disclose, in writing and within five days, to the Governor and the General Assembly any communication related to election laws and election administration from a federal executive branch agency; create a new section of KRS Chapter 117 to require any governmental body employee to disclose, in writing and within five days, to the Governor and the General Assembly any communication related to election laws and election administration from a federal executive branch agency; amend KRS 116.045 to prohibit a county clerk or local governmental body employee from accepting any private monetary funds to assist with voter registration activities unless accepted as part of a valid contract; amend KRS 117.015 to prohibit the State Board of Elections from accepting any private monetary funds for election administration unless accepted as part of a valid contract; amend KRS 117.995 to prescribed criminal penalties for local and state governmental employees who fail to properly disclose communication from a federal executive branch agency and employees who accept a private contribution or anything of value to assist with election administration unless part of a valid contract; amend KRS 48.630 to prohibit unbudgeted federal appropriations for expenditures related to election administration; and provide that the act may be cited as the "Stop Outside Influence Over Elections Act of 2022."

Amend KRS 341.030 to suspend any increase in the taxable wage base for calendar year 2022 and utilize the taxable wage base in effect for the 2020 year; amend KRS 341.270 to indicate that employer contribution rates in 2022 shall be determined using the rates listed in Schedule A of Table A; amend KRS 341.614 to provide there will be no surcharge assessment for 2022; retroactively to January 1, 2022; EMERGENCY.

Urge the Public Service Commission to support policies that maintain the reliability and resiliency of the electric grid, meet the electric power needs of all the electric utility customers, establish a reserve margin that is predicated on fossil fuel to balance the intermittent electric suppliers, and consider notice needs when decommissioning electric plants or placing the plants into a long-term idling status.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 237 to prohibit identified entities from enforcing federal firearm bans; prohibit identified entities from adopting rules, regulations, or ordinances that require enforcement of federal firearm bans; and prohibit identified entities from allocating public resources or moneys in the enforcement of federal firearm bans; EMERGENCY.

Create the Commonwealth West Healthcare Workforce Innovation Center to provide healthcare educational pathways to address the healthcare worker shortage; direct the center to be operated through a partnership of public and private organizations; direct the General Assembly to provide start-up funds to be administered through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System; direct KCTCS to provide reports to LRC; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.

Honor the Kentucky Historical Society.

Amend KRS 132.010 , relating to property taxation, to define "rare earth element"; amend KRS 132.820 and KRS 143A.010, relating to taxation of natural resources, to include rare earth elements; amend KRS 134.546 to conform; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2023.