Rep. Shawn McPherson

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.

Amend KRS 150.170 to require the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to issue a minimum of 5 deer destruction permits to any landowner, spouse, dependent child, or their designee whose lands or personal property have been damaged by wildlife; establish provisions for the renewal of deer destruction permits; require the department to issue a deer permit for the taking of 1 additional antlered deer during a hunting season to any requesting individual; amend KRS 150.390 to allow any licensed or permitted person to take antlerless deer for a period of 10 days following the conclusion of a muzzle-loading gun season; EMERGENCY.

Create a new section of KRS 324A.010 to 324A.100 to require actions against a certified or licensed real property appraiser to be brought within 1 year; amend various sections of KRS Chapter 324A to change "real estate appraisal" to "real property appraisal"; define "evaluation," "federally related transaction," and "real property-related financial transaction"; replace the Real Estate Appraisers Board with an independent agency to be known as the Real Property Appraisers Board; attach the Real Property Appraisers Board to the Department of Professional Licensing for administrative purposes; change the number of board members from 5 to 7; require 2 board members to be certified residential real property appraisers; require those employed by the board to investigate grievances to have 10 years of experience, hold a credential equal to the credential held by the appraiser under investigation, and have experience in appraising the type of property relevant to the investigation; allow the board to employ persons it deems necessary; allow the board to use hearing officers of the Attorney General's Office; allow the board or its authorized agents to give advice on best practices management; prohibit legal action arising from any advice given by the board or its agents relating to best practices management; prohibit any person not licensed or certified as a real property appraiser from providing any type of appraisal performed by a licensed or certified real property appraiser unless they are exempt; allow a licensed or certified real property appraiser to provide an evaluation; require a certificate or license holder to complete 28 hours of continuing education hours; allow hours completed for 1 USPAP update course to apply toward the continuing education requirement; require complaints to be filed with the board within 1 year after the date of transmittal of the appraisal report; establish a biennial license renewal period; increase initial application and renewal fees from $200 to $400; amend KRS 324B.045 to remove the Real Estate Appraisers Board from the Division of Real Property Boards; amend KRS 133.120 to allow a tax consultant and licensed real estate sales associate to receive compensation to represent a property owner at a conference with the property valuation administrator or in an appeal before the board; amend KRS 154.60-040, 198B.702, 324.085, 324A.035, 324A.050, 324A.088, 324A.100, 324A.150, 324A.152, 324A.158, 324A.162, 324A.164, 324B.030, 350.280, 413.140, 56.806, 56.8175, 56.823, 99.830, and 99.835 to conform.

Amend KRS 45A.035 to require the Finance and Administration Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations to establish policies regarding timely payments, partial payments, reimbursement, and payment resolution process; create a new section of KRS Chapter 45A to require terms included in state government contracts to address timely payments, partial payment, a payment process for disbursement of funds, payment schedule, and a payment resolution process; establish timely payment policies to provide that all undisputed amounts shall be paid within 30 business days of receipt of the goods, services, invoice, or in accordance with the terms of the contract; provide interest penalties for undisputed amounts that are not timely paid ; require any invoices that are submitted by a contractor or vendor outside of the 10 calendar days correction period to be considered a new invoice for the purpose of calculation of the late payment fee pursuant to KRS 45.454; require the Finance and Administration Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations to establish a payment resolution process; define "purchasing agency" and "undisputed amount"; require the Finance and Administration Cabinet to submit a report every 6 months to the Legislative Research Commission detailing late payment contract disputes.

Amend KRS 154.14-020, relating to the GRANT Program, to include the United States Department of Justice and the United States Department of Defense as eligible agencies; amend KRS 154.14-030 to push the sunset date of the program from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2028; amend KRS 154.14-040 to increase the possible extension of a project from 6 months to 12 months; amend KRS 154.14-070 to make technical changes; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 205.6412 to require the Department for Medicaid Services to seek authorization from the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement a state-directed payment for physician and nonphysician professional services provided to a Medicaid beneficiary by a qualifying hospital's affiliated physician groups or physicians and other professionals employed or contracted by the qualified hospital; require the Department of Medicaid Services to direct Medicaid managed care organizations to issue payments back to January 1, 2026, upon federal approval; RETROACTIVE.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 197 to establish the Kentucky Community and Technical College System Prison Education Program within the Department of Corrections in partnership with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) to provide inmates with job training; require KCTCS to construct a facility to house the program at Northpoint Training Center; establish convictions that preclude participation in the program; require the parties to enter into a memorandum of agreement establishing the responsibilities of each party; amend KRS 196.281 to establish entitlement to a certificate of employability upon successful completion of the program and require reporting by the department; amend KRS 335B.020 to establish that a person shall not be disqualified from public employment or obtaining an occupational license solely because of previous criminal conviction and obtaining a certificate of employment from the department shall constitute rebuttable evidence of rehabilitation and fitness for the occupation; amend KRS 355B.030 to remove a conviction of a Class A felony, Class B felony, or any other felony offense other than a conviction that would qualify the individual as a registrant as defined in KRS 17.500 as supportive of a rebuttable presumption of a connection between that conviction and a license issuance request.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 189 to define terms; prohibit a person from remaining on any portion of a state-maintained right-of-way that is not designated for pedestrian use; provide exemptions and authorize local governmental exceptions; allow local governments to enact ordinances to authorize limited exceptions to the prohibition; allow the Transportation Cbinet to promulgate administrative regulations to define minimum standards for state-maintained rights-of-way; amend KRS 189.570 to conform.

Amend KRS 156.160 to require the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations for an alternate high school diploma and a modified high school diploma; specify requirements for alternate and modified high school diplomas; create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to require the Department of Workforce Development to identify, compile, and publish a list of employers willing to employ individuals possessing an alternate high school diploma; amend KRS 158.140, 164.787, and 164.7882 to conform.

Amend KRS 508.025 to expand assault in the third degree to include causing or attempting to cause physical injury to a healthcare provider in a jail, penitentiary, or local or state correctional or detention facility; amend KRS 65.1591 to add jailers, deputy jailers, and correctional officers employed by a local detention center, local correctional facility, or regional jail to the list of public safety employees eligible to participate in a peer support counseling program.