Rep. Tina Bojanowski

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to establish a refundable qualified rent payment credit for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, but before January 1, 2031, in the amount of 25% of the qualified rent payments made during the taxable year, not to exceed $1,000; amend KRS 141.0205 to order the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow reporting by the Department of Revenue.

Propose to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky to guarantee the right of an individual 21 years of age or older to possess, use, buy, or sell 1 ounce or less of cannabis and to cultivate, harvest, and store up to 5 cannabis plants for personal use; grant the General Assembly control over the production, processing, and sale of cannabis and cannabis-derived products; designate the ballot question; direct the Secretary of State to publish the proposed amendment in a newspaper of general circulation; direct the Secretary of State to certify the proposed amendment to the county clerk of each county.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to establish a refundable income tax credit for certain volunteer firefighters; declare the purpose of the credit; require annual reporting to the Legislative Research Commission to evaluate the impact of the credit; amend KRS 141.0205 to provide the ordering of the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow confidential tax return information to be shared with the Legislative Research Commission.

Maddy summaryHB 154 removes the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits by victims of childhood sexual assault or abuse in Kentucky. This means victims can file lawsuits at any time, regardless of when the abuse occurred, and it applies to both individuals who committed the abuse and entities (like schools or organizations) that failed in their duty of care. The bill also retroactively revives claims barred before March 2021 due to expired time limits, allowing victims to file within five years of the deadline. It defines "childhood sexual assault or abuse" broadly to include multiple offenses involving minors under Kentucky law.

Amend KRS 61.7991 to add current members of the General Assembly and their immediate family members to the definition of "covered person"; authorize standing for a civil action for injunctive or declaratory relief for unauthorized disclosure; provide that the removal of information does not apply to required disclosures under KRS Chapter 6 or 61.

Amend KRS 158.305 to require kindergarten students to be given a universal screener within the final 10 instructional days of the school year; beginning with the 2025-2026 school year require that a student remain in kindergarten for an additional year if he or she did not make adequate progress in kindergarten; prohibit a school from requiring a student who turns seven by August 1 to remain in kindergarten; require the school to reevaluate the reading improvement plan of any student remaining in kindergarten; allow a student provided an additional year in kindergarten to advance through the primary program when it is determined to be in the student's best interest.

Amend KRS 164.773, relating to the Student Teacher Stipend Program, to specify that an eligible student is a Kentucky resident as determined by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (authority) and is student teaching at a Kentucky public school or certified nonpublic school; specify that the authority shall disburse stipend funds to eligible students directly or through the participating institution; allow the authority to establish criteria for an eligible student who is student teaching outside of Kentucky but is otherwise eligible.

Amend KRS 620.050 to allow identified persons or entities to have access to confidential information related to child dependency, neglect, and abuse reports for the purpose of a bona fide research, quality improvement, or evaluation project; establish criteria.

Amend KRS 160.160 to authorize a local board of education to establish minimum score requirements for certified positions within the district on specific assessments related to content knowledge, competency in educational practices, or both; require the district include minimum score information in any posts or notices for a related certified vacancy; amend KRS 161.030 to remove successful completion of assessments prior to receiving a teacher certification; amend KRS 161.048, 161.010, and 161.053 to conform.

Amend KRS 158.307 to define "dysgraphia"; require the Department of Education to annually review and update the dyslexia toolkit; expand dyslexia toolkit required guidance and include dysgraphia and other reading and writing difficulties; require rather than allow local boards of education to develop a policy on dyslexia; require rather than allow the policy to include certain items; require the department to compile and maintain data on dyslexia reported by local school districts; require the department to report dyslexia data to the appropriate Interim Joint Committee on Education; amend KRS 164.304 to require postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs to include instruction on dyslexia by the 2026-2027 school year, rather than the instruction being contingent on availability of funding.