Rep. Rachel Roarx

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 198A to create the affordable housing loan pool fund to be administered by the Kentucky Housing Corporation to provide rehabilitation and construction loans to eligible entities; specify terms and process; create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to create the homelessness prevention fund to be administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for continuum of care funds; specify eligible uses and eligible entities; amend KRS 198A.080 to modify criteria for housing development loan fund, require notice of eligible funds, and allow expenditure of funds for technical and administrative costs; create new section of KRS Chapter 198A to establish parameters by which the Kentucky Housing Corporation shall review and approve the affordable housing credit; create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to establish the affordable housing credit; amend KRS 141.0205 to order the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow the Department of Revenue to report on the credits; repeal, reenact, and amend KRS 141.437 to reinstate the ENERGY STAR home credit to allow, in addition to prior credits, credit for the construction of an ENERGY STAR multifamily building; repeal, reenact, and amend KRS 141.435 to define terms; repeal, reenact, and amend KRS 141.436 to establish updated requirements for an energy efficiency credit; amend KRS 141.0205 to conform; amend KRS 131.190 to conform; amend KRS 139.480 to exempt the sale or purchase of new modular homes and new manufactured homes from sales and use tax on and after July 1, 2025 and before July 1, 2036 if they are to be used as a single-family residence and permanently affixed to real estate; amend KRS 142.400 to impose a 1% statewide surtax on the rental of accommodations when charged by the owner of the property or by a person facilitating the rental of the property and deposit the receipts from the surtax into the Kentucky affordable housing trust fund; amend KRS 42.580, 142.402, 142.404, 142.406, and 198A.190 to conform; amend KRS 132.810 to increase the frequency of the property tax homestead exemption cost of living adjustment to annually instead of biennially; create a new section of KRS Chapter 100 to define terms; allow religious institutions to develop affordable housing with only a ministerial submission to review by a planning unit for compliance with the provisions of the section if the development is on land owned by a religious institution, exclusively contains affordable housing for a period of 10 years, and contains fewer than 25 units; allow for religious institutions to propose an affordable housing development exceeding 25 units but require a public meeting and approval by the planning commission; allow the Kentucky Housing Corporation to provide technical and advisory resources to a religious developer; create a new section of KRS Chapter 383 to provide automatic expungement of records in actions for forcible entry and detainer; amend KRS 383.250 to provide for sealing of records; amend KRS 198A.027 to allow appropriations to be used for homeless initiatives; appropriate $104 million from the Budget Reserve Trust Fund account for various affordable housing initiatives; repeal KRS 65.874 and 383.198; APPROPRIATION.

Amend KRS 141.019, relating to income tax, to define terms; allow a deduction from gross income for union dues and professional membership dues paid for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, but before January 1, 2030; amend KRS 131.190 to allow the Department of Revenue to report on the exclusion; make technical changes.

Amend KRS 342.0011, relating to workers' compensation, to expand the definition of "injury" to include psychological injuries for police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, front-line staff members, or members of the National Guard; create a new section of KRS Chapter 342 to establish when psychological injuries are valid workers' compensation claims when not a direct result of a physical injury.

Amend KRS 211.690 to require the Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) Program to provide educational information about maternal and postpartum depression; make technical corrections.

Maddy summaryHB 425 changes Kentucky's individual income tax rates for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. It establishes a new tax structure: 4% on income up to $100,000, 5% on income between $100,000-$125,000, and 6% on income over $125,000 (with a flat 6% rate for income of $150,000 or more). The bill requires the Office of State Budget Director to annually verify specific fiscal conditions (like budget reserve fund balances) before the legislature can reduce the tax rate, ensuring any change requires legislative approval. This bill directly affects all Kentucky residents who file individual income tax returns for 2026 and beyond.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 210 to define terms; prohibit mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts with a person under 18 years of age, a person who is 18 years or older who is an adult as defined in KRS 209.020, or a ward as defined in KRS 387.510; require violations to be subject to board discipline; prohibit public funds from being used for sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts; create a new section of KRS Chapter 211 to require the Department for Public Health and the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to develop, produce, and disseminate educational materials regarding sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts; permit the cabinet to contract for the educational materials; provide that the Act may be cited as the Youth Mental Health Protection Act; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 158.195 to require each public school with students in grades six through 12 to display a printed abstract of certain child labor laws, including limited and prohibited occupations and work hour restrictions for minors; require the information to be posted on the school's website.

Maddy summaryHR 23 is a symbolic resolution recognizing February 13, 2025, as Kentucky Arts Day. It does not create new laws or affect funding, programs, or individuals; instead, it formally acknowledges the arts' economic and cultural value in Kentucky through a designated day. The resolution cites the arts' role in generating $6.5 billion annually, supporting 50,526 jobs, and enhancing community development, but the recognition itself has no binding policy impact. It was introduced and adopted by the Kentucky House of Representatives on February 11-13, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 400 amends Kentucky law to explicitly prohibit tampering with video recording or monitoring devices inside correctional facilities. It expands the existing offense of "tampering with a prisoner monitoring device" to include deliberately altering, disabling, or damaging these video systems. This change makes such tampering a Class D felony, directly affecting anyone in a correctional facility who interferes with these security devices, including inmates, staff, or visitors. The bill focuses on strengthening security protocols by treating video monitoring systems the same as electronic tracking devices under criminal penalties.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 277 to require that every railroad company destroy or remove obstructive vegetation at intersections with public roads or highways; direct the Transportation Cabinet or local government to remove obstructive vegetation if the railroad company fails to do so and establish procedures for reimbursement by the railroad company for the vegetation removal.