Rep. Matt Lockett

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 411 to define terms; establish limitations on the introduction of identification devices on or within the human body; create a new section of KRS Chapter 413 to establish a statute of limitations for an action filed for introduction of an identification device; amend KRS 508.152, relating to the unlawful use of tracking devices, to include the installation of a tracking device on the person or property of another without their consent and exempt parental tracking of minors from the prohibition.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 39A to create the Kentucky Emergency Volunteer Corps (KEV Corps); establish KEV Corps eligibility, supervision, training requirements, uniform details, and prohibitions; create the Kentucky Emergency Volunteer Corps fund; amend KRS 39B.030 to permit the local emergency management director to use the KEV Corps during a local disaster or emergency; amend KRS 39B.050 to include the KEV Corps as a part of the local disaster and emergency services organization; amend KRS 39B.070 to permit each city, urban-county government, or charter county government the use of the KEV Corps; amend KRS 39C.110 to include KEV Corps protections relating to limited liability.

Amend KRS 446.350 to define terms; outline appropriate relief if a government substantially burdens a person's sincerely held religious belief; apply to laws adopted before or after the effective date; include severability clause; waive sovereign and governmental immunity.

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.

Repeal, reenact, and amend KRS 216B.250 as a new section of KRS Chapter 367 to define terms; require health facilities and other health care providers to provide itemized health care statements in certain circumstances; specify the contents of the health care statements; require that health care statements contain information about price classifications and claims made with third-party payors; prohibit health facilities and providers from charging for the health care statements; establish means by which patients may request a health care statement to be furnished; require health facilities and providers to make public postings and have appropriate staff available to respond to questions and resolve disputes; make conforming amendments; prohibit health facilities and other providers from requesting or accepting a total payment for health care services that exceeds an agreed-upon price or the amount the facility or provider is entitled to receive under state or federal law; authorize the Attorney General to enforce certain state and federal laws regulating health care prices; allow a violation to be cured for good-faith errors; establish causes of action and penalties for violation of health care billing requirements; authorize the Attorney General to enforce health care billing requirements; specify that remedies and penalties are cumulative; authorize the Attorney General to promulgate administrative regulations to effectuate or aid in the effectuation of health care billing requirements; amend KRS 304.14-410, 304.32-1551, 214.556, 216B.990, and 216B.300 to conform; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2027.

Create new sections of KRS 304.17A-600 to 304.17A-633 to define terms; prohibit insurers of health benefit plans from requiring prior authorization for a health care service for which the provider has an exemption; require insurers of health benefit plans to establish a program under which participating providers may qualify for exemptions from prior authorization; establish mandatory and permitted provisions of an insurer's prior authorization exemption program; establish requirements for sending forms and notices; require the commissioner of the Department of Insurance to submit an annual report relating to prior authorization, provide a detailed briefing upon request, and promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 304.17A-605 to conform; amend KRS 304.17A-611 to prohibit conducting a retrospective review that is based solely on a participating provider having a prior authorization exemption; provide that certain utilization review timeframes do not apply to retrospective reviews conducted for the purposes of determining eligibility for a prior authorization exemption; create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the commissioner of the Department for Medicaid Services to submit an annual report relating to prior authorization, provide a detailed briefing upon request, and promulgate administrative regulations; apply the provisions to contracts delivered, entered, renewed, extended, or amended on or after January 1, 2027; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2026, and January 1, 2027.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 216B to define "freestanding birthing center"; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to promulgate administrative regulations to establish licensure standards for freestanding birthing centers; establish criteria for a medical director; establish requirements for obtaining written informed consent; require a written patient transfer agreement with a hospital that provides obstetric services; require a written patient transfer agreement with an emergency medical transportation service; exempt a center with no more than four beds from certificate-of-need requirements for establishing and licensing a freestanding birthing center; state intent not to limit or expand liability of a center or health care provider or facility; require medical malpractice insurance for freestanding birthing centers; prohibit abortions in freestanding birthing centers; amend KRS 216B.015 to include freestanding birthing centers in the definition of "health facility"; amend KRS 216B.020, 196.173, 211.122, 211.647, 211.660, 213.046, 214.155, 214.565, 214.567, 214.569, 216.2920, 216.2921, 216.2923, 216.2925, 216.2927, and 216.2970 to conform; require the cabinet to promulgate updated administrative regulations by December 1, 2025; provide that the Act may be cited as the Mary Carol Akers Birth Centers Act.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 164 to define terms; prohibit a public postsecondary education institution from providing differential treatment or benefits on the basis of an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin; from influencing the composition of the student body or scholarship recipients on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin; from implementing a student housing assignment plan on the basis of religion, race, color, or national origin with designated exceptions; from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the promotion of discriminatory topics, or bias incident investigations; from soliciting statements on an applicant's experience with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin; from requiring a course dedicated to discriminatory concepts; or disseminating or profiting from any research, work product, or material that promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts; prohibit a public postsecondary education institution from requiring any individual to endorse or condemn a specific ideology or viewpoint; prohibit the Council on Postsecondary Education from providing differential treatment or benefits on the basis of an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin or from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion or discriminatory topics; establish exclusions for legal compliance; require each governing board of a public postsecondary education institution to ensure compliance with specific sections of this Act no later than June 30, 2025; authorize the Attorney General to bring an action for a writ of mandamus to compel the council or a public postsecondary education institution to comply; create a cause of action to permit a qualified individual to file a civil action against council or a public postsecondary education institution for injunctive relief and limited damages arising from a violation of certain sections of this Act; waive sovereign and governmental immunity for the limited purpose of bringing this claim; prohibit retaliation; require each public postsecondary education institution to submit and publish a certified annual report on governmentally mandated discrimination to the Legislative Research Commission by October 1 each year; provide that a public postsecondary education institution or the council cannot claim a federal, state, judicial, contractual, or accreditation mandate as a defense to a civil action filed under this Act unless the policy, practice, or procedure upon which the complaint is founded is listed and clearly and accurately described in the public institution's annual report filed in accordance with this Act; require each public postsecondary education institution to provide the Personnel Cabinet and State Treasurer the name, job title, duty station, and salary or wages of each employee each month beginning January 1, 2025, and to post its itemized annual budget; amend KRS 164.020 to prohibit the Council on Postsecondary Education from approving a degree, certificate, or diploma program that includes discriminatory concepts or diversity, equity, and inclusion iniatives; amend KRS 164.011, 164.131, 164.321, and 164.821 to conform; direct the Council on Postsecondary Education to consider certain enumerated conditions when considering the elimination of an existing program; direct each public postsecondary education institution and the Council on Postsecondary Education to discontinue designated programs and follow designated procedures when implementing this Act; provide specific instructions for public postsecondary education institutions and the Council on Postsecondary Education to follow in implementing this Act; direct public postsecondary education institutions and the council to submit a report on implementation of this Act.

Direct the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to return to permanent display on the New State Capitol grounds the granite Ten Commandments monument given to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1971 by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Amend KRS 186.450 to allow persons who are at least 15 years of age to apply for a motor vehicle instruction permit; establish that an instruction permit is valid for four years; amend KRS 186.410, 186.452 and 159.051 to conform; EMERGENCY.