Rep. Nima Kulkarni

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 one ounce or less of cannabis and to cultivate, harvest, and store up to five cannabis plants for personal use; and for the production, processing, and sale of cannabis and cannabis-derived products to be controlled by the General Assembly; specify the question to be printed on the ballot; 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 610 to define terms; prohibit a child from being interrogated using deceptive methods; create a new rule of evidence to limit the admissibility of statements made in the interrogation of a child in violation of statute.

Amend KRS 158.307 to require rather than allow local boards of education to develop policy on dyslexia; require rather than allow the policy to include listed items; amend KRS 164.304 to require postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs to include instruction on dyslexia by the 2025-2026 school year, rather than the instruction being contingent on funding availability.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to require each public school that includes any of grades six through 12 to provide free menstrual discharge collection devices to students; require each local board of education to adopt policies for the distribution of free menstrual discharge collection devices; define "menstrual discharge collection devices"; amend KRS 139.010 to define "menstrual discharge collection devices"; amend KRS 139.480 to exempt from sales and use tax the sale or purchase of menstrual discharge collection devices; APPROPRIATION; EFFECTIVE August 1, 2024.

Amend KRS 335B.010 to define terms related to licensing and public employment qualifications; amend KRS 335B.020 to narrow the class of offenses to which the chapter applies, to add consideration of the age of the person at the time the crime was committed, the evidence relevant to the circumstances of the crime, and evidence of rehabilitation in making licensure decisions; create a new section of KRS Chapter 335B to prohibit disqualifying individuals from pursing a professional license solely due to conviction that has been sealed or expunged, convictions older than five years unless the conviction falls under an exception, or a finding that the applicant lacks good character; amend KRS 335B.030 to require a hiring or licensing authority that denies an individual a professional license due to a prior conviction of a crime to notify the individual in writing of the specific offense that is the basis of the denial, the reasons the offense was determined to directly relate to the duties and responsibilities of the occupation and posed a reasonable threat to public safety, and that the applicant has a right to submit additional information within 30 days which the licensing authority is required to consider; create new sections of KRS Chapter 335B to allow a person with a prior conviction of a crime to request an initial determination regarding whether a prior conviction of crime would disqualify the individual from licensure and require that this initial determination is binding on the hiring or licensing authority; require each hiring or licensing authority to publish information on its website pertaining to applicants with a prior conviction of a crime; require each hiring or licensing authority that is authorized to consider the criminal conviction of an applicant to provide an annual report to the Legislative Research Commission; amend various sections of KRS Chapters 309, 317A, and 327 to conform; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 337 to require any employer doing business in Kentucky that receives governmental incentives or subsidies to pay its employees a living wage.

Amend KRS 341.370 to prohibit disqualification from benefits for workers unemployed as a result of domestic violence and abuse, dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; amend KRS 341.530 to charge benefits to pooled account for workers displaced from employment through domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; amend KRS 341.125 to require the secretary to provide training to personnel who process claims related to domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking and to report to the Legislative Research Commission annually the number of claims paid involving domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; amend KRS 341.360 to conform; amend KRS 341.550 to prevent benefit payments from pooled account from impacting an employer's experience rating; and create a new section of KRS Chapter 341 to direct the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations.

Amend KRS 383.020 to specify duties of landlord with respect to abandoned personal property.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 262 to establish a Healthy Soils Program and a Healthy Soils Program fund in the Department for Natural Resources, Division of Conservation; require the department to provide technical advice and assistance and to assist with soil health assessments and soil health plans; require the commissioner to approve applications for grants and other types of financial assistance under the Healthy Soils Program; authorize the department to promulgate administrative regulations to implement the Healthy Soils Program and the Healthy Soils Program fund; amend KRS 146.100 to require the director of the Division of Conservation to have experience in healthy soil practices; amend KRS 224.71-110 to require the Agriculture Water Quality Authority to promote soil restoration and include an organic agriculture organization among appointments to the authority and add healthy soil practices as a committee; amend KRS 262.010 to define "healthy soil practices," "soil health," "soil health assessment," and "watershed health"; amend KRS 262.020 to add restoration, biological diversity, watershed health, and healthy soil practices to the purpose of soil and water conservation districts; amend KRS 262.748 and 262.778 to conform; APPROPRIATION.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 218A to make possession of a personal use quantity of cannabis exempt from civil or criminal penalty; amend KRS 218A.010 to define "cannabis," "personal use quantity of cannabis," and "cannabis accessory"; amend KRS 218A.1422 regarding cannabis possession to conform; amend KRS 218A.1423 regarding cannabis cultivation to conform; amend KRS 218A.500 regarding drug paraphernalia to exempt personal use cannabis accessories; amend KRS 218A.1421 regarding cannabis trafficking to exempt personal use quantities; amend KRS 138.872 to exclude personal use quantities from the cannabis stamp tax; amend KRS 218A.410 and 533.030 to conform; create a new section of KRS Chapter 431 to allow expungement of certain convictions relating to cannabis and to apply expungement retroactively; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2025.