Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton

Amend KRS 45A.030 to expand the definition of "contract"; amend KRS 45A.035 to require promulgation of administrative regulations to establish policies regarding timely payments under contracts; create a new section of KRS Chapter 45A to establish timely payment penalty and procedures; require the Finance and Administration Cabinet to submit a detailed report of interest penalties and reimbursement payments every six months due to payments not timely made to the Legislative Research Commission; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 304.17A-257 to require coverage for all colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests specified in the United States Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer guidelines for certain covered persons; require coverage for all United States Food and Drug Administration-approved bowel preparation prescribed in connection with a colorectal cancer examination or test; prohibit prior authorization requirements for colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests; provide an exemption from the cost sharing prohibition for Health Savings Account-qualified High Deductible Health Plans under certain circumstances; provide that the colorectal cancer examination and laboratory test coverage section applies to health benefit plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026; establish construction of certain provisions for purposes of federal law and require state officials to comply; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services or the Department for Medicaid Services to obtain federal approval, if necessary and comply with notice requirements; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2026.

Amend KRS 281.630 to establish a towing and storage facility certificate and require applicants for a towing and storage facility certificate to file a rate sheet with the application and renewal for the certificate; amend KRS 281.631 to set a fee of $10 for motor carrier plates for tow trucks; amend KRS 281.928 to require an entity requesting a vehicle in a storage facility to be held pending a civil or criminal investigation to notify the owner, lienholder, and insurer of a vehicle with 24 hours of a hold being initiated or released; amend KRS 281.930 to set limits on charges for storage on vehicles held for civil or criminal investigation; amend KRS 281.926 to require towing companies and storage facilities to have one rate sheet that is applicable to all customers and to establish that statements that misrepresent the scope of damages associated with a property, casualty, or property and casualty insurance claim are fraudulent insurance acts; make technical amendments; amend KRS 281.010 to define "towing and storage facility certificate"; amend KRS 281.990 to set penalties for violations of KRS 281.920 to 281.936.

Amend KRS 161.605, relating to the Teachers' Retirement System, to remove language requiring superintendents to make every reasonable effort to hire qualified applicants for teaching and nonteaching positions, increase the percentage of retired members that an employer can employ full-time from three percent to 10 percent, increase the number of retired members that a local school district may employ under the critical shortage provision from one percent of total active members employed by the school district or two members to 10 percent or four members, remove Kentucky Virtual High School the list of schools the Department of Education operates, remove the pension waiver program, and make technical changes; amend KRS 156.106 to remove language requiring superintendents to make every reasonable effort to hire qualified applicants for critical shortage areas; direct that current participants in the pension waiver program may continue to participate.

Amend KRS 156.557 to increase the time period between mandatory summative evaluations for tenured certified school staff from once every three years to once every five years; provide that additional summative evaluations may be performed at the discretion of the individual's immediate supervisor but shall not be imposed as a uniform requirement across the system; amend KRS 158.060 to provide teachers access to their employment contract upon request; amend KRS 156.095 to require the Department of Education to create and local school districts to implement a four year recurring professional development training schedule that includes all required professional development trainings; provide that all certified school employees shall complete designated trainings within 12 months of initial hire and at least once every four years thereafter; consolidate state-required certified school personnel trainings; create new sections of KRS Chapter 158 to relocate language currently contained in KRS 158.060 related to the display of designated hotline information and the publication of and school lessons on evidence-based suicide prevention awareness information; amend KRS 158.070 to remove language regarding professional development trainings consolidated elsewhere; amend KRS 160.346 to prohibit the Department of Education from requiring comprehensive school improvement plans and comprehensive district improvement plans not expressly required by federal law; amend KRS 156.492, 157.360, and 158.4416 to conform; amend KRS 161.031 to remove the mandate for an induction program for new teachers; require a report identifying school districts that do not implement an induction program for new teachers; require the Department of Education to conduct a review of the reporting requirements imposed upon public schools and public school districts; eliminate all reporting requirements not expressly required by state statute or federal law; submit a report on the remaining reporting requirements; provide that the Act may be cited as the Red Tape Reduction Act.

Amend KRS 189.540 to authorize the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations to require regular instruction of pupils in school bus safety; allow a school district to obtain an exemption from any school bus safety instruction requirement if the district transports 48 or fewer pupils in the district's gross average daily attendance of transported pupils; require exempted districts to develop and implement a school bus safety instruction policy.

Amend KRS 311B.020 to redefine "limited X-ray machine operator" and "medical imaging technologist"; allow a limited X-ray machine operator to only perform limited diagnostic radiography.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 402 to allow a county clerk to correct a marriage application or marriage license upon receipt of an affidavit executed by both parties to the marriage; provide examples of errors and omissions that a clerk may correct upon receipt of the affidavit; allow persons to obtain a corrected marriage license by court order if they choose; make a person who intentionally submits a material false statement subject to the penalties in KRS 523.030; amend KRS 209A.045 to permit any funds collected from amending marriage licenses to be remitted to the domestic violence shelter fund.

Amend KRS 600.020 to change the definition of "safety plan" to reference risks to a child's safety; amend KRS 620.032 related to child welfare data reporting; amend KRS 620.040 to include children who are alleged victims of domestic violence and abuse or sexual assault for automatic acceptance for investigation of reports of child dependency, neglect, or abuse; amend KRS 620.048 related to negotiated safety plans in child protective services investigations.

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.