Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton

Maddy summaryHB 562 requires the legal owners of most Kentucky cemeteries (excluding private family plots) to maintain burial grounds free of weeds, debris, and vandalism, and to protect them from desecration or improper use like dumping. It specifically mandates that owners prevent damage from unauthorized activities but exempts them if damage results from a crime. Private cemeteries only need to build protective structures if a county cemetery board exists and compensates the owner for costs. City governments within their limits may enforce these maintenance requirements on cemetery owners. The bill is currently pending in the House Local Government Committee (introduced February 14, 2025).

Amend KRS 12.245, 12.354, 14A.1-070, 16.040, 40.010, 40.310, 40.650, 42.0146, 148.0211, 158.105, 158.140, 161.048, 164.512, 164.515, 186.041, 186.163, and 186.416 to make certain LGBTQ and qualifying veterans, as defined, eligible for state veterans' benefits.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 171 to establish the Kids Love to Read Program; specify the program is for children in kindergarten through grade five; require books to be sent to children's homes; require the Department for Libraries and Archives to promulgate administrative regulations necessary to administer the program; appropriate $500,000 in fiscal year 2025-2026 to support the program; APPROPRIATION.

Maddy summaryHB 558 extends the eligibility period for Kentucky's Educational Excellence Scholarships (KEES) from five to eight years after high school graduation. This change directly affects current KEES recipients, allowing them more time to complete their undergraduate studies at participating Kentucky colleges or universities. The bill amends two sections of Kentucky law (KRS 164.7881 and 164.7884) to update the timeframe, while maintaining existing requirements like maintaining a minimum 2.5 GPA to continue receiving benefits. Students who need to pause studies due to serious illness may also qualify for additional extensions under the new provisions. The policy change focuses on providing greater flexibility for scholarship recipients without altering award amounts or academic standards.

Amend KRS 222.504 and 222.506 to require that recovery residences be inspected at least annually by state or local officials capable of ensuring compliance with all state and local zoning, building code, and fire safety laws, administrative regulations, and ordinances and establish maximum occupancy standards for recovery residences; amend KRS 222.510 to permit local governments to require an individual or entity seeking to establish a recovery residence to provide notice up to six months in advance to all property owners within 1,000 feet of the property on which the recovery residence will be located; EMERGENCY.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the Department for Medicaid Services and any managed care organization with whom the department contracts for the delivery of Medicaid services to provide coverage for doula services; create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to establish the Doula Advisory Council, council membership, and council duties; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services or the Department for Medicaid Services to seek federal approval if they determine that such approval is necessary and comply with KRS 205.525.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 237 to define "safe storage depository" and require an owner or custodian of a firearm to store the firearm in a safe storage depository or render the firearm incapable of being fired using a gun-locking device; require an owner or other person lawfully in possession of a firearm or any person who sells ammunition to report the loss or theft of the firearm or ammunition to a law enforcement agency; amend KRS 237.990 to establish penalties for violations.

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.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 12 to establish the Office of Safer Communities within the Office of the Governor; amend KRS 12.020 and KRS 12.023 to conform; appropriate $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2025-2026 to fund the office; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.

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.