Rep. Ken Upchurch

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 132 to exempt federally documented vessels from property taxation; create new sections of KRS Chapter 235 to establish the waterway usage fee and the distribution of revenue generated from the fee; establish the waterway usage fund; create a new section of KRS Chapter 148 to establish the Kentucky lakes and rivers tourism fund; require grants of money from the fund to go to marinas qualifying through an application process; amend KRS 235.990 to establish a penalty for nonpayment of the waterway usage fee; amend KRS 235.999 and 150.160 to distribute the money collected from the penalty; amend KRS 132.020 and 132.200 to make conforming changes; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025; APPROPRIATION.

Amend KRS 186.230 and 186.120 to conform to gender-neutral language.

Amend KRS 164.295 to permit Eastern Kentucky University to offer doctor's degrees required for professional practice and licensure in osteopathic medicine.

Amend KRS 164.295 to permit Murray State University to offer doctor's degrees required for professional practice and licensure in veterinary medicine.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 186 to create an EMS special license plate; limit eligibility to certain licensed EMS personnel or retirees with 20 years of service; specify that the EMS plate requires no minimum number of applications prior to production; amend KRS 186.162 to establish the fees for the EMS special license plate; amend KRS 186.166 to update the list of special license plates to be perpetually produced; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 164 to define terms; establish the Kentucky Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense Investment Fund Advisory Committee; establish the membership of the committee; establish the Kentucky aerospace, aviation, and defense investment fund to be administered by the Council for Postsecondary Education for the purpose of funding public and private partnerships to provide aviation training scholarships and aviation and aerospace equipment grants; require that the portion of the fund expended towards the council's administrative costs shall not exceed 4% of all gross moneys in the fund or $1,500,000 annually, whichever is less; direct the council to promulgate administrative regulations to carry out this Act; require those administrative regulations to be submitted to the Legislative Research Commission for comment prior to filing; require advisory committee members to abstain from voting on a matter involving a conflict of interest; require that the council shall reserve at least 65% of all net moneys in the fund for partnership proposals between aviation programs and aviation industry partners to provide aviation training scholarships to Kentucky residents enrolled in aviation programs; direct the council to prioritize accepting partnerships to proposals targeted to reduce the workforce demand of a specific eligible aviation credential that is determined by the council to be among the highest in demand in the Commonwealth; direct that a partnership shall require a written partnership contract and establish the minimum contract requirements; direct that disbursements of moneys from the fund to support aviation training scholarships shall be made directly to an aviation program pursuant to the terms of the partnership contract; require that an aviation program that enters a partnership contract shall solicit, accept, and review aviation training scholarship applications submitted by students enrolled in the aviation program; direct that an aviation training scholarship issued by an aviation program pursuant to a partnership contract shall be made directly to a recipient pursuant to a written scholarship contract between the recipient and the aviation program; set minimum contract requirements; direct that a grantor may place restrictions upon a contribution to the fund requiring specific criteria for an aviation training scholarship or scholarships funded by the grantor's dedicated funds; direct that the aviation training scholarship contract shall grant the aviation program, the Commonwealth, or the aviation industry partner the authority to initiate recoupment proceedings for the recovery of the total amount of all aviation training scholarships awarded to an individual that fails to complete the terms of a scholarship contract; direct the council to reserve up to 35% of all net moneys in the fund for aviation equipment partnership contracts between public aviation training programs and aviation industry partners to provide aviation and aviation equipment grants; requrie that an aviation equipment partnership shall require a written partnership contract between a public aviation program, aviation industry partner, and the council; establish minimum contract requirements; direct the council to collaborate with the advisory committee to select proposals for partnership contracts; direct that the council may prioritize designated contracts; provide that the council shall require the public aviation program to submit proof that the entire amount of the aviation equipment grant is invested in the maintenance, acquisition, or lease of aviation or aviation training equipment utilized by students enrolled in a public aviation training program; require the council to submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission and establish minimum report requirements; sunset the bill on June 30, 2030; provide that this Act may be cited as the Aerospace Education Reinvestment Opportunity (A.E.R.O.) Act; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.

Propose to amend Sections 145 and 155 of the Constitution of Kentucky to prohibit persons who are not citizens of the United States from being allowed to vote in the Commonwealth of Kentucky; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Create various sections of KRS Chapter 186 to establish a regulatory framework for the operation of fully autonomous vehicles on public highways; define terms; establish requirements for autonomous vehicles and automated driving systems; require submission of a law enforcement interaction plan with the Transportation Cabinet; establish requirements for proof of insurance or self-insurance in amounts identical to current levels for personal and commercial motor vehicles; require titling and registration of fully autonomous vehicles; establish the Transportation Cabinet as the sole agency responsible for administering statutes and regulations regarding fully autonomous vehicles; amend KRS 65.873 to prohibit any unit of local government from prohibiting the operation of fully autonomous vehicles or establishing rules or ordinances that are specific to the operation of fully autonomous vehicles; amend KRS 186.410 to establish that when an automated driving system is installed and engaged on a motor vehicle, the automated driving system is considered to be the operator of the vehicle and licensed to operate the vehicle; create a new section of KRS Chapter 189 to exempt fully autonomous vehicles designed to be operated exclusively by an automated driving system from any vehicle equipment requirements of KRS 189.020 to KRS 189.205 that relate to vehicle operation by a human driver; amend KRS 189.635 to establish responsibility for the filing of accident reports and notification of law enforcement after accidents involving fully autonomous vehicles; amend KRS 281.010 to define terms relating to the operation of fully autonomous vehicles as motor carriers; amend KRS 281.630 to establish that any administrative regulations promulgated by the department that apply only to a human driver shall not apply to a fully autonomous vehicle; amend KRS 281.764 to require only the lead vehicle in a truck platoon to have a human driver behind the wheel of their vehicle.

Amend KRS 158.162 to direct local boards of education to require schools to maintain a portable automated external defibrillator in every middle and high school building and at school-sponsored events; require local boards to adopt policies and procedures for portable automated external defibrillators and ensure training requirements are met; amend KRS 158.302 to conform; amend KRS 160.445 to require all interscholastic coaches to be trained in CPR and use of portable automated external defibrillators; require all schools that participate in interscholastic athletics to maintain a portable automated external defibrillator at every practice or competition and meet training requirements; require venue-specific emergency plans to identify the location of a portable automated external defibrillator and the procedures for use; require schools that participate in interscholastic athletics to annually certify compliance with portable automated external defibrillator requirements and venue-specific emergency plan requirements.

Commend Continental Refining Company for its successful expansion into biofuel and soybean hull and meal production.