Rep. Kim Banta

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 277 to require railroad companies to destroy or remove obstructive vegetation upon and within the geographical bounds of its right-of-way at each intersection with a public road or highway; require the Transportation Cabinet to destroy or remove obstructive vegetation when a railroad company fails to do so; require the railroad company to reimburse the Transportation Cabinet for costs of the removal; EMERGENCY.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 411 to establish a cause of action for a person who was wrongfully convicted of a felony in the Commonwealth; establish the wrongful conviction compensation fund; APPROPRIATION.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 140 to limit inheritance and estate taxes to deaths occurring before August 1, 2024; amend various sections of KRS Chapter 140 to include a sunset clause for taxes and deductions imposed within the chapter; repeal KRS 140.130 and 140.140, relating to levy and payment of estate tax.

Recognize January 23, 2024, as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Day in Kentucky.

Amend KRS 164.020 to abolish the Council on Postsecondary Education and transfer authorities and duties to the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority; amend KRS 164.746 to add three student members to the board of the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority; amend various sections of KRS Chapters 164, 164A, 165, 165A, 168, 171, 183, 200, 210, 214, 309, 367, 11A, 12, 18A, 42, 56, 61, 63, 64, 138, 151B, 154, 156, 157,158, 160, and 161 to conform; repeal KRS 164.011, which created and established the Council on Postsecondary Education; dissolve the Council on Postsecondary Education and transfer personnel, records, files, equipment, and funds to the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority; make technical corrections.

Create a new section of KRS 258.095 to 258.500 to require animal control officers to receive training on recognizing child abuse; amend KRS 620.030 to add animal control officers to the list of people with a duty to report dependency, neglect, or abuse of a child; provide that the Act may be cited as Kyan's Law.

Create a new section in KRS Chapter 141 to define terms; establish a tax deduction for contributions made to an eligible savings account by a first-time home buyer and allow an exclusion from income for any interest earned from an eligible savings account of a first-time home buyer effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2035; require the Department of Revenue to report to the Legislative Research Commission and the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue; amend KRS 141.019 and 131.190 to conform.

Amend KRS 164.020 to prohibit the Council on Postsecondary Education from raising tuition for a postsecondary education institution more than 5% a year for resident students and 7% a year for nonresident students; provide a four-year tuition freeze for an enrolled resident student; require an institution to notify a student before expiration of a tuition freeze; require any increase in tuition or fees to be approved before March 1; amend KRS 164.131 to add two additional full-time student members to the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, including one graduate student; remove language regarding initial appointments; amend KRS 164.821 to add two additional full-time student members to the University of Louisville Board of Trustees, including one graduate student; remove language regarding initial appointments; amend KRS 164.321 to add two additional full-time student members to the boards of regents, including one full-time graduate student; remove language regarding initial appointments; amend KRS 164.7874 to require a private postsecondary institution to have a voting student member on its governing board in order to be a participating institution for purposes of KEES eligibility; provide that the Act may be cited as the Kentucky Student Tuition Protection and Accountability Act; EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2028.

Amend KRS 439.3401 to amend the definition of "violent offender" to include the attempted commission of any offense listed, a felony involving the death of the victim or serious physical injury to a victim, burglary in the first degree as described in KRS 511.020 if a person other than a participant in the crime was present in the building during the commission of the offense, burglary in the second degree as described in KRS 511.030 if a person other than participant in the crime was present in the dwelling during the commission of the offense, robbery in the second degree as described in KRS 515.030, arson in the first degree, arson in the second degree, and strangulation in the first degree; provide that a violent offender shall serve at least 85 percent of the sentence imposed before probation, shock probation, parole, conditional discharge, or other form of early release is permitted; provide that a violent offender shall only recieve credit on their sentence for time spent in custody prior to the commencement of the sentence; amend KRS 525.045 to conform.

Urge the United States Department of Education to amend the federal accountability requirements to truly afford states the flexibility to implement innovative approaches to student assessment and school accountability.