Rep. Chad Aull

Amend KRS 158.305 to require kindergarten students to be given a universal screener within the final 10 instructional days of the school year; beginning with the 2025-2026 school year require that a student remain in kindergarten for an additional year if he or she did not make adequate progress in kindergarten; prohibit a school from requiring a student who turns seven by August 1 to remain in kindergarten; require the school to reevaluate the reading improvement plan of any student remaining in kindergarten; allow a student provided an additional year in kindergarten to advance through the primary program when it is determined to be in the student's best interest.

Amend KRS 322.040 to allow an individual to qualify for licensure as a professional engineer if he or she has graduated from a fire protection engineering technology program of four years or more accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Amend KRS 164.773, relating to the Student Teacher Stipend Program, to specify that an eligible student is a Kentucky resident as determined by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (authority) and is student teaching at a Kentucky public school or certified nonpublic school; specify that the authority shall disburse stipend funds to eligible students directly or through the participating institution; allow the authority to establish criteria for an eligible student who is student teaching outside of Kentucky but is otherwise eligible.

Amend KRS 381.800 to establish that the provisions apply to all planned communities and any provision in an existing document to the contrary is void.

Amend KRS 95.500 to allow, absent a collective bargaining agreement, specified fire personnel to have schedules consisting of 48 hours on duty followed by 96 hours of off duty time; specify that collective bargaining agreements maintained by a city or urban-county government may control work hours in lieu of the specified schedules.

Amend KRS 40.315 to expand interment eligibility in Kentucky state veterans' cemeteries to include eligible National Guard and Reserve service members and their families; EMERGENCY.

Create a new section of Subtitle 17A of KRS Chapter 304 to require health benefit plans to cover epinephrine devices for covered persons; limit a covered person's cost-sharing amount to $100 annually; amend KRS 304.17A-099 to exempt the epinephrine device coverage requirement from being suspended under state law due to the triggering of federal cost defrayment requirements; amend KRS 205.522, 205.6485,164.2871, and 18A.225 to require Medicaid, KCHIP, self-insured employer group health plans offered by the governing board of a state postsecondary education institution, and the state employee health plan to comply with the epinephrine device coverage requirement; provide that various sections apply to health benefit plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026; require the Department of Insurance to determine whether the epinephrine devices coverage requirement would be in addition to essential health benefits required under federal law; require the Department of Insurance to obtain federal approval, if necessary; 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.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to establish the Cabinet for Health and Family Services' responsibilities with regard to the administration of nonemergency medical transportation services for Medicaid beneficiaries; require the Cabinet or the Department for Medicaid Services to seek federal approval if it is determined that such approval is necessary; require the cabinet to comply with KRS 205.525.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to allow school districts to implement a wearable panic alert system; establish system criteria; require the Department of Education to provide a list of approved wearable panic alert systems; require the Center for School Safety to establish the Wearable Panic Alert Grant Program; amend KRS 158.446 to allow the Center for School Safety to distribute wearable panic alert grants using funds appropriated in the biennial budget to support school safety.

Maddy summaryThis resolution symbolically commends Taiwan's relationship with the United States and Kentucky, highlighting shared democratic values, strong trade ties (including Kentucky's 14th-largest import market status), and recent agreements like Kentucky's 2023 collaboration pact. It encourages future cooperation by urging Kentucky to establish a trade office in Taiwan, form trade delegations, join the Taiwan Caucus, and promote cultural exchanges like Taiwan American Heritage Week. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or funding but formally expresses support for strengthening ties.