Rep. Josh Branscum

Maddy summaryThis Kentucky House resolution designates April 28, 2026, as "Pay It Forward Day" to honor the global concept of promoting kindness through community acts. The measure urges citizens of the Commonwealth to perform good deeds that benefit others, aiming to foster positive change and improve daily lives. As a symbolic gesture, the bill carries no legal requirements or funding, serving only to recognize the date and encourage a spirit of generosity among residents.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 199 related to the quality-based graduated early care and education rating system program to establish the intent of the General Assembly related to the program; establish processes and procedures for how the program is changed by administrative regulation; require a program modernization plan and final recommendations for modernization to be created and submitted to the Legislative Research Commission; amend KRS 199.891 to define terms; create new requirements for how the Cabinet for Health and Family Services establishes and operates the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program; delete language related to a previous 1 time requirement for the cabinet to submit recommendations and best practices to the Legislative Research Commission; establish a new January 1, 2028 submission deadline for the cabinet to make publicly available a standardized application for certification and instructions for the program; establish new requirements for applications by local governments to participate in the program; require an annual report by the Cabinet for Economic Development regarding the program; amend KRS 199.8983 to increase the membership of the Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council; establish that the council shall additionally advise the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on the operations, funding, and licensing of child-care microcenters; create new sections of KRS Chapter 199 to define terms; establish licensure for child-care microcenters; establish the Kentucky Child-Care Microcenter Program to regulate the standards and operations of child-care microcenters; establish early care and education training requirements for licensed child-care providers and certified family child-care home providers; establish that the Education and Labor Cabinet shall compile, produce, and make publicly available a monthly report providing a comprehensive snapshot of all licensed and certified child care services, Head Start services, child care services regulated by the United States Department of Defense, and state-funded public preschool services operating within the Commonwealth; establish a voluntary designation process through which any licensed or certified child-care provider may identify as a faith-based program; require the Office of State Budget Director to produce a comprehensive annual report outlining all state and federal spending on child care and early childhood education services and submit it annually to the Legislative Research Commission; establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall submit an approval request to the federal Administration for Children and Families to utilize a cost estimation model to inform payment rates beginning with the fiscal year 2028-2030 Child Care and Development Fund state plan; amend KRS 199.882 to change the definitions of "contribution" and "state match" and define "third-party administrator"; amend KRS 199.883 to establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall enter into a contract with a private third-party administrator to administer the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program and establish duties and requirements of the third-party administrator; amend KRS 199.885 to establish the third-party administrator is responsible for issuing state fund matches out of the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership fund; amend KRS 199.886 and 199.887 to specify how employers and employees interact directly with the third-party administrator instead of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 237 to define "provisional license" and "standard license"; authorize the Department of Kentucky State Police (KSP) to issue provisional licenses to carry concealed firearms and other deadly weapons to persons who are 18 to 20 years of age; require KSP to provide notice of expiration of provisional licenses and an application to switch from a provisional license to a standard license; allow the provisional license holder to apply by paper to his or her sheriff or online to KSP for a standard license; allow KSP to promulgate administrative regulations to administer provisional and standard license issuance.

Amend KRS 367.3611, relating to the Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act, to define "automatic content recognition" and "smart monitor" and to include automatic content recognition data in the definition of "sensitive data"; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2027.

Amend KRS 154.12-300, 154.12-305, and 154.12-300 to change the Kentucky Innovation and Commercialization Center program to the Kentucky Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub Program; amend KRS 154.12-300 to define terms; amend KRS 154.12-305 to add goals of supporting entrepreneur-led economic development and attracting workforce talent, investors, and start-up companies to the program; amend KRS 154.12-310 to make conforming changes; amend KRS 164.6011 to include definitions of "early-stage company" and "high-growth company" in the Kentucky Innovation Act; amend KRS 164.6019 to provide that moneys received in the Kentucky enterprise fund may be subject to restrictions imposed by the contributing entity and subject to approval by the Cabinet for Economic Development; amend KRS 164.6021 to make conforming changes and add the purpose of the Kentucky enterprise fund is to attract, recruit, and support early-stage and high-growth companies to locate, relocate, or establish a presence in the Commonwealth; amend KRS 164.6023 to allow companies based outside of Kentucky to be eligible by becoming a Kentucky-based company within 180 days after certification authorizing funding; amend KRS 154.20-234 to allow a pass-through entity to qualify for participation in the Angel Investor Program; make conforming changes.

Amend KRS 156.160 to require the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations for an alternate high school diploma and a modified high school diploma; specify requirements for alternate and modified high school diplomas; create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to require the Department of Workforce Development to identify, compile, and publish a list of employers willing to employ individuals possessing an alternate high school diploma; amend KRS 158.140, 164.787, and 164.7882 to conform.

Amend KRS 121.175 to allow the use of campaign funds to pay for the reasonable costs of security measures for a state candidate, officeholder, member of his or her family, and employees of the candidate's campaign or the officeholder's office as long as the amount does not exceed $15,000 per fiscal year; define "security measure" and "usual and normal charge."

Amend KRS 439.3401 to provide that a violent offender who has received a life sentence and has not been sentenced to 35 years without probation or parole or imprisonment for life without the benefit of probation or parole shall not be released on probation or parole until he or she has served at least 30 years; amend KRS 439.3406 to prohibit a person who has been convicted of a Class B felony or a person who is a violent offender who has been unanimously denied discretionary parole from qualifying for mandatory reentry supervisions; provide that the Department of Corrections shall provide an annual report on the results of the mandatory reentry supervision program to the Legislative Research Commission by February 1 of each year; amend KRS 504.150 to require a treating professional for a defendant who has received a sentence of guilty but mentally ill to file a petition for involuntary hospitalization under KRS Chapter 202A or 202B; amend KRS 532.025 to provide that if a defendant has been found guilty of intentional murder, the jury or court does not have to find any aggravating circumstance to sentence a defendant to imprisonment for life without benefit of probation or parole or imprisonment for life without benefit of probation or parole for 35 years; amend KRS 532.030 to enhance the sentence of imprisonment for life without benefit of probation or parole for 25 years to 35 years; amend KRS 532.110 to provide that sentences of a defendant convicted of 2 or more capital offenses, Class A felonies, Class B felonies, or a combination of those offenses or 2 or more violent offenses involving 2 or more victims shall run consecutively; amend various KRS sections to conform; repeal KRS 504.020 and 504.030; provide that the Act may be cited as Logan's Law.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 148 to define terms; establish the Burnside Island Development Authority to develop, finance, maintain, and improve lodging and restaurant facilities on General Burnside Island State Park and surrounding area; require the authority to be governed by a board; establish board membership, terms, powers, and duties; establish duties and purposes of the authority; require the board and authority to be subject to the Kentucky Open Meetings Act and Kentucky Open Records Act; require the board to acquire authorization from the General Assembly prior to the sale, trade, or disposal of real property valued greater than $400,000 that is owned by the Commonwealth and managed by the Department of Parks; require that bond debt service be payable solely from the revenue of the bonds; require the Department of Parks to operate and maintain General Burnside Island State Park until an agreement between the authority and a private partner takes effect; amend KRS 132.195 to exempt the acquisition or lease of General Burnside Island State Park from taxation requirements; set forth the staggering of initial board terms.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new independent state corporation called the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation to improve employment opportunities through skills training and education programs. The corporation will be attached to the Cabinet for Economic Development and governed by a 17-member board including five ex officio members and 12 members appointed by the Governor. The bill also amends existing Kentucky Revised Statutes to use gender-neutral language when referring to the corporation's leadership roles.