Rep. Josh Branscum

Amend KRS 11.200 and 12.020 to rename the Office of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Innovation to the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation within the Cabinet for Economic Development; amend KRS 12.020 to rename the Department for Business Development to the Department for Business and Community Development, the Incentive Administration Division to the Program Administration Division, the Office of Marketing and Public Affairs to the Office of Strategy and Public Affairs, the Communications Division to the Marketing and Communications Division, the Graphic Design Division to the Research and Strategy Division, and eliminate the Office of Workforce, Community Development and Research; amend KRS 12.020 to create the Development and Retention Division - West Kentucky, the Development, Retention, and Administrative Division - Central and East Kentucky, and Community and Workforce Development Division within the Department for Business and Community Development; amend KRS 154.12-2035, 154.20-230, 154.12-277, 154.12-278, 154.12-310, 154.60-010, 154.60-020, 164.6017, 164.6021 and 164.6023 to reflect the new name of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation; amend KRS 154.12-204 to include companies engaged in hydrogen transmission as qualified companies in the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation Grant-in-Aid and Skills Training Investment Credit programs; amend KRS 154.12-207 to increase the application limit from $200,000 to $500,000; amend KRS 154.12-223 to reorganize the Department for Business and Community Development; amend KRS 154.12-224 to reorganize the Department for Financial Services within the Cabinet for Economic Development; amend KRS 154.12-275 to reorganize the Office of Strategy and Public Affairs within the Cabinet for Economic Development; amend KRS 154.20-190 to change reporting deadline to November 1; amend KRS 154.20-583, 154.20-586, and 154.20-589 to modify the Western Kentucky Risk Assistance Fund to specify that eligible companies may apply for other programs administered by the Cabinet for Economic Development, to change the cap on the amount of loan loss payments to $100,000,000 that is proportionally reduced as the loss payments are disbursed, and to provide for a 1% administrative fee; amend KRS 154.25-040 to address recent changes in the income tax statutes; amend KRS 154.31-010 to include companies engaged in hydrogen transmission as eligible companies in the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act and to add a definition for "tourism attraction"; amend KRS 154.32-010 and 154.32-020 to include companies engaged in hydrogen transmission as eligible companies in the Kentucky Business Initiative program; amend KRS 154.32-050 to allow disaster relief areas declared by state or federal agencies on or after December 1, 2022, to be included in the enhanced county classification; amend KRS 154.32-090 to change the wage assessment calculation under the Kentucky Business Initiative program to address recent changes in the income tax statutes; amend KRS 154.34-010 to include companies engaged in hydrogen transmission as eligible companies in the Kentucky Reinvestment Act; amend KRS 154.61-010 to include the definitions of "cabinet" and "loan-out entity" and to expand the definition of "employee"; amend KRS 154.61-020 and 154.61-030 to revise the duties and responsibilities of the Cabinet for Economic Development and the approved companies under the Kentucky Entertainment Initiative program; amend KRS 141.310, 141.350, and 141.383 to conform; repeal KRS 141.401, 154.12-276, 154.23-005, 154.23-010, 154.23-015, 154.23-020, 154.23-025, 154.23-030, 154.23-035, 154.23-040, 154.23-045, 154.23-050, 154.23-055, 154.23-060, 154.23-065, 154.23-070, 154.23-075, 154.23-079, 154.23-080, 154.47-040, 154.47-065, 154.80-140, and 154.80-310; amend KRS 141.0205, 154.20-170, 154.47-005 and 174.205 to conform.

Amend KRS 15.243 to require the Attorney General to select six counties at random and six counties with the highest rate of irregularities for his or her independent inquiry; require the Attorney General to promulgate administrative regulations to establish a uniform procedure for independent inquiries; amend KRS 117.066 to require that petitions for the consolidation of precincts include parking accommodations for the proposed voting location; amend KRS 117.235 to prohibit electioneering during any of the days that in-person absentee voting is conducted or during training for election officers; amend KRS 117.265 to prohibit any candidate who was defeated in a primary from running for the same office during the regular election; amend KRS 117.995 to prescribe criminal penalties for people who have previously been convicted of a felony who then attempt to register to vote; amend KRS 118.105 to remove withdrawal, disqualification, or severe disabling condition as reasons to fill a vacancy in nomination of candidacy; amend KRS 118.125 to conform; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 324.010 to redefine "real estate brokerage" to include advertising for sale an equitable interest in a contract for the purchase of real property between a property owner and a prospective buyer; amend KRS 324.020 to limit this type of advertising to licensed real estate brokers.

Amend KRS 205.6405, relating to hospital rate improvement programs, to redefine "managed care gap" and "qualifying hospital"; amend KRS 205.6406, relating to hospital rate improvement programs, to add inpatient services and include add-on amounts to the calculation of payments; modify the formula for the calculation of payments; provide that certain payments made under the programs do not count against any spending or appropriation limits; permit the Department for Medicaid Services to create a program to increase outpatient reimbursement within the Medicaid fee-for-service program; direct the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to request any necessary state plan amendment, waiver, or other authorization from a federal agency; RETROACTIVE; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 190.010 to amend the definition of "franchise" to include any agreements related to or dependent on an original franchise agreement addendum to the franchise agreement; amend KRS 190.042 to permit a new motor vehicle dealer to propose a successor agreement; amend KRS 190.045 to increase the time allowed for a dealer to respond to notice of cancellation from 15 days to 30 days; amend KRS 190.046 to limit audit and document retention requirements on recall work, and allow a manufacturer to audit a motor dealer if the manufacturer reasonably suspects fraud; amend KRS 190.070 to prohibit manufacturers and other licensees from requiring remodeling of a dealership within 10 years of a previously required improvement, using motor vehicles in transit in any sales formula to the detriment of the dealer, offering the sale of new motor vehicles outside a franchised dealer, or failing to assign reservations and purchase requests received by a manufacturer to a dealer.

Honor the 75th anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel.

Recognize March 2023 as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 405 to establish definitions; provide for parental rights; establish that no governmental entity shall substantially burden the rights of parents unless required by a compelling governmental interest of the highest order and in the least restrictive means; establish specific rights of parents, with some limitations; provide that specific governmental employees shall not encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from a parent; recognize additional rights beyond those enumerated; require local boards of education or boards of directors of public charter schools to adopt specific policies to promote involvement of parents in education; allow the Kentucky Department of Education to provide consultation and model policies that shall not be binding on schools; require a report from the Kentucky Department of Education on the consultation and model policies provided to schools; require obtaining parental consent prior to procuring, soliciting to perform, arranging for the performance of, providing a referral for, or providing medical or mental health services to a child; require verification of identity for remote parental consent; establish limits of the applicability of the requirement; establish a cause of action for violation; establish terms and conditions for the cause of action; waive sovereign, governmental, and qualified immunity; specify applicability; amend KRS 160.715 to provide a procedure for requesting, inspecting, and reviewing specific information held by a school district or public charter school; and amend KRS 214.185 to establish the conditions required for providing medical or mental health services to a minor without consent of the parent or legal guardian; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 158.150 to include possession of any intoxicating tetrahydrocannabinol product as a cause for suspension or expulsion from school; require a local board of education to expel a student for at least 12 months if a student makes threats that pose a danger to other students or staff; require a local board of education to conduct an expulsion review process to determine whether a student's expulsion shall continue or end; amend KRS 158.155 and 158.444 to conform.

Amend KRS 164.7884 to define "proprietary school" and "qualified proprietary school program" and allow use of KEES funds for enrollment in a qualified proprietary school program; amend KRS 165.7879 to allow a student who attends an out-of-state high school or Department of Defense school due to a parent's military transfer to earn a KEES award if the student earned a base amount in a previous year at a Kentucky high school.