Rep. Chris Fugate

Maddy summaryHB 685 requires Kentucky's Education Professional Standards Board to issue 5-year teaching certificates to new teachers who pass required assessments. This directly affects new educators and those seeking additional certification in Kentucky public schools, as it mandates successful completion of field-specific tests before receiving a professional certificate. Key provisions include: (1) a 5-year professional certificate after passing assessments, (2) conditional certificates for one year if assessments are failed (with mentoring support), and (3) temporary certificates for out-of-state teachers with less than two years' experience. The bill standardizes certification timelines and assessment requirements without altering existing fee structures or minority recruitment data collection.

Amend KRS 38.030 to define "Commonwealth emergency response pay" and entitle Kentucky National Guard members to receive Commonwealth emergency response pay when called to state active duty service when an emergency is declared by the Governor; amend KRS 38.010 to conform.

Call on the United States Congress to submit to the states for ratification a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution and making a formal application to Congress to call a convention.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to designate a specific section of Kentucky Route 451 in Perry County as the SSgt John "Pott" Spencer, Jr. Memorial Highway. The legislation honors Spencer, a Vietnam War veteran and retired coal miner, by officially naming the road segment between Laurel Mountain Road and Kentucky Route 28 in his memory. The bill requires the Transportation Cabinet to install appropriate signage within 30 days of the resolution taking effect to mark the memorial designation. This action serves as a formal tribute to Spencer's military service and personal legacy within the community.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 61 to ensure that privacy exists in public building multi-occupancy private spaces; identify consequences for using multi-occupancy private spaces designated for the opposite biological sex; identify exceptions for using multi-occupancy private space designated for the opposite biological sex; create cause of action for discrimination and retaliation against a person who makes a good-faith report.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to designate a specific section of Kentucky Route 540 in Breathitt County as the J.C. Holbrook Memorial Highway. The legislation requires the department to install appropriate signage within 30 days of the bill's effective date to mark this memorial designation. The resolution honors James Courtney Holbrook, a former Breathitt County magistrate who was killed while attempting to apprehend a suspect in 1953. This is a commemorative measure that officially recognizes a roadway in his name without changing any laws or policies.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 15 to require the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council (KLEC) to approve and certify within 90 days of submission an 80 hour basic training course for constables and deputy constables, and topics for in-service training for constables by the Kentucky Constables Association, Inc., require KLEC to promulgate administrative regulations allowing the association to provide basic training courses and in-service training courses for constable and deputy constable certification; provide that a constable or deputy constable that has taken the basic training course or who is certified under KRS 15.380 to 15.404 is certified and has peace officer powers; require 40 hours of in-service training to maintain certification; require instructors to be certified by KLEC; grandfather constables serving in office on the effective date of the Act who have been continually in office since December 31, 2022; require KLEC to track certification; establish the peace officer powers of certified constables; allow for extensions of training time and establish consequences for failing to meet training standards; set out certification categories; amend KRS 70.325 to specify powers of constables who have not completed the training; amend KRS 15.856 to allow constables in all counties to serve process related to child support actions; create a new section of KRS Chapter 15 to provide for the conditions of revocation of constable's peace officer powers; amend KRS 15.310 to include constables and deputy constables within the definition of "law enforcement officers" amend KRS 15.315 to add a constable to the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council; amend KRS 17.190 to add constables to the list of law enforcement agencies allowed to make emergency requests for call location information; amend KRS 70.310 to remove the sufficiency standards for constables' bonds exercised by the county level government; amend KRS 15.404 to specify that the executive director of the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council is responsible for certain program aspects; allow constables to apply for admission to a basic training course as established by KRS 15.440 at a school certified or recognized by an association representing constables, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, or the Department for Criminal Justice Training; remove requirement that the constable bear the costs of precertification and training as well as precertification; provide that if space is not available upon request, the constable or deputy constable possessing peace officer powers at the time of application continue to possess those powers until training is made available to them and they are able to complete the training; amend KRS 446.010 to include certified constables and deputy constables in the definition of "peace officers"; amend KRS 180.910 to include within the definition as an "emergency vehicle" a vehicle being used for official law enforcement purposes by a constable or deputy constable possessing the powers of a peace officer; amend KRS 189.910 to inlcude vehicles commandeered by peace officers, rather than police officers within the meaning of emergency vehicles, and include constables' and deputy constables' vehicles within the meaning of an emergency vehicle when the officers possess peace officer powers and are using the vehicles for law enforcement; amend KRS 189.950 to allow constables without the powers of peace officers to equip their vehicles with blue lights and a siren with fiscal court approval; allow constables possessing the powers of a peace officer to equip their vehicle with blue lights and a siren without fiscal court approval; direct that the act be cited as the Richard Lee VanHoose Act; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 142.406 to require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to establish criteria to administer a regional marketing and matching funds program; require the program to provide financial and marketing assistance for projects that directly support the promotion and marketing efforts of a tourism attraction event or geographic area; establish 9 tourism regions in the state; require a tourism regional committee to be established within each tourism region; set requirements for the appointment of members to the tourism regional committee; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to establish terms and operating policies of the tourism regional committees; require at least 25% of the moneys available in the tourism, meeting, and convention marketing fund to be divided equally among the tourism regions for the payment of eligible expenses; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to work in partnership with the tourism regional committees to use the money provided to the tourism regions; require at least 10% of the moneys in the tourism, meeting, and convention marketing fund to be dedicated to the regional marketing and matching funds program; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to implement initial strategic plans for marketing and promoting tourism in each tourism region; mandate reporting to the Legislative Research Commission by the secretary of the cabinet; create a new section of KRS Chapter 148 to mandate reporting by the commissioner of the Department of State Parks to the Legislative Research Commission on state park occupancy rates; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 95A.292 to allow rescue squad members to participate in the Alan "Chip" Terry Professional Development and Wellness Program; create a new section of KRS Chapter 39F to direct the Division of Emergency Management and the Kentucky Fire Commission to enter into an agreement to ensure that rescue squad members have access to the program; provide that the Act may be cited as Gavin's Rights.

Repeal and reenact KRS 158.178 to require that a public school or public charter school conspicuously display a copy of the Ten Commandments accompanied by text providing historical context in each elementary and secondary classroom; set requirements for the display; require private donations to be used to acquire copies; require the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations for enforcement; create a new section of KRS Chapter 164 to require that public postsecondary education institutions conspicuously display a copy of the Ten Commandments in each classroom; set requirements for the display; require private donations to be used to acquire copies; require the Council on Postsecondary Education to promulgate administrative regulations for enforcement; amend KRS 158.195 to allow teachers and administrators to read or post the Ten Commandments in a public school building, classroom, or event.