Sen. Jason Howell

Amend KRS 150.021 to remove the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources from the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, administratively attach the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to the Department of Agriculture, transfer records associated with the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources from the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to the department; amend KRS 150.022 to authorize the Commissioner of Agriculture to appoint members of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission; amend KRS 12.020, 150.061, 235.010, 235.030, 235.130, and 246.030 to conform; make provisions for vacated appointments and process of new appointments; EMERGENCY.

Propose to amend Sections 145 and 155 of the Constitution of Kentucky to prohibit persons who are not citizens of the United States from being allowed to vote in the Commonwealth of Kentucky; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Create a new section of KRS 18A.005 to 18A.200 to provide an employee of the Commonwealth a paid leave of absence of up to four weeks for the birth, surrogacy, or adoption of a child, or up to two weeks for the placement of a child in foster care or kinship care; establish requirements; amend KRS 18A.025 and 18A.110 to conform.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 344 to make it unlawful for a state agency to discriminate against a person based on his or her access to electronic means to obtain benefits or gain access to public buildings; provide that the Act may be cited as the Digital Identification Act.

Amend KRS 136.1804 to direct the state portion of property taxes on commercial watercraft to the riverport financial assistance trust fund established in KRS 174.210; amend KRS 174.210 to conform; APPROPRIATION.

Appropriate certain General Fund moneys to the Department for Public Health to support the Smoking and Vaping Cessation Program; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 152.714 to include that the Office of Energy Policy is within the Energy and Environment Cabinet.

Amend KRS 246.285, relating to the Commissioner of Agriculture, to add gender-neutral language.

Amend KRS 246.285, relating to the Commissioner of Agriculture, to add gender-neutral language.

Amend KRS 304.17A-600 to define "health care provider" and "health care service"; make conforming amendments; create new sections of KRS 304.17A-600 to 304.17A-633 to establish eligibility criteria and requirements for prior authorization exemptions; establish requirements for rescinding prior authorization exemptions; set forth requirements for external reviews of prior authorization exemption denials and rescissions; establish requirements for sending forms and notices to health care providers; provide that nothing shall be construed to authorize a health care provider to act outside the provider's scope of practice or require an insurer or private review agent to pay for a health care service performed in violation of law; require the commissioner of the Department of Insurance to establish forms; amend KRS 304.17A-605 to establish applicability of provisions relating to prior authorization exemptions to certain insurers and private review agents; amend KRS 304.17A-607 to establish requirements for prior authorizations; amend KRS 304.17A-611 to prohibit the retrospective denial, reduction in payment, and review of health care services for which a health care provider has a prior authorization exemption and establish exceptions; amend KRS 304.17A-621 to conform; amend KRS 304.17A-627 to prohibit conflicts of interest with independent review entities and reviewers of prior authorization exemption denials and rescissions; require independent review entities and reviewers of prior authorization exemption denials and rescissions to submit an annual report to the Department of Insurance; amend KRS 304.17A-633 to require the commissioner of the Department of Insurance to report on external reviews of prior authorization exemptions denials and rescissions; amend KRS 304.17A-706 to conform; amend KRS 205.536 to require managed care organizations contracted to provide Medicaid benefits to comply with the sections on prior authorization exemptions; apply the provisions to contracts delivered, entered, renewed, extended, or amended on or after the effective date of the Act; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to seek approval if it is determined that such approval is necessary; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2025.