Sen. Gex Williams

Amend KRS 439.3401 to include in the definition of "violent offender" a person who has been convicted of burglary in the first degree as described in KRS 511.020(1)(a), assault in the second degree as described in KRS 508.020(1)(b) or (c), and wanton endangerment in the first degree as described in KRS 508.060 involving the discharge of a firearm; remove the requirement that the victim of a Class B felony involving criminal attempt to commit murder shall be a clearly identifiable peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical services provider acting in the line of duty; provide that a violent offender who is convicted of a Class C felony violation of wanton endangerment in the first degree and assault in the second degree as described in KRS 508.020(1)(b) or (c) shall not be released on probation, shock probation, parole, conditional discharge, or other form of early release until he or she has served at least 65 percent of the sentence imposed; amend KRS 508.060 to enhance wanton endangerment in the first degree if the person discharges a firearm in the commission of the offense; amend KRS 635.020 to provide that if a child is 15 years of age or older and is charged with a felony involving the use of a firearm then he or she shall be transferred to Circuit Court to be tried as an adult; provide that a child who has been convicted of a felony involving the use of a firearm shall not be eligible for probation or conditional discharge in a proceeding consistent with KRS 640.030.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 77 to prohibit the Transportation Cabinet or any other state agency, department, or political subdivision from adopting or enforcing emissions standards on new motor vehicles, or from requiring purchase or sale of electric vehicles.

Amend KRS 243.0305 to allow a craft distiller to self-distribute up to 5,000 gallons of distilled spirits per year directly to a licensed retailer; direct the distiller to register, deliver, report, and pay all applicable taxes on self-distributed distilled spirits; allow a distiller to extend credit to a retailer for up to 30 days from the invoice date; establish distiller reporting requirements to both wholesalers and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control; amend KRS 243.710 and 243.884 to require a distiller to pay wholesale taxes on any self-distributed distilled spirits.

Amend KRS 610.345 to require notice to schools prior to filing of a public offense petition against a child in certain cases.

Direct the Public Service Commission to promulgate emergency administrative regulations on utility pole attachments for broadband service providers that will address the backlog of pole attachment requests and establish parameters for preventing delays and backlogs of requests in the future; require the Public Service Commission to open a docket to receive comments and requests from affected parties and issue a quarterly report to the Legislative Research Commission beginning September 30, 2024; EMERGENCY.

Create the Certificate of Need (CON) Task Force to review the CON program; review the need to maintain or modify each health facility and service covered by CON; outline task force membership; require the task force to submit any findings and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2024.

Urge the United States Congress and the Kentucky Congressional delegation to designate Big Bone Lick State Historic Site as a national historical park; direct the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to work in conjunction with the United States Congress and the United States Department of the Interior to facilitate this designation.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 214 to prohibit a requirement for any individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, modified ribonucleic acid (modRNA) vaccine, or messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine for the purposes of student enrollment, employment, or medical treatment in the Commonwealth.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 231 to express the findings of the General Assembly relating to adult-oriented businesses and the need for regulation; define terms; establish distance parameters for the location of adult-oriented businesses in proximity to identified entities and locations; establish transition provisions for existing businesses; affirm the authority of local governmental units to supplement regulation of adult-oriented businesses; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 96.171 to define "governing body" and "customer"; amend KRS 96.172 to increase the combined electric and water plant board membership from five to seven; require that vacancies on the board be filled in a manner that will bring the board membership closest to being proportionately representative of customers of the board who live inside and outside of the city limits of the city served by the combined system or plant; provide for the nomination of board members and appointment by the mayor; apply anti-nepotism restrictions relating to board membership and operations to the county judge/executive; amend KRS 96.175 to remove the combined plant board's authority to perform any act not repugnant to law; amend KRS 96.179 to require instead of allow the combined plant board to pay, in lieu of ad valorem property taxes, an equivalent amount to each taxing jurisdiction within which its properties lie; amend KRS 96.182 to only allow for the combined plant board's excess revenues to be used to purchase outstanding bonds or to reduce rates; make the combined plant board's expenditures relating to the board's public projects subject to prior governing body approval; prohibit a combined plant board's use of revenues from its electric or water utility service to be used to subsidize unrelated activities undertaken by the board; amend KRS 96.184 to make the combined plant board's issuance of revenue bonds subject to approval of the governing body; amend KRS 96.185 to require that in conjunction with their required audits, in each even-numbered fiscal year, the combined plant board shall have independent appraisals prepared for the properties and associated services for all projects and operations undertaken by the combined electric and water plant board that are unrelated to the provision of water or electric utility services; amend KRS 96.187 to make the 60 day time period after which challenges to ordinances or resolutions relating to the combined plant board are barred begin after the ordinance or resolution is published in accordance with KRS Chapter 424; create a new section of KRS 96.171 to 96.188 to define terms; prohibit the combined plant board from using any funds derived from the provision of any of its services for political or institutional advertising; allow the combined electric and water plant board to use funds not related to the provision of water or electric service on promotional advertising for public projects; create a new section of KRS 278 to require the Public Service Commission to assist in the resolution of consumer complaints by customers of combined electric and water system boards and to review their rates at least once per year.