With fewer than two weeks before the veto recess, dozens of bills are moving rapidly through the Kentucky General Assembly, including proposals aimed at child protection, school safety, and health care. Here’s a quick look at the latest bills on the move.
More than 250 bills have already passed at least one chamber. Many are now advancing on the opposite side of the legislature as negotiations intensify ahead of final votes.
Several measures designed to strengthen child welfare protections gained traction this week, including proposals involving foster care placements, Amber Alerts, and penalties tied to child abuse deaths.
House Bill 6, which would overhaul Kentucky’s child care regulatory system, and House Bill 778, which would expand definitions of neglect and tighten safeguards around foster placements, advanced out of committees.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 289 would give authorities more flexibility to issue Amber Alerts when a child is missing but there is no confirmed abduction, and Senate Bill 138 would classify child abuse resulting in death as a capital offense.
Another proposal targeting online safety, House Bill 227, would require social media platforms to estimate users’ ages and limit features designed to keep young users engaged for extended periods.
Budget negotiations are also looming. House lawmakers approved a proposal this week for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the state road plan, while the Senate continues developing its version of the broader two-year state budget.
Lawmakers have 11 session days remaining before the veto recess. Here are some other bills that gained momentum this week:
Workplace violence in health care — House Bill 713 would require health care facilities to maintain workplace safety plans, conduct assessments, and provide violence prevention training for staff. The bill passed the House on Monday.
Physician shortages — Senate Joint Resolution 116 directs the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Eastern Kentucky University to collaborate on strategies to address physician shortages in underserved areas. The Senate passed the resolution Monday.
Cannabis-infused beverages — Senate Bill 223 would create a permit allowing businesses with alcohol licenses to sell cannabis-infused drinks to customers age 21 and older. The bill advanced out of committee Tuesday.
Intoxicating products — House Bill 9 would overhaul Kentucky’s regulatory and taxation framework for intoxicating products, including alcohol, hemp-derived cannabinoids, and kratom. It also establishes a 4% retail licensing fee on alcoholic and cannabis-infused beverages beginning in July 2027. The bill passed the House Tuesday.
Research fund — Senate Bill 6 would create a $150 million endowed research fund to support collaboration and innovation across Kentucky universities. The Senate approved the bill Tuesday.
Constitutional amendments — Senate Bill 262 would change how proposed constitutional amendments appear on ballots, replacing the full text with a summarized ballot question. The Senate passed the bill Tuesday.
School administrator salaries — Senate Bill 2 would prohibit school administrators from receiving a higher percentage pay raise than classroom teachers in the same district, with limited waiver options. A House committee approved the bill Wednesday.
Sexual assault nurse examiners — House Bill 134 would expand access to sexual assault nurse examiners and establish a statewide coordinator to improve training and collaboration. The Senate Health Services Committee advanced the bill Wednesday.
School employee sick leave — Senate Bill 124 would allow school employees to cash in unused sick days beyond a 15-day minimum and permit teachers to use sick days for religious holidays not listed on the school calendar. A House committee approved the bill Wednesday.
School safety — House Bill 643 would allow school districts to implement wearable panic alert systems for teachers and staff to silently notify first responders during emergencies. The bill advanced out of committee Wednesday.
Sports wagering and charitable gaming — House Bill 904 would raise the sports wagering age from 18 to 21, regulate fantasy contests, and ban proposition bets on Kentucky college athletes. The bill advanced in committee Wednesday.
Illegal street racing — House Bill 425 would increase penalties for illegal street racing, including higher fines and vehicle impoundment provisions. The House Judiciary Committee advanced the bill Wednesday.
Status offenders — Senate Bill 170 would create a four-year pilot program in up to 10 school districts aimed at improving attendance and diverting status offenders through RISE intervention teams. The bill cleared a House committee Wednesday.
Eviction records — House Bill 338 would require automatic expungement of dismissed eviction filings and prevent minors from being listed in eviction cases. The bill passed out of committee Wednesday.
Pesticide labeling — Senate Bill 199 would consider EPA-approved pesticide labels sufficient to satisfy state warning requirements, with exceptions if manufacturers knowingly mislead the EPA. The bill advanced Wednesday.
Kentucky-grown food — Senate Bill 5 would make it easier for schools to purchase locally grown food by adjusting procurement rules. A House committee approved the bill Wednesday.
Financial exploitation — House Bill 794 would increase penalties for financially exploiting someone age 65 or older. The House Banking and Insurance Committee advanced the bill Wednesday.
Impaired driving — Senate Bill 66 would suspend the driver’s license of a suspect who refuses a blood test in an impaired driving case and expand the list of drugs that could support a DUI conviction. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday.
Civil rights — House Bill 468 would align Kentucky disability protections with federal ADA amendments and move some adjudicative responsibilities from the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights to the courts. The House passed the bill Wednesday.
Abuse of a corpse — Senate Bill 221 would make it a Class D felony to knowingly buy, sell, or transfer a corpse or body part after it has been authorized for cremation or burial. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday.
Kentucky state police — Senate Bill 278 would allow state troopers to work approved off-duty law enforcement jobs for public entities and certain ticketed events. A Senate committee approved the bill Thursday.
Death penalty regulations — Senate Bill 251 would allow the Department of Corrections to implement execution protocols through internal policies rather than formal regulations. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bill Thursday.
Child pornography — House Bill 366 would expand the definition of child pornography to include computer-generated images of minors and require offenders to serve at least 85% of their sentence. The bill cleared a Senate committee Thursday.
Affordable housing — House Bill 333 would allow faith-based organizations to build small-scale affordable housing units near religious institutions. The bill advanced out of committee Thursday.
School-based Medicaid program — House Bill 583 would help school districts recover Medicaid funding for medically necessary services provided by school nurses to eligible students. The bill passed a House committee Thursday.
Drug treatment map — Senate Joint Resolution 74 would direct state agencies to create a statewide fiscal map of substance use disorder programs and funding sources. The resolution advanced Thursday.
Prostheses and orthoses coverage — Senate Bill 97 would expand insurance coverage for prosthetic and orthotic devices. The Senate passed the bill Thursday.
Hospital police departments — House Bill 248 would allow hospitals to create on-site police departments staffed by fully sworn law enforcement officers. The bill passed the House on Friday.
Ibogaine research — Senate Bill 77 would create a research and intellectual property fund to study ibogaine as a treatment for substance use disorders. The Senate passed the bill Friday.
Prison education programs — House Bill 5 would establish a Kentucky Community and Technical College System prison education program focused on vocational training and reducing recidivism. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bill Friday.
The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene Monday.
