Legislation Detail
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2023-Detail – Kentucky Liberty Caucus
DISCLAIMER: These recommendations are preliminary with 1 or 2 people having read the legislation, and hence with limited collaboration and commentary. Final evaluations pending. KY Legislative Session reconvenes FEBRUARY 7, 2023 and is a short session (30 days).
Category & Support Type | Bill & Summary Priority Level & Detailed Evaluation |
Primary Sponsor & Status (Prim. Reviewer) | |
Taxes & Spending | HB1 | Reduces the state income tax to 4% from 4.5% stating in 2024, imposes several other taxes to make up some of the lost state revenue. | B. Reed |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Will definitely pass. The question is what taxes are going to make up the revenue. In this bill, it is mostly applying sales taxes to various services that previously had been untaxed. | (Lance ) |
Govt Regulations | HB100 | Estab new Committee on Constitutional Enforcement. | S. Rawlings |
Oppose | Low (Can wait) | Don’t have an issue with supporting constitutional enforcement (obviously), but not sure what the actual need is for this. International orgs have no force of law in the US. The Supremacy clause makes the US Constitution and Federal above state law (and the Judiciary resolves those conflict where the Federal government oversteps its limits). It would be good to have a constitutional watchdog, but do we need another Committee? This is actually the Attorney General’s role already, does a referral mean anything? Would anything coming out of this committee have actual teeth, eg req. Attorney General to sue (and even if so, would that violate separation of powers)? |
(Lance) |
Education | HB101 | KDE cannot mandate COVID-19 vax requirement to attend school. Opposed only because HB92 is stronger bill. |
J. Decker |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Very similar to HB31, but from a different angle. Doesn’t cover postsecondary schools. HB92 is the stronger bill. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB102 | Def. insurance requirements for delivery network drivers (eg door dash), establish that company must notify driver in writing of his insurance requirements, allows insurers to deny coverage to the individual | M. Pollock |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Good that it clarifies some gray issues concerning insurance requirements for drivers and the requirements of the company the driver contracts with | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB103 | Redef of “torture” of a dog or cat. Makes it a Class C felony for each act | R. Dotson |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Clarifies existing language and increases penalty for each offense. Makes each offense a separate crime. Lance: I would prefer retaining the provision that a first, single offense, is a serious misdemeanor, but multiple or repeat violations rises to felony. |
(Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB104 | Adds ” the offender abused the corpse of the victim of kidnapping or murder by engaging in deviate sexual intercourse, sexual intercourse or sexual contact as defined in KRS.510.010″ to the list of aggravating circumstances considered in the sentencing phase of a capital murder trial | S. Heavrin |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Definitely, defiling a corpse sexually should be added to the list of aggravating circumstances. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB105 | Constitutional amendment to exempt property owners over age 65 from paying increased taxation on their property due to increase in the value of their property | T. Huff |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Low priority because it cannot go onto the ballot this year, but definitely supportive. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB106 | Mirror of SB73. Regulates online gambling. | D. Graham |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Mirror of SB73. | (Lance) |
Health | HB108 | Forms commission to set up funding, rules and bylaws for the purpose of participating in the multi state Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Compact. (*Good idea, reducing licensing redundancy, but after COVID skittish about other states putting controls on our hospitals.) | D.J. Johnson |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Can see where this could benefit hospital staffing shortages, and reduce regulatory redundancy. However, hospitals created a staffing crisis by forcing vaccines on their staff, what’s to stop something similar being used to force hospitals to adopt similar policies through APRN (the way the Biden Admin tried to impose regulations through OSHA and through Mericare reimbursement)? Should we be entering into a multi-state compacts, thus reducing state ability to regulate itself, when we just saw giving up state control of hospitals can backfire? |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB109 | Makes holding property beyond the length of a rental agreement a theft of service crime | M. Lockett |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Is a good bill but there are more pressing issues that need addressed | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB11 | Tied to HB2, reallocates $16.6M from the transportation budget for electric charging station pre-payments to the Building of a Veteran’s nursing home in Bowling Green. | J. Petrie |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Just procedural, re-allocating the $16.6M that HB2 requires from the transportation budget. | Passed House (Lance) |
Health | HB110 | Adds “conscientiously held beliefs” to the list of exceptions to immunization requirements. | S. Baker |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Good bill. Needed to be passed last year. Stop forcing people to inject things into their body against their beliefs to participate in society. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB112 | Reqs all vehicles on a highway with iron, steel or wooden wheels be equipped with a rubberized strip on the portion of the wheel that is in contact with the pavement. | W. Thomas |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Not sure what vehicles this is intended to affect. I have a concern that it may lead to extra cost for Amish horse carriages. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB113 | Authorizes electrical inspectors to perform electrical work outside of the jurisdiction where they serve as inspectors. | P. Pratt |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Will allow those inspectors to find extra work outside their area. I don’t see a problem with that. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB114 | New legislators shall participate in the Kentucky Employees Retirement System. Legislators who entered the LRP 2014+ and in the LRP cash balance plan shall have their balance transferred to the KERS hybrid plan. (*Makes legislators have “skin in the game” with KERS.) | J. Tipton |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | It’s a long bill with lots of details concerning the different retirement plans across the state. Stipulates that if a newly elected legislator is currently in another state retirement plan, he/ she can opt to stay in that plan. It’s overall a good bill with the intent of moving all of our legislators into the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, so they will have ” skin in the game” and will make certain it stays properly funded. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB115 | Cleans up language related to what constitutes a police service animal and removes penalty for assault when killing a police service animal if a person reasonably feels they have to do so to save a life. | B. Wesley |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Solid bill, no issues with it. Just will be a matter of building support. | Passed House (Lance) |
Elections | HB116 | Amends existing legislation to allow the KY Association of Conservation Districts to submit names of nominees. Requires that all candidates and supervisors be at least 21 years of age | F. Rabourn |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Have no problem with this bill | Passed House (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB117 | Allows certain USDA exempted poultry producers to sell on a farm, farmer’s market or road side stand. Poultry sold at a farmer’s market or roadside stand must be frozen and wrapped. | S. Maddox |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Can help local farmers move their products to the local community. Seems like an excellent idea considering the supply chain issues we are currently dealing with. | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB118 | Lower min age for carrying a concealed deadly weapon from 21 to 18 | S. Maddox |
Support | High (Pass this session) | If they are old enough to join the military, then they are old enough to concealed carry. | (Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB119 | Allows home schoolers to participate in public school interscholastic activities (sports). (*Why INTERscholastic? Why not scholastic extracurriculars as well (drama club, plays, chess club, FFA, FHA, whatever)? | R. Dotson |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good move, these parents are tax payers as well, why shouldn’t their kids be able to make use of public school resources for their kids? Amendments: Why INTERscholastic, why not scholastic as well (drama club, chess club, whatever)? Restrict participation in sports to the geographically nearest public school with the activity to their home within their county. |
(Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB12 | Expands the prohibitions while driving from texting on a cell phone to all kinds of communication devices (fine) and lots of common activities (like holding a cellphone; goes too far). | J. Tipton |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Distracted driving is a serious issue, but does this actually reduce that? This is likely going too far, as a huge % of people do these activities. I think better education about the dangers of distracted driving is a better option. Concerns: (1) Adds more reasons to pull people over for things that aren’t necessarily unsafe (eg hands off talking). (2) Difficult to enforce. Laura’s Thoughts: Problems with this…. Many. This makes it impossible to use a map app like Waze but allows you to use your car’s navigation system if it is integrated into the vehicle. What’s the difference? Discriminates against people without Bluetooth systems…those speaking on Bluetooth are just as distracted as those holding a phone. How do you enforce any of this? How is changing a radio station while sitting at stop light any different than dialing a phone? |
(Steve) |
Health | HB120 | Bans Sex Change operations and gender altering medications only for minors in KY. | S. Maddox |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Children should not be making these life altering decisions. Amendments: Would love to refine the neglect and abuse statutes to explicitly exclude lack of “gender affirmation.” Would also love to avoid using leftist terminology in these definitions. |
(Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB123 | Elim limited liability tax on small businesses in Kentucky with gross receipts less than $100,000. | P. Flannery |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Affects only small business, which need help in this economy. Seems pretty reasonable. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB124 | Prohibits use of TikTok on any state issued devices with internet connectivity | S. Sharp |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Prohibits the download or use of the TikTok application or visiting the TikTok website. Maybe add in (2) the prohibition of clicking any link with TikTok material. Also of concern is that there is no penalty listed for disobeying this legislation. | (Laura) |
Health | HB125 | Reqs Dep of Public Health to incorporate information on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias into already existing materials, publish it on its website and distribute it to local health dept. | K. Moser |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Good information for the public to know about, but not really a high priority. I’m not sure that Alzheimer’s disease and its contributing factors are well understood enough to make this highly effective, but fine. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Education | HB126 | Attempt to reverse law passed to try and fix the Teacher retirement system by allowing teachers to join the old system. | C. Stevenson |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Removes provisions from 2021 HB258 that created and adjusted benefits for individuals who became members of the Teachers Retirement System after January 1, 2022. Provide that they be eligible for benefits applicable to members who entered the system before January 1, 2022. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB127 | Estab a 4-year scholarship for persons agreeing to serve as coal county paramedics, and establishes funding. (*May be better applied to MDs, RNs & LPNs and handled Paramedics expanding KEES for trade schools.) | A. Tackett Laferty |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Looks like a solution for a problem. Not a bad bill. Lance: Do Paramedics require a 4 year degree anyway? They shouldn’t. Why not expand KEES to trade schools that handle certification (like HB85), and then save this 4 year scholarship for physicians and LPN/RNs? |
(Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB128 | Lays out in very long and very specific details both the rights of tenants and landlords and also their responsibilities. (*Goes too far restricting market and regulating, but esp. tenants do need more specified protections than offered by current law.) | N. Kulkarni |
Only If Amended | Medium (Committee review+) | A very thorough bill. It lays out in very specific detail exactly what obligations both the tenant and the landlord have in a lease agreement and what rights they have in different scenarios. Very balanced. It doesn’t put any undue burden on either side and draws up specific rules and penalties for breaking those rules. Particularly like that a landlord must keep a separate deposit open for security deposits and can not intermingle personal or business funds with that account. Lance: Provisions for domestic violence & stalking scenarios as well as for when a tenant or landlord dies are also good. Lots of good here, just needs to partner with a Republican to strike out 1/4 to 1/3 of the bill that imposes unnecessary regulation and market restriction in a future session. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB129 | Def ” freestanding birthing centers,” req. the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to update administrative regs to establish licensing standards. Potential cost savings and access. | J. Nemes |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | There are good requirements laid out for these centers, such as having the capability to transport patients to a hospital if complications occur. Could be beneficial for small communities that don’t have a nearby hospital, Also potential cost savings. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB13 | Changes the annual physical exam requirement for school bus drivers to every 24 months. | K. King |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Lowers the requirements still at a reasonable level to reduce barriers for school bus drivers. However, need an exemption if the person has certain medical issues that require yearly or more examination (eg heart condition). | Passed House (Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB130 | Allow the Soil and Water Conservation Commission to procure heavy equipment (and make admin. regs) for loan or lease to conserve soil resources, preventing erosion, and protect water resources. (*Idea is fine, need clear spending and lease constraints.) | A. Neighbors |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Sentiment and idea here is fine. Needs clarifying language about which circumstances dictate leasing out equipment and which cases you would loan equipment out. Doesn’t limit how much can reasonably be spent on purchasing this equipment. Leaves open a lot of room for abuse. |
Passed House (Steve / Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB132 | Exempt motor vehicles, recreational vehicles, trailers and semitrailers from state and local ad valorem (proportionate to assessed value) taxes. (*Favors the wealthy. There should be more tax on a Ferrari than a Ford.) | P. Flannery |
Oppose | Medium (Committee review+) | Always good to see another form of taxation go away. Not sure how local governments will be able to replace this revenue stream | (Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB133 | Allows Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships to be used for a workforce solution training program offered by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. | S. Bratcher |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Allows local decisions be made concerning which occupations are in highest demand and gearing the scholarships to those fields. Seems like a really good idea. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB135 | Empower the Transportation Cabinet to regulate Autonomous (self-driving) vehicles. | J. Bray |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | The main effects of the bill would be to: 1) Establish standards and definitions of AV. 2) Establish performance requirements and limitations. 3) Establish licensing and insurance requirements. 4) Empower the Transportation Cabinet with full authority over AV’s. No other state agency may tax or regulate AV operations. 5) Obligates the owner of the AV to notify appropriate state agencies in the event of a mishap. |
(John O) |
Education | HB136 | Prevents Council on Postsecondary Education from raising tuition more than 5% per year for residents, 7% for nonresidents, 4 year freeze for residents enrolled. Require unis to add two addl students to their boards & Senate confirmation of Gov noms to boards. (*Wait 1 session.) | W. Lawrence |
Support w/ amendments | Low (Can wait) | There’s a whole lot in this bill. Changes the makeup of the current university boards. Governor must have Senate’s approval to name replacements. Will this require special sessions to be called throughout the year for this purpose? Good to try and rein in the tuition increases of our universities, but I fear putting a 5 percent cap on it will make it likely they will raise it by that much automatically each year.
Lance: I like the tuition increase caps, would prefer short AND medium term caps (eg 5% and no more than 20% cumulatively over 5 years)… or tied to the CPI. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB137 | Prohibit Vax Passports, require “conscientious belief” exemptions, and stop other egregious vax mandates in schools and elsewhere (ambitious). | S. Maddox |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Allows student, staff or faculty members to opt out of a postsecondary school’s immunization policy for specific reasons. Prohibit a public entity from creating standardized documentation with the purpose of certifying vaccination status. Require written notice of vax exemptions for sincerely held religious beliefs or medical contraindication. Establish when health care providers can support a medical exemption, require notice of of federal mandates and available exemptions, establish civil cause and action for violations, prohibit Department of Public Health from releasing personal identifiable information from immunization reports, prohibit preschools, primary and secondary schools from promulgating new immunization policy and mandating compliance during a school year and allow objections to immunization based on conscientiously held beliefs.
Very good bill. Needs to be taken up and passed immediately |
(Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB138 | Allow concealed weapons at government owned facilities, including postsecondary schools. (* Well thought out exception list, but should not allow any 18+ yo students in high school.) | S. Maddox |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Amendments: This should not include any student in a high school (assuming that the concealed carry age gets lowered to 18). | (Lance) |
Education | HB139 | Reqs that public university not discriminate based upon viewpoint in funding of student orgs or off-campus speech. | S. Maddox |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Good legislation, covers lots of speech suppression issues on college campuses. Higher ed should be bastions of free speech, not enemies of it… but “Progressive” Marxists are profoundly ILliberal. | (Lance) |
Health | HB141 | Estab Urgent Need Insulin Program and Continuing Access to Insulin Program admin by Kentucky Board of Pharmacy, where manufacturers report to the Board and that the Board report to the General Assembly. (*Is program needed with new federal price controls on insulin?) | D. Bentley |
Only If Amended | Medium (Committee review+) | Need to re-evaluate in light of new price controls on insulin in latest omnibus package. Good to try and make sure that insulin is readily available to those that need it and assistance for those who are in need. Not sure if requiring the manufacturer to supply replacement for the supply given away won’t cause them to merely raise the price on the insulin that they will sell for purchase. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB142 | Def feminine hygiene products, exempts them from sales or use tax for four years. (*No big deal, but why a special carve out?) | L. Willner |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Don’t see this as being something very high on the priority list for this session. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB143 | Estab reqs for bouncers, prohibits consumption of alcohol by a bouncer during working hours, and agency oversight. Allows revocation or suspension of biz license. (*Some is OK, but onerous training req.) | L. Willner |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Way too much red tape/ requirements for both the bouncer and for the retail establishments to have to comply with. Requires training classes for bouncers. Who will the state find who specializes in this type of training? How far will the trainees have to travel for their classes? Who can determine the right or wrong type of training? | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB144 | Provides protection from warrantless in-person access to, or surveillance on, private open land by law enforcement. Requires law enforcement to utilize body cameras and audio recording devices while there. | J. Hodgson |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Good bill. Restricts the ability of police to come on a person’s property for surveillance. It does provide a few exceptions: if an officer has a warrant, is putting down a wounded animal or has the owner’s permission. |
(Steve ) |
Education | HB145 | Estab Commonwealth Ed Continuum, specifies membership, establishes terms and requires the Council on Postsec Ed to act as the administrative body for the Continuum. | J. Tipton |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | On the surface, it seems to be a noble idea, but not sure if another committee made up of people from so many different backgrounds could come together for specific remedies to fix our broken schools. Do we need even more boards and commissions? Maybe in a year after the Governors race. This also needs some trade school representation. |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB146 | Reqs Office of Unemployment Insurance to advise claimant of additional benefits & job training opportunities & other reasonable changes. Adjusts minimum weeks of benefits up from 12 weeks to 16. (*Don’t love removing the scaled unemployment to duration schedule, if anything it should be region specific.) | R. Webber |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Requires Office of Unemployment Insurance to advise claimant approved for benefits of additional benefits training opportunities and financial aid resources available. Adds training provided by the Trade Act of 1974 to the definition of approved training. Adds disaster unemployment assistance and trade readjustment allowances to the programs not considered advanced benefits. Adjusts minimum state unemployment rate from 4.5 to 6.5 percent and the minimum weeks of benefits from 12 weeks to 16…
Overall not a terrible bill. But it could open the door for more abuse of the system by lowering requirements for denial of benefits. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB147 | Prohibits employer from retaliating against an employee who is a crime victim when taking leave (with notics) to attend court proceedings. Also, maintain confidentiality. (*Good idea. Eliminate “emotional and psychological” harm from def, perhaps only Class B misdemeanors+.) | R. Roberts |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Amends KRS 337.415 relating to court ordered appearances by employees. Requires employee to give an employer reasonable notice when practicable. It’s a good gesture, but is too restrictive on the employer. There should be some limits on the types of scenarios where employees can take time away. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB148 | Provides for the written assignment of substance or mental health benefits to a substance abuse or mental health facility. Requires state employee health plan and state postsecondary institutions comply. | R. Webber |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Seems rather harmless, as most policies I’m sure already cover this. However, not a high priority.
This cuts the patient out of the payment loop altogether, what keeps the Facilities from expoliting this with LONG states? |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB149 | Prohibits traveling in the left most lane of a multi lane highway (currently mostly only when passing) at a speed lower than the posted maximum speed limit if a vehicle is overtaking the driver from the rear. | K. Upchurch |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Is law misformulated? It seems that part (a) (and existing law) only allows using left lane in a few circumstances related mostly to passing)… and that (b) is saying even then only at the maximum speed if someone is overtaking from behind. If you are required to travel only at the maximum speed, it would seem to be difficult from going over the limit and breaking yet another law. Seems to be a a solution in search of a problem. If the point were, you can use the left lane normally, but get out of the left lane if someone is approaching you from the rear, then ok. Many people in practice, do that now. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB15 | Reqs businesses to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid “family” medical leave per year. | C. Stevenson |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | This creates a definition of “family member” that says “person with whom the employee shares, or has shared within the last year, a mutual residence and with whom the employee maintains a committed relationship.” This is allowing anyone to take FMLA to care for someone they date. It defines “health care provider” as “any persons licensed under federal or state law to provide healthcare services” and allows these individuals to determine whether the patient needs continuing treatment or supervision by a competent individual. LPNs are licensed by the state. Are we going to let them determine who needs to receive FMLA benefits? | (Laura) |
Business Regs | HB150 | Amends def of a car dealer “franchise.” Permits a new motor vehicle dealership to propose a successor agreement. Limit audit and document retention requirements on recall work. (*What problem is this fixing? Auto manufacturers having too much power over dealers?) | K. Upchurch |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Seems to be trying to give more liberties to the owner of dealerships when dealing with the manufacturer. If the dealership cannot maintain the requirements put on his or her business by the manufacturer, they should try to renegotiate, or sell off the franchise to someone who is willing to abide by it. Don’t expect a change in the law to fix the issues. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB151 | Allows grads of two year surveying programs with much field experience to skip going through a four year program for licensure. | W. Williams |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Allows a person to qualify for licensure as a land surveyor if he/she has graduated from a two year board approved program and has obtained a minimum six years of progressive experience in land surveying with four of those years under the direct supervision of a practicing land surveyor. Allows grads of a two year program with two years progressive experience to take the Fundamentals of Land Surveying Examination. Allows grads of a two year program with six years of progressive experience to take the Principles of Land Surveying Examination. | (Steve ) |
Other | HB152 | Estab Taxpayer Transplant Program to recruit remote workers (using incentive grants to attract qualified employees) to the Commonwealth. (*Isn’t the trade-off training people here to do this? Which is more likely to stick around?) | R. Webber |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Require the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority to issue a request for the contracted company to invest in the program and recruit, market and offer incentive grants to attract qualified employees. Authorizes the Department of Revenue to issue annual disbursements to the contracted company. I would think that if companies need employees that badly, they should hire search firms themselves to recruit workers. This is using taxpayer money to recruit employees from out of state to come here. Would much rather see that money spent on training the people of this state to fill these positions. |
(Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB153 | Firearm Anti-commandeering. State and local gov’t shall not help fed enforce federal FIREARM BANS (incl magazines). This one applies criminal charges for individual cops who break law. (*That may be too much?) | J. Bray |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Firearm Anti-commandeering. Prohibits any state, county, city or educational institution law enforcement officer from enforcing federal firearm bans, and prohibits state or local authorities from enacting measures for that purpose. Also includes bans on attachments to firearms, such as larger clips. Criminal charges for individual cop is too much, enforcement should be at the unit or division level. |
Passed House (Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB154 | Estab requirements for insurers of dental plans relating to assignment of benefits. Require them to provide coverage and providers to comply with assignment provisions. | D. Lewis |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems to be a decent bill, clarifying language about dental insurance coverage. Not really high on the priority list now. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB155 | Prohibits the use or download of TikTok on any network or device under the control of a public agency. Permits the judicial branch of state government to implement it’s own ban and restrictions on TikTok. | S. Witten |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Very much needed. I would suggest stronger language towards the judicial branch. Rather than permitting them to institute their own ban, could you instruct them to or would that be a violation of separation of the branches? | (Steve ) |
Health | HB156 | Incl psychiatric residential treatment facilities in the definition of “facility.” Includes communicable disease outbreak and resident communicable disease status to exemptions for essential personal care givers | M. Dossett |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Guess this is just to clarify existing law and make it clear to the administrators of these facilities. | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB157 | Creates the Kentucky Urban Search and Rescue Program under the Division of Emergency Management. (*Wouldn’t it accomplish 2 priorities to just have National Guard trained in this?) | M. Hart |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Specifies it’s administration, requirements for crafting policies, procedures and regulations. Makes an appropriation.
Not sure just how often this program would be used. Would it maybe be wiser to give our National Guard troops training in this area and call them up when needed? |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Education | HB158 | Replaces the requirement that a teacher or employee submit an affidavit to take sick or personal leave with a simple statement. (*Why roll back a fraud prevention measure that’s in place?) | K. Timoney |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | A “statement” is not as legally binding as an affidavit. Could open the door for abuse of the system. | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB159 | Firearm Anti-commandeering. State and local gov’t agencies shall not help enforcement of most federal gun laws (that doesn’t exist under KY law). Allows citizen complaints with the AG, to enforce compliance. (*Don’t believe legal to arrest Fed for enforcing their Federal laws in bill’s last sentence.) | S. Maddox |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Firearm Anti-commandeering. Slightly different twist on anti-commandeering: Non-enformcement of federal gun laws that don’t exist in KY law (which I would imagine is VERY many of them). Seems like it would be a difficult to determine to which Federal laws this applies. Enforcement mechanism with the AG is good. One big problem: I don’t believe it is legal to arrest a federal agent for enforcing federal law. Otherwise, I would love to see this combined with SB98, add in that fine structure and less radical departure from federal law (eg just apply to new federal laws from a set date). |
(Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB160 | Incr reporting reqs for entities using mixing zones to mitigate water pollution. | C. Freeland |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Not an expert on these methods but more reporting reqs are good when dealing with pollution. | Passed House (Lance) |
Education | HB161 | Reqs each school board in state to have at least one student representative. (*Adults should make the decisions, period.) | L. Willner |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | May be helpful in a few cases, but don’t think this is really a necessity. Letting the “inmates run the ayslum” is ridiculous. Students can have input through public comment period. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB162 | Prohibits mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts with a person under the age of 18, or a ward who is over 18. (*Many people DO report changing each.) | L. Willner |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Puts way too much focus on the sexual orientation change efforts but not on the gender identity change issue. Like the prohibition on public funds. Would like some guarantees that the educational materials provided are balanced.
The entire point of the bill is the assumption that sexual orientation and gender identity can’t be changed, but this plies in the face of a massive explosion in the incidence of atypical cases of each. There is no doubt that they can be influenced. |
(Steve ) |
Elections | HB163 | Give chief election official instead of Board of Elections the authority to appoint an executive director and an assistant director of the State Board of Elections. Reqs county treasurer certify a statement of the number of voting locations to receive payments for election costs. (*Second part is fine; why shouldn’t the full board fill high level positions?) | D. Fister |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Not sure why the chief election official needs to appoint others to help with his/ her duties. Seems to be striping a board of power and giving it to one individual.No issue with requiring to certify number of voting locations. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB164 | Allows employment or appt of persons as young as 18 yo by jails, but reasonably limits what an employee under the age of 21 is allowed to do (eg only perimeter). | S. Heavrin |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Seems pretty reasonable. I would suggest that an employee under 21 who is working in the secure perimeter of a jail should always have a partner over 21 with them. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Other | HB165 | Reqs reporting by end of year regarding the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program, and permits the child care provider to terminate an active contract created pursuant to this program. (*The program is a gov’t handout to businesses, will be great to see if there is return on investment.) | S. Heavrin |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems pretty harmless, just not a very high priority.
What IS this program? |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Other | HB166 | Desig as official pets of KY domestic cats and dogs that reside in or have been adopted from Kentucky animal shelters or rescue organizations | S. Heavrin |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Harmless but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB167 | 69 pages of changes to the veterinary field. Deals with reqs for attaining license for vet, vet technician and vet assistant. Deals with types of fields related to vet care… Nothing seems amiss here on a quick pass, but waiting on impact statements. Needs to be throughly reviewed in committee. | M. Koch |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Very long bill. Very detailed. Nothing in it seems very harmful. Will restrict membership in the veterinary field. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Education | HB168 | Seeks to limit financial influence peddling (large financial gifts) from certain foreign governments in our universities (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria are “countries of concern”). | W. Williams |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Prohibits public postsecondary education institutions from engaging in certain activities with foreign countries of concern, submit certain agreements with foreign countries of concern to appropriate federal agencies for review and notice. Requires them to report gifts of $50,000 or more from foreign sources to the Council on Postsecondary Education and to the Auditor of Public Accounts. Good bill. |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB169 | Regs ATV driving on highways. Allows registration, requires proof of insurance and payment of all registration and clerk fee. Allows local ordinance to prohibit them on local roadways. (*Is this needed? Seems like a purely local issue.) | P. Flannery |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | This only pertains to four or six wheel multi passenger vehicles. Not sure how many of these need to be on the roadways (and the ones that are tend to be on country roads with little traffic). How many people will be willing to register and insure them? Seems likely to lead to lots of petty fines and arrests. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB17 | Elim half day kindergarten, making all kindergarten full day. Shifts cost for counties that fund full day kindergarten already to the state. (*Isn’t it preferable for young children to be at home?) | T. Truett |
Oppose | Low (Can wait) | Forces all kindergarten programs to be full day, with money appropriated accordingly. For counties that run full day kindergarten anyway and pay for the difference rom county funds, this shifts the burden to the state. | (Lance) |
Health | HB170 | Reqs health insurance coverage for oocyte and sperm preservation services and medical services which are related to testicular and other urological cancers. | P. Flannery |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Not a bad bill. It’s good that it exempts religious organizations from the requirements. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB171 | Reqs FAFSA application as a high school graduation requirement. (*Should be up to family. Why are we trying strong-arm all kids into college?) | S. Riley |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Very bad. Much too intrusive for the families of students who are not attending college or trade schools after graduation. It does allow for exemptions, but those families should not have to hassle with that. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB172 | Changes the requirement for a barbering school to have one teacher with 36 months teaching / administrative experience to 12 months. (*Like lower licensing reqs, but maybe 24 and lowering barbering lic. reqs too?) | M. Clines |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Barely more experience to run a barber school than become a barber with this bill. Lower the educational and apprenticeship req for barber as well. From 36 to 12 seems a drastic jump. Why not 36 to 24? |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Education | HB173 | Strong bill establishing parent’s right to protect their children in the public schools (every major concern addressed): transparency, COVID mandates, safety, bodily privacy, indoctrination, obscenity, bullying. (HB177 is similar, but limited.) | J. Calloway |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Called the Childhood Protection in Education Act. Very aggressive in dealing with every major issue in the public schools, without being unfair about it. Public school is for learning approved curriculum in a safe environment. This empowers parents to be more involved in their child’s education, and to sue to protect their children. | (Lance) |
Education | HB174 | Puts a constitutional amendment allowing the GA to fund non-common school (non public school) education as they see fit. (*Some version of this needs to pass NEXT year.) | J. Calloway |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Some version of this needs to pass NEXT year, there are several reasons that it need not this year. No reason to bring this into the Governor’s race when we don’t even know who the candidates are and how they want to run on and message the issue. Not sure what passing it this year versus next (where it really does need to pass) achieves (probably boosts fundraising, but for both sides).
At a minimum this needs the qualifier “…SOME OF the educational costs…” added. |
(Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB175 | Prohibits sanitation district from charging a property owner for service unless they provide services, or there is an approved plan to connect within less than two years. | F. Rabourn |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Reasonable prohibition against being charged for service that you do not receive. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB176 | Cab of Health and Family Services shall develop guidelines and regs for health facilities’ workplace safety assessments and workplace safety plan. | J. Nemes |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good bill. Everyone wants to have a safe workplace both for the employees and the visitors. Health care workers are at particularly heightened risk. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB177 | Similar to HB173, doesn’t have the bodily privacy part or the obscenity portions. Does contain a provision for parents to approve of gener reassignment procedures. | S. Baker |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Weaker version of HB 173. Few advantages beyond being less ambitious. | (Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB178 | For filling vacant seat of county judge / executive, reqs Gov choose replacement from list of 3 names provided by the executive committee, of the same party affiliation as the previous judge / executive. | N. Tate |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Will keep the Governor in check in replacing a judge executive, making sure that the replacement is from the same party as the previous judge executive. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB179 | Replaces the death penalty with the life Imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Prohibits probation for a person sentenced to life without parole or life without parole for 25 years. For juveniles, prohibits sentence of life imprisonment without parole. | J. Tipton |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Personally, I support the death penalty for the most heinous of crimes. But I understand if others oppose it. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB180 | Reqs health benefit plans and Medicaid cover biomarker testing. (*Key for preventative medicine.) | K. Moser |
Support | Low (Can wait) | It can be a cost cutting measure due to early detection of disease indicators. It could be an alternative for a patient, allow them the coverage to try it.
Are any of these test exorbitantly expensive, or inaccurate? |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Other | HB181 | Relating to divorce actions where there are minor children involved, remove the requirement that 60 days must elapse before taking testimony. (*Why not cool off?) | S. Dietz |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Not sure why this should be removed. Sometimes a cooling down period is necessary. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB182 | Def “child sex doll” and “traffic” to child obscenity criminal statutes. Makes a felony possession, trafficking, importing or advancing of a child sex doll. | S. Dietz |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Great bill. I’m for even making the punishment more severe.
Lance: Interesting law. Not sure how common this is, but it is roughly similar to trafficking child pornography. |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB183 | Replaces the third day of June with the 19th day of June to commemorate Juneteenth National Freedom Day. | S. Dietz |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Replaces the third day of June (Confederate Memorial Day, and Jefferson Davis Day) with the nineteenth day of June (Juneteenth National Freedom Day) as a state holiday. Don’t love the term “Juneteenth” but a day to celebrate the end of slavery is probably appropriate.The nineteenth day of January (Robert E. Lee Day), the thirtieth day of January (Franklin D. Roosevelt Day) can go as well, neither have any association with Kentucky… why do we have so many January state holidays? *Perhaps redistribute to Good Friday “Day of Service” or 1st Day of Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets. |
(Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB184 | On book, decriminalizes consensual homosexual sodomy. This law was deemed unconstitutional by SCOTUS in Lawrence v Texas (2003). | S. Dietz |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Decriminalizes consensual homosexual sodomy. Technically this is unnecessary, given that this law was deemed unconstitutional by SCOTUS in Lawrence v Texas (2003). No problem with cleaning up the books.
Would leaving this on the books make it, in effect, a trigger law? |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB185 | Allows for work experience to be considered in lieu of a bachelor’s degree for unclassified gov’t jobs. (*Fighting college credentialism.) | S. Witten |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Permits the secretary of the Personnel Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations considering relative work experience or certification in lieu of a bachelor’s degree for the purpose of evaluating employee qualifications.
Doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Just as long as they are hiring the most qualified for the position. |
(Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB186 | Prohibits the sale of air ambulance membership agreements to individuals enrolled in the state’s Medical Assistance Program. (*Seems to be meant to avoid charging people twice for overlapping insurance coverage.) | D. Frazier Gordon |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good bill. No need in buying insurance for something you are already covered for. Also allows a prorated return of fees if you are newly enrolled in the state program. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB187 | Def. “green house gas emissions reduction agreements.” Requires that it be properly recorded to be binding on subsequent purchasers or creditors. | K. King |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good bill but not too high priority. Would protect someone from purchasing a property and then finding out there are strings attached related to greenhouse gas regualtion. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB188 | Allows construction management-at-risk entities and construction manager general contractors to self-perform jobs up to 20% of the cost of the project when a subcontractor fails to perform. (*Seems like a good protection to assure a project actually finishes.) | J. Dixon |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Allows construction management-at-risk entities and construction manager general contractors to self-perform when a subcontractor fails to perform or when certain conditions are met. Allows contractor to use materials and supplies from a supplier or subcontractor or tools or equipment leased from a subcontractor.
Seems like harmless requirements but not a high priority |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB189 | Removes the transfer of lottery revenues from the Collaborative Center for Literary Development. (*Moves funds to other parts of the General Fund.) | K. Banta |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Doesn’t say where those revenues are now going to, only “to the reading and diagnostic fund.” Needs clarifying | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB19 | Excl all distributions from military pension plans for veterans and their spouses from state income tax | W. Thomas |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | All for doing anything we can to support our veterans. Lance: Generally agree, but where is the limit (we have a professional, voluntary military)? For me, this is probably going a bit too far. |
(Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB190 | Restricts the use of the National Guard outside of the state active duty unless Congress officially declares war or has taken official action pursuant to the U.S. Constitution. | C. Massaroni |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Good bill. We don’t need our Guardsmen deployed across the globe in peacekeeping missions or as meals on wheels. Keep them at home as much as possible. Require Congress to do its constitutional duty. | (Steve ) |
Elections | HB191 | Creates the procedures for filling an unexpired term on the consolidated local government council. (*Good, though 24 hours is short, and does 60 days put election on a Tuesday?) | J. Bauman |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | In the case where the vacancy occurs 3 months prior to the election, and no special election will be called, I would suggest codifying an extension of the filing deadline for new candidates to apply to be on the ballot. Note: Writ of vacancy within 24 hours is a tight window. 60 days from writ might not put election on a Tuesday. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB192 | Reqs a crew of at least two persons during operation of a train or light rail, includes penalties for failure to comply. | A. Tackett Laferty |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Good bill. Ensure that in an emergency, there is someone capable of controlling the train. Exemption for work performed in the yard. I would suggest amending to require both individuals be trained engineers. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB193 | Estab a refundable $1000 tax credit for certain volunteer firefighters. (*Not all first responders?) | A. Tackett Laferty |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Purpose is to recruit volunteer firefighters in those areas where there is a need. Not sure a $1000 credit will help, but it can’t hurt | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB194 | Returns the retirement distribution state tax exclusion from $31,110 to $41,110. | D. Bentley |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Actually returns this to the level it was at for decades. Good to make an adjustment, as inflation is currently shrinking the defined benefits received by retirees. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB196 | Estab Mental Health Safety Center (SafeKY) within the University of Louisville. Require SafeKY to develop and maintain a free to use real time electronic mental health application 24/7/365. (*Good idea; Better built privately, maintained by Family and Health services.) | K. Fleming |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | I have a concern that there is no requirement of parental notification within this program. Also, not sure if we can trust the woke universities to not use this kind of service to groom children. Better to build the app privately, and maintain it through Family and Health Services. |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB197 | Def perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, req. the Energy and Environment Cabinet regulate maximum PFAS limits and monitor KY waters. (*Clean water is important, if this isn’t already regulated.) | N. Kulkarni |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | High (Pass this session) | These are the chemicals used in the manufacturer of nonstick cookware and stain repellent fabric treatment. Definitely need monitoring. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB198 | Def “job posting” and “wage range.” Requires all employers to include the wages or wage range for advertised positions. | N. Kulkarni |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Another onerous requirement for business. This is something that can be discussed / negotiated within the interview process | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB199 | Def “communication disorder.” Allows that information be incl in the KY vehicle registration database that a regular passenger of the vehicle may be deaf or hard of hearing. | N. Kulkarni |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Way too much information to be perused by an officer. Why can’t this information be transferred via the driver of the vehicle if necessary? | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB2 | Appropriates $16,630,000 towards veterans’ nursing home in Bowling Green | J. Tipton |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Appropriates $16,630,000 towards veterans’ nursing home. Beshear approved $2.5M to fund design and preconstruction costs in March of 2020. Expected to be a $ 30M facility per WKBO article on March 29, 2021. Then Spectrumnews reports on November 2, 2022 that it will be a $50M center. State allocated $10.5M toward facility already and another $19.5M from the Veterans Administration in 2021? This new appropriation totals $46,630,000.00 for what was originally expected to be a $30M project. | (Laura) |
Health | HB200 | Estab a health care provider / GA partnership for scholarship funds for health care workers in areas of high demand. (*Only if pandemic mandate firings reinstated and no racist DEI component.) | K. Fleming |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Another attempt to fix the health care shortage that many of these facilities brought on themselves by mandating the jab as a condition of employment. How about rehiring those who were let go with back pay. Also I do not like the language included on page 5 lines 19 & 20 :”to improve racial and ethnic diversity within a specific designated health care credentials…” | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB201 | Estab pilot program for automated speed enforcement in highway work zones and issue civil citation to any motorist traveling more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit. (*Slippery slope, No to AI surveillance law enforcement.) | J. Blanton |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | I’m all for making our work zones safer, but opposed to automated law enforcement. If you open the door on it for this, what comes next? Also, I’ve seen too many times when road construction projects are completed, but the signs and speed limitations remain in place for months. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB202 | Provides a sales and use tax exemption for 30 years on newly constructed data centers. | P. Pratt |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Looks like an attempt at luring new industry to the state. Not a bad proposal, but not a high priority.
Note: I’m skeptical of how much economic benefit data centers (as opposed to tech companies) bring to the state… They definitely use a lot of energy, how many good paying jobs do they bring in, what secondary industries do they help? Also, could the company trim staff from 20 or 30 employees down to 10 after 2 years? |
(Steve ) |
Education | HB203 | Reqs public middle and high school curriculum to include instruction on the history of racism. (*No objection, but is it necessary (eg RS22 SB1)? If so, give a comprehensive world history of racism & slavery, incl all races.) | L. Swann |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | I’m pretty certain most, if not all of these topics are currently part of the curriculum. Doesn’t define racism against other races to be included. If so, codify full picture of racism (not just WRT A-As, or U.S.): eg historical ubiquity, “White Slavery” & Barbary Wars, Indian Wars & Native Relocation programs, Internment Camps…) |
(Steve ) |
Other | HB204 | Outlines relief that may be sought for government infringement on religious liberty. Waives sovereign governmental and qualified immunity. | S. Rawlings |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | High (Pass this session) | Great bill. You would not think that a protected Constitutional right would have to be codified in this way, but it unfortunately does. Lance: Agreed, great bill. Need to make sure that the provisions of the Freedom to Serve Act HB495 from 2022RS (ie not disadvantaging a religious organization in any gov’t contracting or public-private partnership service programs based upon their sincerely held beliefs). It’s uncertain to me that falls under this bill currently. |
(Steve ) |
Education | HB205 | Provides that school disciplinary codes shall prohibit discrimination based on race (unnecessary, already in federal law). Provides definition of “protective hairstyles” (also largely unnecessary). | G. Brown Jr. |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Pretty sure that it’s already codified that it’s illegal to discriminate based on race. Not sure where this is a big issue in our schools. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB206 | Adds 19th of June as a state holiday commemorating Juneteenth National Freedom Day. | G. Brown Jr. |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | There is another bill filed replacing June third holiday with the nineteenth. Don’t need to add to the list of holidays. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB207 | Allows law enforcement agencies to create their own wellness programs. Records are to be kept confidential, not subject to subpoena or open records request. | K. Bratcher |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good to maintain confidentiality with the mental health protection programs for officers. Does allow for exceptions when an officer threatens suicide or violence towards another clearly identifiable person | (Steve ) |
Health | HB208 | Reqs certain health insurance policies to provide coverage for an annual mental health examination, not subject to any cost sharing requirements. | R. Roberts |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Not a bad bill, not sure why it exempts participants from any cost sharing requirements such as a copay | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB209 | Makes it discriminatory if a potential employer asks questions about an applicant’s previous salary. Assesses civil penalty for violations. | R. Roberts |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Yet another onerous requirement for employers to follow. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB21 | Set-up a process for homeless persons to obtain driver’s licenses or alternative ID using various homeless resource provider addresses. | R. Bridges |
Oppose | Medium (Committee review+) | How does an employee know that a person is actually homeless, etc.? What impact does this have on voting? How does this impact non-citizens? What qualifies a support org. to issue such a certification? Need more thought about the ways this could be exploited and manipulated by bad actors. |
(Laura) |
Business Regs | HB210 | Contains provisions for insurer insolvency. Makes various other technical changes to regulation of insurance industry. | M. Pollock |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | There is zero chance that all 100 of the legislators in the House who voted for this bill actually understood it in its entirety. | Passed House (John O / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB211 | Removes the public holidays on which public offices may be closed: removes January 19th, Robert E. Lee Day and June 3rd, Confederate Memorial Day/ Jefferson Davis Day. | C. Aull |
Support | Low (Can wait) | No problem with this, not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB212 | Creates a hearing for the removal and banning of dog ownership for a person incompetent to stand trial who is charged with harboring a vicious dog. | C. Aull |
Support | Low (Can wait) | No problem with this bill, but I think that this could currently be done with the leeway given to judges in sentencing | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB213 | Exempts currency and bullion from sales and use tax. (*Don’t like carve outs, but these function as a common medium of exchange.) | S. Doan |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Very important to get this enacted due to recent actions by the Fed Reserve and the inflationary acts of Congress. | (Steve ) |
Elections | HB214 | Expand the Attorney General’s independent inquiry of election irregularities from not fewer than 12 counties to all counties. Require that the Attorney General or his /her designee conduct a hand-to-eye recount in randomly selected precincts and races. | J. Hodgson |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | High (Pass this session) | Great bill. My only suggestion would be to amend so that the two volunteers selected for the hand-to-eye recount be one from the Republican party and one from the Democrat party. Bares some similarity to Southworth’s SB23. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB215 | Removes the population req and 1% occupational license fee (eg city payroll tax) limit. Allows county to void crediting of city occupational license fee to the county. (*Means more worker taxes.) | T. Smith |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Bad bill. Increases the amount counties can collect from occupational license fees.
Will lead to explosion in the amount local cities and county charge businesses/employees on wages, and hence customers to operate. A lot of convincing should be required to implement this tax. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB216 | Estab an employer student loan tax credit equal to 50 percent of the amount paid by the employer on the loan. (*Taxpayer subsidized company fringe benefits to repay student loans.) | N. Kulkarni |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | If an employer wants to pay an employee’s student loan, that is okay, but the taxpayers should not have to support it. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB217 | Incl appl for salvaged titles under the electronic registration system. | M. Meredith |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Not a bad change, but not a high priority.
The central concern of salvage titles must remain certification of safety and full diclosure. Not sure that allowing electronic registration affect either. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB218 | Desig Honor and Remember flag as state’s emblem of the US veterans who gave their lives in the line of duty. Sets circumstances under which it can be flown. (*No problem with emblem status, but def shouldn’t be flown above US or state flag. Would open door to other flags.) | R. Raymer |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | All for honoring and supporting our veterans, but do we need another flag to fly? | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB219 | Adds on-job psychological trauma for police, firefighters, EMT, front-line staff, active duty Nat. Guard, as valid worker’s comp reasons. | R. Raymer |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Allow ” injury” to include psychological injuries for police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, front line staff or members of the National Guard. Establish when psychological injuries are valid worker’s compensation claims.
Straight-forward bill, simple and important. All of these are high pressure, high stress jobs dealing with life and death; definitely susceptible to PTSD, etc. Good bill. We need to look out for the mental well being of our first responders and make sure they are not penalized when they have to step away from the job. |
(Lance / Steve) |
Firearms & Military | HB220 | Estab procedures for issuance of driver’s licenses for service members stationed outside the US but maintaining residence in KY. | N. Tate |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good bill. Makes it easier for our service members to obtain a license | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB221 | Prohibits the banking industry to track purchases from licensed gun dealers. Allows AG a cause of action for violations, and prohibits state agencies from interacting with violators. | D. Lewis |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Good push back against woke banking institutions who want to curtail constitutionally protected gun ownership. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB222 | Extend the levy for hazardous waste management assessment against hazardous waste generators from June 30, 2024 until June 30, 2032. (*Reasonable to make them pay forpay for long-term clean-up.) | J. Gooch Jr |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Need to keep funding for state assistance with clean up of hazardous chemical spills | Passed House (Steve ) |
Health | HB223 | Allow police officers to receive addl leave time to attend mental health treatments & receive reimbursement for costs. Req supervisors to receive training on supporting officers. (*Should this include all 1st responders?) | C. Freeland |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good to look out for the mental well being of our officers.
No issue with this other than why doesn’t it include all first responders? |
(Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB224 | Sets up licensing reqs for “nonrecourse consumer legal funding” entity, a company that loans money to a client involved in a civil suit, and will collect repayment upon the conclusion of the suit. Limits collection to a percentage of the award. | P. Flannery |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Regulates lawyers that in many cases entice people to file lawsuits by paying them out upfront, and then take a huge profit if the lawsuit pans out. Thorough bill. Not a high priority. I’m not 100% sure we shouldn’t just ban this practice altogether, fine with regulating it. |
(Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB225 | Removes compulsory annual dues above cost to join and perform discipline operations required of members of the bar. | S. Doan |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Bar members should not have to pay excessive membership dues to an organization that may not align with their beliefs. Kentucky is a right to work state | Passed House (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB226 | Estab admin of behavioral community crises response (counseling for disaster situations) and transfers admin from Dep. of Military Affairs to Cab. for Health and Family Services. | J. Bauman |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Will be good to have this service under one entity, that can be used on a daily basis but especially during a crises.
Is this a new team that is being created, or is it consolidating control of an existing group of people under a specific Department? Bill is a bit confusing with the definition section seeming to establish a new department. Nevertheless, seems fine. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Education | HB227 | Reqs school fiscal impact statement to evaluate potential costs to a school district by the passing of certain legislation. (*Good idea, but introduce it after we get the major changes to public school through.) | J. Bauman |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | This will discourage big changes to the public (common) schools. This needs to wait until the big changes on the horizon get pushed through.
Some concern about how accurate a guess the district would be making on this, or if schools would overestimate the costs in their input to the GA to get more funding. |
(Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB228 | Prohibit employers from considering criminal history until a bit later in the hiring process (ie not part of selection for initial job interview). (*Easing transition back into the work force IS important.) | G. Brown Jr. |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | If an employer doesn’t feel comfortable hiring someone with a criminal background, the employer should be allowed to get this information initially, so as to not waste his /her time or that of the applicant.
Need more thought on how to address this problem in a way that isn’t burdensome to employers. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB229 | Exempts feminine hygiene products from sales and use tax. (*Why this carve out?) | G. Brown Jr. |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Not sure why we need this particular carve out | (Steve ) |
Elections | HB230 | Reqs the Sec of State to report to the GA, county clerks, and public on website regarding voter reg cleanup. | J. Hodgson |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Great idea. Would require a report of registered voters by address in each county, so that voters can verify their own address. Would love to know why the county clerks can’t do voter roll cleanup, only the Sec of State (that is my understanding anyway)? |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB231 | Allow Dep. of Community Based Services to request name and fingerprint-based criminal background check adults in home in which a child is placed during an emergency placement. (*Need discard of fingerprint data.) | D. Elliott |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Would like for the check to be done prior to the placement, but it does stipulate that it’s for emergency placement.
Need to have a provision that any time a person’s fingerprint is collected (for any purpose), the data is destroyed unless they have a felony conviction. Why should your fingerprint data be permanently added to a database because you are willing to house a child in an emergency charitably? |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB232 | Incr min financial responsibility for adjuster licenses. Estab. reqs for public adjuster contracts, notice rights, inspection, investigation of claims and conflict of interest. (*How burdensome?) | R. Duvall |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Lots of changes to the requirements for adjusters to follow. Very detailed. Don’t see any problem with it, just not a high priority.These seem like reasonable, but need some feedback on how burdensome these changes would be for insurance adjusters. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Health | HB233 | Reqs health facilities to provide written patient’s rights and implement an maternal health disparities program for perinatal care. Req the Dep for Public Health to track maternal death. (*Serious issue, good parts here. Racial disparity doesn’t mean racism; no to the mandated racism trainings.) | B. Chester Burton |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Require health facilities to provide each patient with written information regarding the patient’s rights and to implement an evidence based maternal health disparities program for perinatal care in those facilities. Require the Department for Public Health to track data on maternal death and severe morbidity.
There are some good parts to this bill. There are racial discrepancies in maternal deaths/outcomes, it should be looked into and solutions found. But the focus on racism and the requirements for employees of these facilities to be pushed into “training” on these topics is too much. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Business Regs | HB234 | Enacts the Uniform Collaborative Law Act. Regulate the use of collaborative law participation as a voluntary form of alternate dispute resolution (rather than adversaial legal proceedings). | S. Dietz |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | It’s a good bill. Lots of details and stipulations about how the process works. Good system for freeing up room in our court system. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB235 | Elim Education exemption for criminal obscenity statutes. (*Mostly closes a nonsense loophole, what ed purpose would literal obscenity have?) | J. Calloway |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Simple enough. There is no educational reason to be distributing obscenity, esp. to kids. Arguably bill could have a qualifier that it excludes actual classroom instructional materials, but nobody would ever prosecute that anyway. Filed in the Senate with inexplicably no movement last year. |
(Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB236 | Reqs that financial managers involved with gov’t pensions in the state act solely based upon pecuniary factors (ie making money), not ESG or ideological factors. | S. Sharp |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Financial managers involved with gov’t pensions in the state must act to maximize risk-adjusted returns solely based upon pecuniary factors (ie making money), not ESG or ideological factors. Solid bill, and simple, I always wonder why it doesn’t extend beyond gov’t pensions. There shouldn’t be any other factors worthy of interest for a financial advisor, they have a fiduciary responsibiliy. | Passed House (Lance) |
Business Regs | HB237 | Allows possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages at non-licensed venues within or sharing a boundary with an entertainment destination center with a license. (*Get a liquor license if you want people to be able to drink.) | M. Meredith |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Seems to be a way to get around having separate liquor licenses for businesses next door.
If you want people to be able to drink in yoiur store, get a liquor license. |
Passed House (Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB238 | Prohibit discrimination against donation of organs to disabled persons. (*Good bill, bad official title from LRC.) | D. Bentley |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Pretty straight-forward. Don’t hold having a disability against a person when choosing who gets a limited supply of organs. Doctors should use their medical judgement in determining whether disabled person can follow the post-donation care protocols, that’s it. | (Lance) |
Health | HB239 | Reqs a health care provider to order a toxicology test to determine if a cause of overdose is from an illicit drug. Require report of test to law enforcement and the coroner if the individual died while in the hospital. (*Should have right to refuse if conscious.) | D. Frazier Gordon |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | I can see where this might help law enforcement open an investigation into illicit drug trafficking.
I see the possible good from a law enforcement standpoint, but Is this an infringement upon someone’s right to refuse medical treatment? |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB24 | Exempt members of the KY National Guard from motor vehicle taxes | B. Wesley |
Oppose | Medium (Committee review+) | all for doing anything we can to support our active duty military Lance: Generally agree that supporting the military is a positive, but there has to be some line on that if we are being fiscally conservative. Being part of the National Guard is, after all, a paid position. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB240 | Estab a $7,500 tax credit for homeowners over 65 or who have a physical or mental impairment for home modifications to increase habitability and efficiency. (*Fine, but Recycled or sustainable components?) | N. Kulkarni |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Not a terrible idea, but maybe too broad in the requirements. Also don’t like the requirement that it be manufactured with recycled or sustainable products. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB241 | Cleans up some language that qualified mental health professionals can write exemptions from compulsory school attendance. | J. Bray |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Small change. Takes out language referring to psychologists and psychiatrists and switches to established legal definitions about qualified mental health professionals. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB242 | Estab attendance threshold for citizen members of the Comm. on Race and Access to Opportunity. Establish reporting reqs for appts. (*The members don’t even show up? Do we genuinely need this commission?) | K. Timoney |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Would be good to replace members who are not attending meetings.
Better yet, how about disbanding the commission? We know there are racial disparities in virtually everything. Let’s just focus on giving EVERYBODY opportunity, judge people solely on competence and performance, and let that sort things out. Meritocracy, a radical concept. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB243 | Estab employer’s organ and bone marrow donation tax credit. Allow employer tax credit for paid time off for an employee donator and for the $ paid for a replacement employee. (*PART OF replacement funds?) | S. McPherson |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good concept. But not a high leg. priority.
This is a fine and reasonable bill, only quibble is maybe only a partial credit for replacement employee. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB244 | Estab high school(s) according to the Kentucky Guard Youth Challenge Program run by the Adjutant General of the National Guard. (*Fine if most funds are federal.) | C. Fugate |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | The program sounds like a positive one. I don’t think we need significant state tax dollars going to construction of new schools in the state and funding their administration, when we have to funding the ones we have and they aren’t as effective as they need to be given the investments made in them. My understanding is that most of the funding is coming from Federal Sources however. If true, then fine. |
Passes House (Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB245 | Revise continuing ed reqs and clarify proof of completed work in a graduate program can qualify for periodic head trauma reqs for license renewal. Modify appl. reqs to be a supervising physician. | D. Frazier Gordon |
Support | Low (Can wait) | No problem with this, just not a high priority. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB246 | Remove statute of limit. for childhood sexual assault or abuse. Req every civil action involving childhood sexual assault or abuse be accompanied by a motion to seal. | L. Willner |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Definitely need to remove statute of limitations. Currently at ten years. Way to short. | (Steve ) |
Other | HB247 | Allow court to enjoin a party from filing any addl actions if a responding party does not pay attorney’s fees and costs within 60 days of final judgement & issue an anti-suit injunction to responding party if the court finds them a vexatious litigant. | S. Doan |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good way to try to get frivolous cases removed from docket, and to compel payment. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB248 | Estab reqs for cert of recovery housing. Permits local gov’ts to assume inspection and enforcement duties. Direct the Dep. of Medicaid Services to seek approval to provide coverage for certified recovery houses. (Why regulate this?) | S. Heavrin |
Only If Amended | Medium (Committee review+) | Definitely need to promote recovery houses as a response to the drug addiction problems our communities are facing. It isn’t clear how regulating them does that, however. Not clear what it does at all actually. Is there a lot is frauduent half-way housing? |
(Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB249 | Incl killing a child <12 yo as aggravating circumstance for death penalty. | N. Wilson |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Should definitely be a consideration in the sentencing phase. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB25 | Vets with a 100 percent service connected disability exempt from local and state vehicle taxes (up to 2 vehicles), local and state vehicle insurance taxes, fees for state issued IDs and not req to purchase hunting or fishing licenses | W. Thomas |
Support | High (Pass this session) | all for helping our veterans, particularly the disabled Lance: Particularly service members with severe disability, this is very easy to justify. |
(Steve ) |
Elections | HB250 | CONST. AMEND. Allows persons with mental disabilities and Felons, except muderers, to have the right to vote. (*Not crazy, but Break the most serious laws, lose voice on what laws should be.) | G. Brown Jr. |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | The language used is confusing / unclear. Needs to be simplified for voters to understand exactly what it means.
Most states allow felons to vote. It doesn’t usually make that much difference electorally. KY only allows this restoration by Gov. (in constitution) currently. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Business Regs | HB251 | Estab “quantifiable instability of the built structure” as an automatic violation of the Uniform State Building Code. | J. Calloway |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems like a reasonable requirement. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB252 | Immunize health care providers for harm from a health service-related act or omission other than gross negligence or wanton, willful malicious or intentional misconduct. (*Blanket immunity? Would req. ALMOST ALL saved on med. liability costs to go toward reducing health care costs.) | J. Nemes |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | As it relates to the COVID-19 vax, this is bad to give them blanket immunity. Should be consequences when you give treatments without informed consent. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB253 | Reqs Dep. of Vet. Affairs to create and distribute a veterans’ benefits and service document to employers. (*Sec 1: Good.) Req employers to keep copies in conspicuous place. (*Sec 2: Unnecessary.) | B. McCool |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Section 1 is fine, good for Vets to have all these resources in one place.
Section 2: Yet another requirement for businesses to comply with. |
(Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB254 | Prohibit a gov’t body from entering into $100,000+ contract with a big company that discriminates against firearm ind. (*Expands recent law on coal. Why not other important industries?) | J. Bray |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Like the bill, could quibble with the contract being over $100,000 or that the company having more than 10 employees (cut both in half). Would also like it to clarify no government contracts state and local.
Expands recent law on coal… Why not other important industries? Ag, petrochem, alcohol, free speech social media… |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB255 | Allows counties to add up to 3% sales tax on restaurants. | T. Smith |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Another new local tax is not needed. Restaurants are already struggling. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB256 | Creates Kentucky Gaming Commission, outlines its formation and reqs. biz using electronic gaming machines (seems targeted to “grey machines”) to report to Commission. (*Go ahead, regulate & enhanced tax them.) | T. Smith |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems targetted to regulating grey machines. No major issue with them being regulated. Horse racing establishments shouldn’t have a monopoly on these types of gaming machines, but they should still be regulated (and perhaps appropriately taxed). Commission should expand & incl online wagering and sports betting if approved. |
(Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB257 | Estab KY contribution trust fund to take charitable donations (eg to disaster relief efforts) and req the reporting of deposits to and expenditures from the fund. | J. Petrie |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Hesitance with this is, why aren’t these funds just going to charities? Should be a provision that these funds get reallocated entirely to non-profits aid organizations which do not discriminate against religious charities. |
Passed House (Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB258 | Remove the req for various state agencies to report to the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue. (*Removes excessive & duplicate reporting.) | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good that it will free up duplicate reporting requirements. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB259 | Adjusts dates and reporting reqs for state agencies to report their budget analysis on odd numbered years to the GA / LRC. | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Moves dates and moves the reporting requirement to the Legislative Research Commission rather than the General Assembly. No problem with this bill. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB26 | Prohibit use of public funds for lobbying activity by Public Agencies or Agents (incl. penalties), no self-dealing by gov’t org lobbyists/agents. | F. Rabourn |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Good idea. We need to research the definition of a public agency/agents further to see which orgs’ lobbyists would fall within the bounds of Public agents. As it stands, this prohibits public agencies from lobbying, which is a good idea. You shouldn’t be using public funds in an effort to try to self-deal (and expand your public agency). |
(Denny) |
Taxes & Spending | HB260 | CONST. AMEND. Incr. property tax exemption from $6,500 to $60,000 on primary residence for age 65+ and permanently disabled. Req it to be indexed every two years. (*Wait NEXT session, different take than SB34.) | M. Dossett |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Different spin on this idea than SB34. Good idea. I would, however, rather see this as a bill, so that it could be more easily increased in the future. Still rather see something more means tested, but like this as much or more than SB34. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB261 | Classifies assisted living facilities as residential, not institutional buildings. Estab. procedural and compliance reqs. | S. McPherson |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Not sure of the impact of classifying them as residential rather than institutional buildings.
Good that it stresses making reasonable accommodations for the clients in these facilities and differentiates facilities that care for dementia patients. |
(Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB262 | Remove references to manufacturer’s instr. for breath testing equipment, instead standard operating procedures. | P. Flannery |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Pretty harmless change but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB263 | Changes the term “drug court” to “specialty court.” Identifies programs and designates responsibility for collection of fees. | P. Flannery |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Largely just administrative change. Not a high priority. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB264 | Estab General Reg Sandbox Advisory Committee and KY Office of Reg Relief. Applicants who demonstrate innovative offering or service can apply to have gov’t regs set aside while bringing product to market. | P. Pratt |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems like a good idea to free up red tape for businesses. However, would like to see it done through existing gov’t structure, rather than creating new bureaucracy. Also, I understand the need for meetings discussing innovative business practices to be private to protect trade secrets, but outside of that those meetings should be subject to public disclosure. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB265 | Reqs Dep. of Workplace Standards consult with Dep. of Vet. Affairs to create and distribute vet benefits and services posters for businesses with 50+ FT employees. (*Fine, but Better ways to accomplish.) | B. McCool |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Another onerous requirement for businesses. The hope is that vets accidentally see info at these particular companies, but Isn’t reaching out to vets directly the obvious best move here? |
(Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB266 | Enumerates the rights of incarcerated children. (*Good list, but meaningless without civil action or enforcement mechanisms.) | L. Willner |
Only If Amended | Medium (Committee review+) | Good list of rights for children who are in the justice system. What does any list of rights mean without processes to protect them or legal recourse when they are violated? |
(Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB267 | Prohibit public and private postsec institutions from inquiring about a student’s criminal history for adm. | L. Willner |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Very bad bill. Colleges have a duty to keep their campuses safe for all students. This inquiry should be mandatory.
*The exception should be sealed juvenile records. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB268 | Estab advisory committee to review the system of perinatal care in KY and make recs for improvement. | L. Willner |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Yet another level of bureaucracy in our state government created. Generally agree that the number of committees is exhausting, but this one is probably for the best (assuming it doesn’t overlap with any of these other things). Note: We don’t need need another commission to tell us that AAs have higher infant morality rates, etc. and then recommend woke counseling or trainings. * Actually come up with real solutions. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB269 | Allows parental depression screening to be claimed as a service for the child. Dictates coverage. (*Need more info on how much impact this would have.) | L. Willner |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Unnecessary. Most health care practitioners already make a check up on the mother’s well being. Adds another layer of billing. Need more information on how much impact this actually would have. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB27 | Def homeschool “learning pods”, exclude them from “child care center” or “family child care house” definition and their hiring reqs. | F. Rabourn |
Support | High (Pass this session) | I have a concern about page 9, lines 14- 15 “who are enrolled in a public or private school and conducting instructional activities remotely,” Would this language exclude homeschool parents from starting learning pods without being affiliated with a school? Lance: It’s a good question to be certain about, but my understanding is that homeschoolers are regulated officially as private schools. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB270 | Exempt baby bottles, wipes, breast pumps, breast pump supplies, and children’s diapers from sales tax. (*Carve out, but one promoting new families. Fine.) | T. Bojanowski |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Unnecessary tax break. Minimal expense. We do need to come up with some coherent logic for what is going to be sales tax exempt. I assume formula is already included. This probably falls under the bar of the least offensive carve outs. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB271 | Creates the Kentucky Child Mental Health Services Access Program. Estab. its duties and responsibilities. (*Noble goal. Seems like another prog. that ignore core issues.) | T. Bojanowski |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Another unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. Obviously nobody has a problem with Mental Health programs for kids. It just feels like we are throwing programs at the issue though, when the breakdown of the traditional family and church community, proliferation of destructive cultural elements (esp. pop cukture and social media), and over-medication are the core problems. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB272 | Reqs Medicaid to cover lactation counseling, consultation and breastfeeding equipment. (*Need a cap on expenditures since not universally needed?) | T. Bojanowski |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Medicaid can’t cover everything. No real problem with this, but need a cap on expenditures. Can states dictate Medicaid coverage terms? |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB273 | Exempt from sales tax breast pumps and breast pump supplies. (*Fine, but see HB270.) | T. Bojanowski |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Not a necessary tax break. HB270 is a better and more expansive bill with better internal logic for what should be covered. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB274 | Reqs Health Access Nurturing Development Services program to provide ed info about maternal and postpartum depression. | L. Burke |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good information to put out to mothers. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB275 | Reqs Medicaid coverage for doula services. Estab. training and ed reqs for doulas. (*This actually cuts costs, correct?) | B. Chester Burton |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Child birth is already covered. Doulas are effective and cheaper for most pregnancies, win-win. | (Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB276 | Expand Medicaid eligibility to incl pregnant women and new mothers up to 12 months postpartum regardless of citizenship or national origin. (*Only if reported to ICE.) | N. Kulkarni |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Don’t need to expand Medicaid services to illegal aliens. Really these services are for the baby though, most of which are likely citizens. | (Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB277 | Allow inmate who is pregnant or has given birth in the last six weeks access to available certified professional midwifery or doula services. (*Opens up liabilities. With security, transport… does it reduce costs?) | N. Kulkarni |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Care should be by local health services, but no extras for inmates. Does instituting new health process/provider open up risks with inmates? Do these services reduce costs? |
(Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB278 | Reqs health benefit plans to provide coverage for contraception, sterilization, pregnancy ed. with religious org exemption. (*Unnecessary, let people choose.) | J. Raymond |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Some coverage would be okay (rel. exemption is good), but not for everything, and not without co-payment. Let people pick between different ins options. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB28 | Estab 4th Thurs. in March Tuskegee Airman Day. | D. Frazier Gordon |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Fine, nothing objectionable here. Not an official state holiday, just recognition of heroes. | Passed House (Lance) |
Health | HB282 | Req providers provide new mothers with info on mental health risks. (*Similar to, but less comprehensive than, SB135.) | R. Roberts |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Similar to, but less comprehensive than, SB135. | (Lance) |
Business Regs | HB287 | Decr admin regs for charitable gaming orgs. (*Should retain background checks.) | K. Bratcher |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Not a bad bill. I don’t like removing the fingerprint requirement for license applicants. If they are running charities, we need to know they are of high character. |
Passed House (Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB288 | Prevents ALL K-12 schools from entering into NDAs relating to misconduct involving a minor. Reqs school districts disclose any allegations or investigations to other districts and employee criminal background check every 5 yrs. Prohibit schools from hiring a violent or felony sex crime offender. (*Must protect due process.) | J. Tipton |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | High (Pass this session) | Good bill with good requirements, must protect our children. I would want to strike out “within the last 12 months” for an applicant to disclose being the subject of an ongoing investigation or disciplinary action.A simple allegation or investigation finding nothing should not condemn a person. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Education | HB289 | Provide merger process for contiguous school districts. Req insolvent district be merged with contiguous school district. | J. Tipton |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems like a reasonable way to rescue a failing or struggling school districtsl. | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB29 | Remove KY residency req for internment in vets’ cemeteries. | D. Lewis |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good bill. Don’t have any problem with this. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Health | HB290 | Change regs for prescribing and dispensing controlled substances, and synchronization schedules. Update list of controlled substances allowed under a health plan benefit. (*Why remove hydrocodone?) | S. Bratcher |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Most of this is regulatory updates. The part I can’t understand is why remove hydrocodone from the list as a prohibited Schedule III controlled substance. Wasn’t hydrocodone a huge part of the opioid epidemic crisis in the state? | (Steve ) |
Education | HB291 | Adds 2nd accrediting body, Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission, to allows grad of 4+ yr programs to take engineering qualifying test. | S. Maddox |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems to be a reasonable adjustment. Not sure the origin of this extra accediting agency, but fine. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB292 | Amend def of “drug overdose.” Remove language from immunity law that reqs a “layperson to reasonably believe medical assistance is required.” | K. Herron |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Reasonable changes. | (Steve ) |
Other | HB293 | Incl “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” relating to the KY civil rights chapter, prohibit discrimination on the basis. | K. Herron |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Not a big problem with sexual orientation as defined but the gender identity is not something we can push for special status for. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB294 | Prohibits selling dogs, cats & robbits in retail. Mirror of SB56 | C. Stevenson |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Another restriction on a business. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB295 | Allows health care practitioners to prescribe undesignated glucagon in name of school, for use when child may go into insulin seizure or doesn’t have meds. (*Good safety precaution.) | C. Stevenson |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | For the treatment of a diabetic (or hypoglycemic?) student. Would be good to have it on hand. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB296 | Shell Bill. Changes “he” to “he or she.” | R. Bridges |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | These bills are sometimes used to slip in changes to the law through late amendments or subs with little scrutiny. Bad for govt transparent. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB297 | Shell Bill. Changes “he” to “he or she.” | R. Bridges |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | These bills are sometimes used to slip in changes to the law through late amendments or subs with little scrutiny. Bad for govt transparent. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB298 | Shell Bill. Changes “he” to “he or she.” | R. Bridges |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | These bills are sometimes used to slip in changes to the law through late amendments or subs with little scrutiny. Bad for govt transparent. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB299 | Reqs health plans cover for testing for hep C infection for pregnant women and treatment for postpartum women. | C. Stevenson |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Would need medical expert opinion, do we need to test every pregnant woman for Hep C (that would likely be result)? Note: Hep C Treatment is a massive expense.
Can see this being beneficial in some cases, but is this necessary for all cases? |
(Steve / Lance) |
Criminal Code | HB3 | Relatively straight-forward changes to the juvenile justice criminal code, incl. procedures for handling truancy, evaluate treatment options for violent offenders. (*Murder may justify longer lack of recidivism period to seal records.) | K. Bratcher |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | High (Pass this session) | Juvenile justice criminal code changes, incl. procedures for handling truancy, evaluate treatment options for violent offenders. Also requires detainment for 48 hours (excluding weekends) of violent offenders until a hearing can be held. Nothing too controversial here. *Sealing of records after 5 years of non-offense is ok, but Murder may warrant longer lack of recidivism. |
(Lance) |
Education | HB30 | Reqs students born male to use only those facilities designated to be used by males and students born female to use only those facilities designated to be used by females. | B. Wesley |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | High (Pass this session) | Ideas correct, language needs to be tightened up a bit. Section 3(1) needs to say: Every school restroom, locker room, and shower room designated for student use accessible by multiple students at the same time shall be designated for and used by biological male students only or biological female students only. Also require schools to provide the reasonable available accommodation to students who assert that their gender is different from their biological sex |
(John) |
Health | HB300 | Provides for Equal criminal homicide Protection for unborn child (fetus) in elective abortion decisions. (*Voters not ready for prosecuting mothers who get abortion; does provide counter-weight for Repubs. wanting to weaken restrictions though.) | E. Callaway |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Would provide for the same protection for an unborn child (fetus) as for any other person in an abortion procedure that results in the death of the fetus (ie intentionally killing a fetus is homicide).
This isn’t currently a winning position with the electorate, will require resetting of societal mindset over years. Nevertheless, there are bills seeking to weaken the existing prohibitions on abortion in this state among Republicans (eg rape, incest, pre-heartbeat, only surgical, etc. exemptions). This bill does throw down the gauntlet that there are much more restrictive possibilities as well if they want to force the issue. |
(Lance) |
Business Regs | HB301 | Estab consumer rights in regards to data harvesting. Restricts who can disseminate this information and how they can do so. (*Need to examine difference with SB118.) | J. Decker |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Very long and detailed. I thought there were too many exceptions regarding who can harvest data and who they can share with. Any nonprofit or NGO, anyone affiliated with a political party covers a broad swath. Also, there are too many exceptions for the types of data that can be harvested. Needs amending to clarify both these areas. | (Steve ) |
Elections | HB302 | Elections omnibus bill: Reqs AG select 6 random + 6 counties with highest rates of irregularities, for indep. inquiry. Consolidated precincts must incl. adeq. parking (OK). Electioneering limits for in-person absentee voting or training election officers (Good). Penalties for felons who attempt to register to vote. (*Good ideas here, most provisions don’t go far enough; eg HB214 is better admin. indep. inquiry bill.) | J. Decker |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Requires AG select six random counties and six counties with highest rates of irreg. for indep. inquiry. Require Attorney General to promulgate administrative regulations to establish uniform procedures for inquiry. Require that petitions for consolidated precincts include adequate parking accommodations. Prohibit electioneering during any days of in-person absentee voting or during training for election officers. Prohibit any candidate beaten in the primary from running for the same office in the general. Only “death” as a condition to fill a vacancy in the nomination of a candidate. Prescribe penalties for felons who attempt to register to vote.
HB214 is a much better bill regarding AG’s independent inquiry. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB303 | Removes several state offices and creates new offices within Dep for Business and Community Development. Includes companies in the hydrogen transmission industry in Bluegrass State Skills Corporation Grant-in-aid and Skills Training Investment Credit programs. Increases grants-in-aid from $200,000 to $500,000. Changes amount of loan loss payments for western KY disaster relief from the original $200M to $100M. Incl companies involved in hydrogen transmission in KY Enterprise Initiative Act, KY Business Initiative program and the KY Reinvestment Act. Stipulates that employees must pay maximum state income tax unless triggered by local tax rates. | J. Branscum |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | A lot packed in this bill. Most appears to be for economic development of the hydrogen transmission industry and for disaster relief for western KY. Don’t have much of a problem with it, except the stipulation that employees must pay maximum state tax amount. There are lots of $$$ being doled out to corporations, does it have to be paid for by the employees in the affected communities? | Passed House (Steve ) |
Health | HB304 | “Right to die/assisted suicide” for terminally ill patients. (*Leads to general devaluation of life; Req providers to pass patient on to someone who will assist suicide is egregious.) | J. Raymond |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Patient must confirm orally and in writing, be of sound mind, have a witness and can rescind at any time (except after they have been killed). Health care provider not required to participate but must pass patient on to provider who will. Provides assisting health worker with an affirmative defense against murder or manslaughter charges. I am personally against this, but for someone who supports, this is a very comprehensive, well written bill. The provision requiring passing patient on to executioner is egregious. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB305 | Def Child Care Development Fund and Child Care Assistance Program to access federal money for child care (in 45 C.F.R. pt. 98). | J. Raymond |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Licensed or unlicensed health care personnel, school personnel, social workers, child care personnel and long term care personnel shall not have to meet income guidelines to be eligible.
I have no issue with figuring out how to maximize the impact of federal dollars, including for providing child care assistance to family’s that genuinely need it. Any expansion of the program that incentivizes the state raising kids rather than parents is a non-starter. This needs more exploration from Republicans to figure out that balance. |
(Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB306 | Reqs child care centers be tested for radon at least once every five years. Spec. licensure & insurance req for radon labs. Req landlords conduct radon testing and inform tenants of the results. (*Make this region-specific guidance.) | J. Raymond |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Seems to be a reasonable requirement but not a high priority.
Risk of Radon is region-specific, why not make this zone 1 specific? Or issue guidelines/recommendations to county fiscal courts to regulate this at the county level. |
(Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB307 | Reqs seller of rez property built prior to 1976 conduct tests for lead content. Req landlord to test for lead once every 5 years and inform tenants of results. (*Why every 5 yrs; once, or every 10-15 yrs?) | J. Raymond |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Not a big problem with this bill, except the requirement that landlords test every five years. Wouldn’t one clean bill of health suffice? | (Steve / Lance) |
Business Regs | HB308 | Allow paid vacation or sick leave following death of a child. Allows donation of time by fellow employees. | S. Stalker |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Hopefully most employers would already allow this, but not a bad proposal. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB309 | Estab mechanism for protections for owners or lessors of leased property from items arising from work performed through a contract when the lessee is prohibited from entering into such an agreement by the lease. | M. Dossett |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems reasonable, but why do you need a nullification if a lessee enters into a contract that they are not allowed under their lease? Seems that alone would nullify it. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB31 | KDE cannot mandate COVID-19 vax requirement to attend school. Opposed only because HB92 is stronger bill. |
S. McPherson |
Oppose | Low (Can wait) | Only covers up to 12th grade. Also need protection from postsecondary and all other parts of the state government, HB92. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB310 | Incr penalties for violations related to sale and distrib of tobacco products, alt. nicotine products or vapor products to <21 yo. | W. Lawrence |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems like a reasonable amount increase to prevent underage sale of product. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB311 | Prohibit Medicaid from req health professional or medical group maintain physical location in KY to be eligible as a Medicaid provider if they exclusively offer services via telehealth. | R. Raymer |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Don’t have a problem with this but would like to see the requirement that the provider exclusively offers service via telehealth be removed. Why not allow other providers also.
I get the logic here, but if they are taking advantage of KY’s medicaid reimbursement system, they should have at least SOME physical presence in the state, this would give out of state telehealth providers a big advantage of KY providers. |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB312 | Exempt any group of 3 contig. counties from obtaining (hospital) certificate of need if each has pop of 90K+ & borders another state. (*Make it all border counties.) | M. Proctor |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems to be specific to only one area of the state. Yes, this is only a certificate of need bill for NKY. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB313 | Redef “eligible project” to include when matching funds are available either on publicly owned property or meets certain cond. Elim. eligible grant recipient 10% match req. Bases program eligibility on census population, Caps avail funds at $2M per county, and DQs projs that receive discretionary mega-development funding. | A. Bowling |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems to be reasonable requirements and adjustments, but not a very high priority. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB314 | Makes intimidation of a sports official a Class A misdemeanor. (*Maybe Class B?) | D. Hale |
Support | Low (Can wait) | No problem with this just not a high priority. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB315 | Reqs school’s trauma-informed team incorporate child abuse and neglect awareness into provided training, guidance and assistance. | N. Tate |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Also, Reqs school’s plan to incl strategies for age-appropriate and evidence-based child abuse and neglect awareness and prevention. Reqs KY Dep. of Ed to send annual notification of where standards can be found within the academic standards for health. A lot in this bill. Good for schools to focus on child abuse and neglect. |
(Steve ) |
Education | HB316 | Req school boards incl at least one non-voting teacher. | T. Bojanowski |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Teachers can influence boards by speaking at meetings and through the superintendent. Not necessary to have a seat on the board. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB317 | Provides general police powers of officer employed by metro correctional services. Estab disciplinary protocols relating to officer accused of misconduct. Allow officer to take 48 hours leave after critical incident. (*Don’t agree with full police powers. Leave should be mandatory.) | J. Nemes |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | No problem with most of this bill. However, a correctional officer should not have the “privileges and immunities of sheriffs. Sheriffs are elected constitutional officers, correctional officers are not. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB318 | Estab income eligibility reqs for Child Care Assistance Program at <=200% of fed poverty level. (*Needs to be much lower.) | A. Tackett Laferty |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | 200 percent above is way too much. Needs to be at 100 percent, then possibly pro-rated from there. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB319 | Estab interstate compact for mutual licensure of teachers. | J. Tipton |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | No major issue with this, but won’t it create price competition with other (neighboring) states? Prefer a more general approach were all professions have cross-licensure, not just teachers. If you can do a job in another state why are we creating barriers to doing it here? | (Lance) |
Education | HB32 | Allow hiring of classified personnel without a high school diploma if the school district allows the employee the opportunity to obtain one at no cost to the employee. | K. Jackson |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Could help slightly alleviate unskilled staff shortages in the school system. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB320 | Allow applicant with nonresident operator’s license and comm. driver’s license to take the KY CDL skills test for $150. | C. Freeland |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | No issue with this. Would make it easier to get more CDL drivers in-state, we have a need in the work force. |
(Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB321 | Estab animal abuse in 1st & 2nd degree; allow law enforcement to seize and hold animals, and seek forfeiture and reimbursement from owner. | K. Bratcher |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Estab animal abuse in 1st & 2nd degree. Allow law enforcement to seize and hold animals and seek forfeiture and reimbursement from the owner. Grants criminal immunity for a person who enters a vehicle containing a cat or dog believed to be in danger of death. Allows seizure of animal believed to have been the object of sexual crimes against an animal. No problem with any of this. We should try to look out for the well being of pets. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB322 | Reqs Div. of Workers’ Comp Funds issue lump sum settlements for outstanding claims. Set special fund assessment at 6%. Req remaining claims balance fund Ed and Labor Cabinet. | J. Bauman |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Definitely need to make these individuals whole as quickly as possible. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB323 | Creates juvenile services fund to reduce recidivism via family wrap-around service, early intervention, alternatives to detention, reentry programs and facilities. | K. Herron |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | If this will reduce recidivism I’m in favor of it. | (Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB324 | Create regional citizen juvenile justice review boards and State Citizen Juvenile Justice Review Board to review the cases of all incarcerated children and develop policy recommendations. | K. Herron |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Not a terrible idea, but can this be accomplished using the existing infrastructure, rather than create new levels of bureaucracy? | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB325 | Allow local gov’t to destroy abandoned, confiscated or forfeited firearms. | K. Herron |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Terrible idea. How about auctioning / selling those firearms to law abiding citizens? | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB326 | Creates Office of Safer Communities in the Dep. of Public Health. | K. Herron |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | More bureaucracy not needed. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB327 | Reqs African and Native American history to be taught as part of curriculum for middle and high school students. | K. Herron |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | This is already being taught. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB328 | Makes participation date in County Employees Retirement System if entering KY Dep. of Criminal Justice Training Police Corp program prior to July 1, 2003 shall be date training began. | D.J. Johnson |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Reasonable provision, just not sure how many officers this will affect. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB329 | Reqs State Treasurer to either revise, cancel or keep effective any contract in which the Gov’t Contract Review Committee issues non-binding recs to the secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet. | M. Hart |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Require the secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet to revise, cancel or keep any contract issued pursuant to the Governor’s constitutional powers.
Seems like reasonable clarification but not a high priority |
(Steve ) |
Education | HB33 | Allow grants to colleges and universities for setting minimum tuition standards for teacher prep courses throughout the state. | J. Tipton |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Could potentially help alleviate teacher shortage. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB330 | Incl APRN as qualified health professional authorized by court to examine individual for involuntary treatment for substance abuse disorder. | M. Dossett |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Would be helpful in areas where there are a lack of doctors available. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB331 | Reqs all middle and high schools to maintain & at least all coaches are trained on portable automated external defibrillators & CPR. | R. Palumbo |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Reqs all middle and high schools to maintain & are trained on portable automated external defibrillators. All coaches trained on its use and on CPR. Defibrillator kept on hand at all practices and games. Required to annually certify compliance.
Good safety precaution. Not sure how expensive these are. If they are cheap, everyone should already have them. If not, perhaps there should be a grant for small schools? |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB332 | Reqs certain public buildings built after Jan 1 2025 have 1+ powered, height adjustable, adult-sized changing table (for the disabled). | J. Nemes |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Seems like a requirement that would not be utilized very often. Unnecessary overregulation. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB333 | Allow value of multi-unit rental housing that is subject to government restriction on use to be calculated using specific methods. Disallow inclusion of income tax credits in those methods. | J. Nemes |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems reasonable but not a high priority. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB334 | Reqs an application to increase the number of beds by an immediate care facility for individuals with an intellectual disability to be consistent with the state health plan under certain circumstances. | D.J. Johnson |
Support | Low (Can wait) | More regulatory red tape, but they should have to stay in compliance. | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB335 | Exempt firearm safes, firearm safety courses and firearm safety devices from taxation between July 1,2023 and July 1, 2027. | R. Roberts |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | High (Pass this session) | In favor of this just wish you would make it permanent. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB336 | Prohibit governing boards of regional state college and universities from entering into contracts for lifetime employment. (*Why not use this to reconsider tenure.) | P. Flannery |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Good thought, but I’m not sure they are racing to do this. Really only appies to Calipari right now. The lifetime contracts that are actually hurting us are tenure agreements at Universities for unproductive or Woke faculty. |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB338 | Estab prospective juror may elect to be relieved of service on jury for the period summoned, if the juror is age 70 or older. | A. Neighbors |
Support | Low (Can wait) | No problem with this. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB339 | Estab quarterly installment payment program for property tax. Allow admin fee up to 3 percent. Disallow 2% early discount. Prohibit collection of penalties and interest on installment program. | L. Willner |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Allowing 3 percent administrative fee, but disallowing the 2 percent early discount? If there are no penalties or interest for not paying on time, why pay anything? Not necessary. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB34 | Permits a city to establish preference for awarding public construction projects to unions, negotiate wage minimums & set firearms regs. | J. Raymond |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Also Grants local gov. the authority to adopt and enforce ordinances that req employers to provide leave to their employees and to enact local firearms regs. A whole list of socialist desires. Terrible bill. No chance of it passing |
(Steve ) |
Elections | HB341 | CONST. AMEND. Removes Treasurer from list of elected state officials. (*Having a front-end spending watch dog can be important.) | S. Doan |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Not real sure what this hopes to accomplish. It removes the Treasurer from the list of state officers up for election every four years, but refers to the Treasurer in other passages. ??? | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB342 | Provide auto-expungement and sealing of records in forcible entry and detainer cases. | N. Kulkarni |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | These should be treated as other crimes are. No special treatment. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB343 | Allow recog. of occupational licenses and gov’t certificates from other states, incl. using work experience as a basis. Excludes interstate licensure compacts. | S. Doan |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Seems to be a reasonable way to issue licenses to new arrivals to the state. If someone is licensed and or has been legally performing a job in another state for an extended period of time, it is both unnecessary and anti-competitive to issue addl licensing reqs here. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB344 | Direct government agency head, cabinet secretary or appointed official to provide a report and analysis of all relief funds created to provide assistance to entities impacted by an emergency. Report to the General Assembly. | M. Dossett |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems to be reasonable to track where relief funds have gone. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB345 | Prohibit discriminating in pricing based on an applicant’s health status, claims experience, receipt of health care or medical condition for purchase of Medicare supplements. | K. Moser |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Reasonable prohibition. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB346 | Permit insurers to req insured to try biosimilar biological products prior to providing for equiv branded prescription drug. (*Should req corresponding premium reduction.) | K. Moser |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Reasonable way to allow cost savings for both the patient and the insurer. Savings need to be passed on to the insured, not just taken as profit by insurers. |
(Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB348 | Makes it criminal to sell various hemp-derived byproducts, esp, those that are “intoxicating” incl. delta-6 and delta-8 THC. | R. Raymer |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | I don’t have much expertise in this type of product. These seem to be THC-related, hemp-derived products made from CBD oil, many of which are hallucinagenic or intoxicating.
Good idea: Seems like they are dangerous, the law is always racing to keep up with these sorts of thing. Will need expert analysis to really proof the bill and make sure it is appropriately definited and targeted. |
(Lance) |
Health | HB349 | Permit expedited partner therapy for sexually transmitted infection. Permit self testing for immunodeficiency virus. Remove penalty for someone who donates organs, skin or other tissue while knowingly being positive for immunodeficiency virus. | D. Bentley |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Would need to strike out the provision that you remove the penalty for someone who knowingly donates while having virus in order to support. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB35 | Universal Pre-K: Reqs school districts to provide a full day preschool program for 3 & 4 year olds, operate on the school district calendar, provide transportation. (*For at risk kids? Fine. Otherwise, keep kids in the home.) | J. Raymond |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | We don’t need to be putting 3 & 4 year old children into the school system, especially not for a full day, nor do the kindergarten students need to be attending a full day. Horrible idea. Lance: The LESS indoctrination, and more time at home, the better for most kids. Also, any gains that this produces in the short term for most kids dissipate by 4th grade. At risk kids are a different issue. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB350 | Prohibit insurers and pharmacy benefits managers from imposing several reqs on health plan insureds, like using online pharmacies. | D. Bentley |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Most of these seem like reasonable restrictions to preserve patient choice, but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB351 | Allow state park rangers to have powers of peace officers outside of parks in all parts of the state. (*Not state police.) | C. Fugate |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Not necessary. They are not state police, they are park rangers. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB352 | Amend to include gender neutral language. | D. Meade |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Suspected shell bill. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB353 | Exclude testing equipment used to determine the presence of chemically toxic substances or hazardous compounds in controlled substances from the prohibition of possession of drug paraphernalia. Exclude fentanyl found on testing equipment from the definition of fentanyl. | K. Moser |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems to be reasonable requirements. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB354 | Allow Treasurer to promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A to implement the chapter. Require the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland to serve alternating terms on the KY Financial Empowerment Commission. | S. Sharp |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Reasonable requirements. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB357 | Amend KRS: correct outdated references to specific interim joint committees, correct titles of various state officers and update the the names of several state and federal agencies. | D. Hale |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Corrections are needed, but this could be another shell bill. Not sure. | (Steve ) |
Elections | HB358 | Change the close of the voter registration book to 21 days before the election. Require the State Board of Elections to remove voter names upon notification of death, incompetency or felony conviction before the books are closed if received within 5 days of the books closing. | T. Smith |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Need to leave the closing of voter registration at the current 28 days. The rest are positive changes. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB36 | Removes ” insured” from the definition of “student loans” that can be financed and purchased by the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation. | T. Truett |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Essentially doesn’t require all student loans to be insured in order for the state to help in financing them. Fine, but if they aren’t insured doesn’t the state take on heightened repayment risk? If so, need controls on that. | Passed House (Steve / Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB363 | Increase the amount of sales and use tax incentives that may be committed in each fiscal year for building and construction materials and equipment used for research and development, electronic processing and flight simulation. | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Doubles the amount of available incentives. May attract new investment in the state. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB364 | Bar public employers from auto-deducting dues from payroll for any labor organization for political activities. (*Need strongest of both bills between HB2364 and SB7, req annual re-enroll, no distrib of fin. info.) | J. Bray |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Make public labor union members write a check to that organization, you don’t get free payroll deduction services. This reqs employees to consent to union membership in writing every year (better than SB7). SB7 has a prohibition against employers collecting banking info etc. and sharing it with any union.
Need best of both bills. |
(Lance) |
Education | HB365 | Require local school boards to annually review and revise it’s trauma-informed approach plans. | L. Willner |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Reasonable requirements but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB366 | Creates prevailing wage board and reqs one for all public service projects. | A. Gentry |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Not necessary. These projects tend to be high wage jobs anyway, and the wage scale can be part of the bid process. | (Steve ) |
Other | HB367 | Designate coal as the official rock of KY. Designate chalcedony as the official mineral. | A. Gentry |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Not a bad proposal but not really important | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB369 | Remove language describing a series of felony offenses. Allow expungement of juvenile records with multiple felonies arising from one incident | S. Miles |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Should only expunge felonies with a clean record for at minimum 5 years as an adult. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB37 | Allows pass-through business to pay income tax at the entity level. Allows applicable partners, members and shareholders to exclude the income from the pass-through entity to avoid SALT cap limits on federal taxes. (*Need to revert to current law, if IRS closes loophole or SALT cap expires.) | K. Fleming |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Shouldn’t have to pay taxes twice on the same income, that much is correct. Pass-through entities are designed already to avoid double-taxation, by paying taxes on the individual tax return. This bill, as I understand it, flips it so that taxes can be paid at the level of the business rather than the individual tax payer. This essentially allows very wealthy taxpayers to avoid the $10K cap on SALT and pay less in federal taxes. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Criminal Code | HB370 | Makes criminal for <18yo, or >18 but <21 yo, who possess or attempt to purchase alt nicotine, tobacco, or vape products. Req local school boards to incl policies that penalize, even suspend, students for possessing. (*Criminalizing more young adults isn’t the answer.) | M. Hart |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | I understand the concern, but I think the better tactic is to go after the companies selling to minors, not criminalizing our youth. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB371 | Enhances promoting fentanyl, carfentanil or fentanyl deriv contraband to Class B felony, make it a “violent offense.” (*Some concern about “violent offender” part.) | J. Bauman |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Good to enhance penalties for fentanyl trafficking. Epidemic that we need to get under control.
Not sure about making it a “violent offense” though. Why not keep “violent offense” as engaging in unjustified physicall violence? |
(Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB372 | Estab constables shall charge and collect same fees as provided for sheriffs for services constable is authorized by law to perform. | J. Blanton |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Reasonable requirement but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB373 | Revisions lots of law enforcement certification statutes, most good. (*MUST remove ability of deputy jailers and corrections staff to make arrests outside of jail. Court security officers MUST be trained in order to make arrests…) | J. Blanton |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Lots of good recommendations for changes. I think though that court security officers should have the same requirements as other deputies, since they deal with a criminal element on a daily basis. | (Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB376 | Req cost-sharing for non-insulin drugs and certain equip/supplies for treatment of diabetes not exceed certain cost-sharing thresholds. Allow cost-sharing limit to be adjusted annually. | D. Bentley |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good requirements but not a high priority. We do need to start helping reign in the cost of dabetes treatment (as well as figuring out a way to prevent it, of course). It is exceptionally expensive to treat for 30+ years. Companies gouge as it has become a huge money maker for them. | (Steve / Lance) |
Business Regs | HB377 | Removes expiration dates from gift cards. | K. Moser |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good idea but it can wait. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB378 | Makes it ethical misconduct for legislator or leg agent to discriminate or sexually harass. Prohibits leg agents from campaign contribs to GA member seeking state-wide office during session. | K. Moser |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | The description of the bill states that it permits certain legislative agents from making campaign contributions to a member of the GA running for state-wide office, but I read it to say that it prohibits this. Definitely, lobbyists should not be allowed to contribute to campaigns. | (Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB380 | Allows 20 yo to attend police officer basic training so long as they turn 21 prior to conclusion. | S. Witten |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems like a reasonable adjustment that will help with recruiting young officers. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB382 | Eliminate references to circuit clerk, allow county clerk to maintain branch offices to process motor vehicle titling and registration. Eliminate circuit clerk’s issuance of operator’s licenses and IDs. | J. Dixon |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems like a reasonable idea to put it all under one umbrella. Just hope our county clerks can manage it properly. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB383 | Offer employer tax incentives for wage assessments. Create different wage assessment calculations if a project is located in an advanced incentive county | R. Webber |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | More unnecessary tax breaks for corporations. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB384 | Specifies duties and membership criteria for the KY Healthy Farm and Food Innovation Board. Establish a fund. Exempt the Board from a classified service designation. | M. Dossett |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | This is a terrible idea. The members on the board are selected based on racial and sexual quotas. Membership is designed to attract non profit organizations. Need to focus on helping local farmers, not NGOs. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB385 | Reduces req # of candidates submitted to Gov for appt to Geographic Information Advisory Council from six to three. | M. Imes |
Support | Low (Can wait) | More choices could be better but not a big deal. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB386 | Expand reqs to move over or slow down when approaching emergency or public safety vehicle to incl any vehicle displaying a warning signal. | M. Imes |
Support | Low (Can wait) | No problem with this but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB387 | Amends multiple statutes to update references to more newly established committee names. | S. Heavrin |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Needs updating but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB388 | Allows individuals who administer, deliver, distribute or sell controlled substances that result in death to be changed with murder. (*Needs “knowingly” & “a lethal dose.”) | D. Frazier Gordon |
Only If Amended | Medium (Committee review+) | Could be part of addressing the fentanyl and opioid epidemics. Fentanyl, for instance, can be accidentally administered through contact, and often has a shockingly low lethal dose. Can’t be imprecise wuth terms when talking about Murder charges. |
(Steve ) |
Education | HB389 | Reqs public charter school boards adopt a common comprehensive reading program that is reliable, valid, and aligned to reading and writing standards. | K. Banta |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Need to focus our schools back to the basics – reading and writing – and away from the cultural indoctrination. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB39 | Reorganizes KY Horse Park Commission, its duties and function. (*Wait 1 year, plus No bill with racist “affirmative action” provisions should ever be codified into law.) | P. Pratt |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Does a good job defining the duties and responsibilities of the Commission. My only problem with this bill is the language used on page 5 lines 6 and 7…”including staff development and training programs for affirmative action.” Don’t understand why we are encoding affirmative action into statute. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB390 | Estab and set reqs for Student Teacher Stipend Program. Provide up to $8K to student teachers. Appropriate $10M for Teacher Recruitment Student Loan Forgiveness Program. (*No issue paying Student teachers, esp. given expense. Not excited about Loan Forgiveness.) | K. Banta |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Direct the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority to administer.
Wouldn’t necessarily have a problem with a grant to each student teacher or loan forgiveness but both in combination seems excessive. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Health | HB391 | Req long term care providers to eval and discuss opps for joint training as new regs and guidelines announced. | A. Neighbors |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Just a suggestion. Has no teeth behind it. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB392 | Elim circuit clerk, instead vesting power to issue titles and licenses for motor vehicles in the County clerk only. | J. Dixon |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Reasonable provision. | (Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB393 | Change subject entities from public agencies to governmental bodies. Allow city to sell or dispense of items without value. Increase limit from $5K to $10K at which city may sell property…. | J. Dixon |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Lots of minutiae about operations of municipalities. Not opposed but not a high priority. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB394 | Changes financial statement reqs for professional employer org initial and renewal application. Reqs submission of wage reports and pay all contribs to the Office of Unemployment Insurance. | P. Pratt |
Support | Low (Can wait) | No problem with any of this but not a high priority. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB395 | Create the Investments in Information Technology Improvement and Modernization Projects Oversight Board. Estab times for submission of plans by state agencies and a review of those plans by the board. | P. Pratt |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Not real sure how much improvement of state information technology can be accomplished by 6 members of the GA. Need the advice of specialists in the field who are on the cutting edge. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB396 | Remove elig restr for nonresident student participation in interscholastic athletics to have to sit out for one calendar year. | S. Riley |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Don’t have a real problem with this, especially don’t want to penalize students whose parents have relocated. Just hope it doesn’t increase recruiting of student athletes. | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB398 | Makes 3rd DUI within 10 years a Class D felony with min term of 120 days. Req any person arrested for DUI remain in custody for 8+ hours. | P. Flannery |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good requirements to try to prevent repeat offenses. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB399 | Permits officers and others employed by KY State Police to participate in political activities while off duty. | C. Massaroni |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Our officers need to have their First Amendment rights restored pronto. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB4 | Specifies processes and timelines for approving, building, and decommissioning electric generation facilities. | J. Branscum |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Nothing seemed particularly objectionable here. | Passed House (Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB40 | Estab any admin. reg. that is ruled deficient by the admin. review committee shall be null, in essence, as long as one of the originating board, AG & Gov. agrees. | D. Lewis |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Relating to administrative deficiency finding: grants an administrative body 10 days to appeal a legislative committee’s deficiency finding to the Attorney General, allows Attorney General 20 days to uphold or overrule. Withdraws or nullifies a regulation automatically if the appeal is not filed or the finding is upheld. Allows the Governor to act on the regulation if the finding is overruled and prohibits an administrative body from promulgating a similar regulation for at least a year after the finding was upheld. Seems to be a common sense detailed explanation of how the process should work. I think it’s a harmless bill. |
(Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB400 | Create enhanced penalty for a person under 21 who operates a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of.02 or more. | C. Aull |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good enhancement but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB401 | Adds Div. of Records Management and rename the Div. of Information Technology to the Div. of Electronic Services within the Office of Technical Services within the Dep. of KY State Police. | D. Hale |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Could be a shell bill. Not certain. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB403 | Removes classifications of ambulance services, mobile integrated health care programs and medical first responders. Permit state level reciprocity. | K. Fleming |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Not sure how badly the state reciprocity agreement is needed. Could end up causing the state to lose first responders. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB404 | Direct premises licensed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to submit annual reports of criminal activity on their properties. | N. Kulkarni |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Has no mechanism included for action on the results of those reports. What is the intention to do with this information? | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB405 | Estab multi-state licensure compact for social workers. (*Better to do this with all industries; eg HB343) | K. Fleming |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Not sure if this would help attract social workers or possibly cause the state to lose some.
The idea that someone who can do a job in another state cannot do it is KY is just a fiction and used as a barrier to entry for people seeking employment here. |
(Steve ) |
Education | HB406 | Provide that a parent member of a superintendent screening committee shall not be an employee of the school district. Require minority representation on a screening committee in a district with a minority population at 50 percent or greater. | B. Chester Burton |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Not bad requirements but not a high priority. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB407 | Remove degree seeking requirement for non remarried spouse and children of a deceased veteran. Require students to use federal grants towards tuition prior to use of waiver. Expand educational benefits to include service members with a disability rating of 50 percent or higher. | P. Stevenson |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Most of this is okay, but it should not remove the degree seeking requirement for benefits to be received. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB408 | Require health plan benefits to provide coverage for certain formulas, breastfeeding support and equipment. | P. Stevenson |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | More give aways not necessary. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB41 | Directs the Kentucky Department of Education to develop a foster care student toolkit to assist school personnel in addressing the unique educational needs of foster children. (*KRS 158.4416 somewhat already does this.) | R. Raymer |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | KRS 158.4416 was passed in 2022 regarding Trauma-informed approach to education. It set out guidelines for school counselors in every school to create a team and train teachers in dealing with students who have experienced all forms of trauma. This bill focuses on trauma informed practices that are already being taught but only asks that a person in each district, who will be “the foster care liaison,” to let the teachers, counselors and administrators know of the availability of the foster care student toolkit and encourage its use. While having this information available for those who want to read it is not bad, I don’t think it needs to be legislated. The KDE can regulate the creation of such a toolkit and make it available if it so chooses. Lance: I don’t trust the KDE’s judgement. If it is a good idea, it likely should be legally mandated. Nevertheless, probably best to just clarify KRS 158.4416 applies to any foster scenario. |
(Laura) |
Govt Regulations | HB410 | Require the governing body of a city to mandate the proper care of a burial ground | P. Stevenson |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | More mandates from Frankfort are not needed. | (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB411 | Make certain LGBTQ and qualifying veterans eligible for state veterans benefits. | P. Stevenson |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good to make them whole, but not a high priority | (Steve ) |
Education | HB412 | Extend expiration of KEES scholarships from 5 to 8 years after high school graduation. | P. Stevenson |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Need to make it an incentive that the student utilize the scholarship to complete their postsecondary program in a timely fashion. Five years are enough | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB413 | Estab refundable tax credit for renters in the amount of 25% not to exceed $1000. (*MAYBE a 1-time credit for pandemic/inflation; should be encouraging ownership.) | P. Stevenson |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | I can see the logic behind giving renters an equivalent tax credit to the home mortgage deductions, but we should be encouraging people to own rather than rent. | (Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB414 | Designate June 12 as Women’s Veterans’ Appreciation Day. | P. Stevenson |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Doesn’t mention replacing Confederate Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis Day. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB415 | Reqs reg of all non-motorized vehicles operated on public highways excl bicycles. | W. Lawrence |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Seems to be another bill targeting the Mennonite community. Not necessary. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB416 | Estab separate overweight fine schedule for violating posted bridge weight limit on any state maintained bridge over 75 yo. Reqs signage to be in place. | W. Lawrence |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Existing laws should suffice to restrict. Why only on state maintained bridges or on bridges over 75 years old? | (Steve ) |
Criminal Code | HB417 | Create automatic class D felony expungement process after 5 clean years. (*Needs to be higher than 5, but core issue is employers unwilling to hire rehabilitated felons.) | D. Grossberg |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Five years is too soon. Should be 10 years minimum. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB418 | Allow members the Teacher’s Retirement System to make up unpaid days. Require a maximum of 10 makeup days to count for service. | D. Grossberg |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | As it is now, only required to work a maximum of 180 / 185 days. Just over half a year. No allowance necessary. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB419 | Require a current copy of all digital parcel and tax district data be securely stored with the Commonwealth Office of Technology’s geographic information clearinghouse. Restrict data from being redistributed, sold, shared or used for any commercial or unauthorized purposes. | C. Freeland |
Support | Low (Can wait) | No big problem with this just not a high priority. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB42 | Establishes a bill of rights for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and defines penalties for violations of these rights. | M. Hart |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Seems like a good bill | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB420 | Exempt houseboat rentals from transient room taxes. (*Could justify Houseboat rentals of 30 days+.) | C. Freeland |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | No problem with this just not a high priority. | (Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB421 | Allows school districts to contract for road improvements, replace energy-inefficient buildings on their properties. (*Must be clear, Transp. Dept is not required to approve reimbursement for improvements.) | K. Timoney |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | No problem with school districts being able to put in the work to try and expidite building replacements and road improvements. It should remain clear that submitting an application does NOT mean that other parts of government is required to pay for them. | (Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB422 | Require electrical utilities to have a vegetation management plan performed in accordance with ANSI standards. Establish homeowner rights. | K. Timoney |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Good requirements. Would like to see property owners rights be extended more than 7 days to file a claim in a court with jurisdiction. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB423 | Consider relative work experience in lieu of a bachelor’s degree for the purpose of evaluating employee qualifications. | K. Timoney |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good idea. Don’t want to limit the pool of available candidates. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB424 | Reqs qualified medical professional to withdraw blood when presented with search warrant or court order. Provide criminal and civil immunity to the qualified medical professional. | S. Baker |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good recommendation for looking after the health and safety of the accused. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB425 | Create a peace officer special accommodation certification process for law enforcement agencies trying to fill vacancies. | J. Gooch Jr |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Only applies to officers from out of state who are applying for a position in KY who have been certified in the state they currently reside in. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB426 | Add “reliable” to the description of utility service in Kentucky. | J. Gooch Jr |
Support | Low (Can wait) | You would think this would be understood by the utilities but in cases it is not. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB429 | Limit security requirements, amount available for lending. Permit a state bank or trust company to elect to comply with lending limits applicable to national banks. | M. Meredith |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good requirements. Banks should not be allowed to loan money that they cannot back up. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB433 | Establish dates for the renewal and reinstatement of deferred deposit service business and check cashing licenses. Allow the commissioner to modify dates when necessary to facilitate common practices and procedures among the states. | C. Stevenson |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Reasonable requirements for the banking industry to follow. | (Steve ) |
Education | HB435 | myRequire teachers to be compensated for non instructional planning time within their school day during which they are required to supervise or instruct students. Expand the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program to include a program leading to a bachelor’s degree in education. | T. Bojanowski |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good incentives for luring students into the teaching profession. We don’t need to overburden them with trying to plan lessons while also instructing. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB436 | Provide Medicaid covered medical assistance for inpatient and outpatient services provided by a residential pediatric recovery center. | M. Lockett |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Should cover at least some of the cost. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB437 | Forbid housing discrimination based on an individual’s source of income. | L. Swann |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | How can a landlord or mortgage issuer guarantee ability of owner /lessee to pay mortgage or rent without querying about the applicant’s source of income? | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB438 | Estab limitations on use and sale of data captured by automated license plate readers. Data, under normal circumstances, can only be kept for 90 days. (*Don’t like AI plate readers in general, esp. unregulated.) | L. Swann |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Very much needed with the proliferation of these devices in our communities. | (Steve ) |
Other | HB439 | Add gender neutral language | K. King |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | SHELL BILL. These bills are sometimes used to slip in changes to the law through late amendments or subs with little scrutiny. Bad for govt transparent. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB44 | Carve out a tax exemption for marketing services. | K. Fleming |
Oppose | Low (Can wait) | Hard to see this as anything but Pork for a particular industry. | (Bob) |
Criminal Code | HB440 | Reqs appt of guardian ad litem for any unrepresented minor who is party to an interpersonal protective order. Estab protocols for proceeding against minor who violates order of protection. | J. Nemes |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Good to look out for minors involved in the justice system. Good requirements for the court to follow when the minor is on either end of the protective order. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB441 | Make technical corrections. | D. Bentley |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | SHELL BILL. These bills are sometimes used to slip in changes to the law through late amendments or subs with little scrutiny. Bad for govt transparent. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB442 | Appropriate funds for payment of claims against the Commonwealth. | D.J. Johnson |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Many claims listed in this bill which were found to be legitimate, but red tape kept the funds from being appropriated. Definitely need to make these claimants whole. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB443 | Clarify each fiscal year of the biennium relating to branch budget bills. | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | This is a minor, but correct, correction given 2 year budget cycle. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB444 | Amend to clarify fiscal biennium. | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | This is a minor, but correct, correction given 2 year budget cycle. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB445 | Relating to budget forms, make a technical correction. | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Corrects language to refer to the official name of Office of State Budget Director. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB446 | Allow monies in EKSAFE and WKSAFE funds to be used as loans for replacement, renovation or expansion of certain police, fire and ambulance stations. | J. Petrie |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | No problem with this. They cannot rebuild to greater than 120 percent capacity and loan must be re-payed. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB448 | Each branch of government shall have in process of preparation and revision plans and needs of its budget units and existing and prospective sources of income for the next two years. Upon receipt of estimates each branch shall revise its budget as it deems warranted. | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems like a reasonable requirement for state agencies to follow. | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB449 | Clarify that “biennium” means “fiscal biennium.” | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Could be a shell bill. I think it is just adjusting language to fit the 2 year budget cycle. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB45 | Establishes the Tax Expenditure and Economic Development Incentive Review Board of the GA to review, analyze, provide oversight, and make recommendations to the GA about tax expenditures and economic development incentives. | K. Fleming |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | High (Pass this session) | Establishes another committee, the purpose of which is relatively easy to justify given that the state has recently made Billion dollar grants / tax incentives. However, this committee MUST have mandatory requirements for public report disclosures, and assessments before any incentive legislation assigned (not up to leadership discretion, see section 7.5). |
(Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB450 | Rural Jobs Act of 2023, allots $50M of state matching capital for investments in growth biz for rural counties (esp. East & Wast KY). (*Great idea; why exclude small biz?) | J. Blanton |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | Great idea to promote business investment in Eastern and Western KY. However, big issues with implementation. Applicant must have invested at least $100M in nonpublic companies located in non-metro counties (so, elim small business from being eligible right off the bat; micro-investment often has the highest relative pay-out). This IS for future investment (not retroactive), correct? Only applies to qualifying counties, so it discriminates against other counties in the state who may have an equal need but don’t meet the benchmark (I get it, it’s rural counties… BUT shouldn’t the population measure be population DENSITY based rather than population, and 22% poverty rate is pretty high, seems like any county over 19% is struggling by the eye test). |
(Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB451 | Reqs state and local contracts buy needed iron, steel, aluminum manufactured in the US unless waiver is granted. KY Buy American Act. | J. Blanton |
Support | High (Pass this session) | No issue with this except must understand that it WILL increase costs, at least for steel (China has been massively gov’t subsidizing steel production to drive out competition for over a decade).
Excellent idea. We must protect our native industry. Shame so little of this is made in KY. |
(Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB452 | Switches presumption in favor of public use for fishing along public water bodies and waterways. (*This shouldn’t invalidate fishing licenses or esp. catch limits.) | J. Blanton |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Allows public use for fishing along public water bodies and waterways if access is not gained through private lands and health and safety of public and habitat not placed at risk.
Good accommodations for the fishermen and women of the state. However, this shouldn’t invalidate fishing licenses or esp. catch limits; needs to be amended if it does. |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB455 | Defer annualized use allowance payments for local facility projects to 2023-2026 biennium. | J. Blanton |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Not sure why it says making an appropriation therefor, when it appears that the funding will not be allotted until the 2024-2026 biennium. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB456 | Estab licensing, fees and reqs for roofing contractors. | D. Grossberg |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Licenses restrict who can engage in a profession. I don’t think there is a glut of roofers in the state right now. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB457 | Establish exclusive jurisdiction for contractor dispute actions involving real property to the courts of the Commonwealth. | D. Grossberg |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good clarification. Not sure where else they may settle a dispute, unless they work it out outside the court system. | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB461 | Provide no county or waste management district shall compel confidential business information from solid waste management company. | A. Bowling |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Reasonable requirement. Not sure how many people this has negatively affected but it can’t hurt. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB462 | Prohibit insurers from requiring cost-sharing requirements for for any covered, diagnostic breast examination or supplemental breast examination, if referred due to family history or findings on a pre-screening. Gives a schedule for providers to follow based on the age of the patient. | L. Willner |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Reasonable requirement. Early detection can be very helpful in treatment. | (Steve ) |
Other | HB463 | Def terms, estab procs and parenting time credit for dealing with joint custody and initial $250 in medical expenses. | D. Elliott |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Good breakdown of shared custody / time and how that relates to support payments. Very thorough. | (Steve ) |
Health | HB470 | Req reporting (with criminal penalty) and strips license and funding from anyone conducting “gender-affirming(altering) care (GAC)” and “gender(sex) reassignment surgery” on minors. Bans state funding and performance of GAC. Allows for civil liability for “injury” sustained via providing GAC (incl for insurer). (*Why adopt the left’s nomenclature/euphemisms?) | J. Decker |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Multi-faceted bill. Don’t misinterpret the following, it is a good bill and apparently more likely to move than the more staightforward HB120.
This implementation of a ban of sex reassignment and gender-altering care attempts to address it by imposing all of the penalities possible without outright banning it: banning public funding, incl. Medicare services, stripping licenses (and criminal penalties tied to failure to report), allowing for lawsuits over ambiguous injuries… |
Passed House (Lance) |
Taxes & Spending | HB5 | Exempts from property tax distilled spirits or aging in barrels located in a bonded warehouse or premises. (*Taking money from schools when Bourbon is booming?) | J. Petrie |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Very bad bill. The taxes generated from this funds local schools and fiscal courts in the bourbon producing counties. This tax is being removed from multi national corporations making record profits and placed on the taxpayers in those counties. The state SEEK formula would have to be reworked to adjust for this loss of revenue, taking $$ away from non bourbon producing counties to make up the difference in tax revenue lost in the counties that do store bourbon. | (Steve ) |
Elections | HB50 | Require mayoral, city council, wards, legislative body members, school board candidates and soil and water conservation officers to have party affiliation and primary | M. Lockett |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | The effects of this are very complicated… Fine with non-school board (& non-judicial candidates, not addressed in this bill) being partisan races (though why does it matter for those positions, and do they need to be?). How does this actually change school board races? Won’t this actually prevent a candidate with different ideas actually making it onto the board to provide fresh perspectives? |
(Steve / Lance ) |
Govt Regulations | HB500 | Prohibits sale or lease of agricultural land to foreign nationals from some countries. (*Not bad, but: Must specify in 22 C.F.R. sec. 126.1 if countries are paragraph (d)(1), (d)(2) or (f)->(z)? Existing ownership? Targeted to near military bases?) | R. Heath |
Only If Amended | Oppose (friendly) | I’m not totally opposed to this. China’s purchases have made a lot of news recently, esp. near military installations. This prohibits sale of farm land to citizens of various unsavory countries. Concerns: It isn’t entirely clear, reading 22 C.F.R. sec. 126.1, which countries specifically this applies to as there are several lists there. It doesn’t seem that this applies to already existing ownership interests. I worry that this is targetting citizens of other countries, when the real issue is with that country’s gov’t itself, and this might hurt overall investment. If the issue is national security, perhaps distance from a military base restriction might be more targetted to the purpose. |
(Lance) |
Education | HB504 | Shifts school funding to be based on students enrolled, rather than students attending. (*Needs provision for student who withdraw or chronically truant being removed from count.) | J. Tipton |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | I worry that this disincentives school caring about whether students actually show up for class. At a minimum, this needs a provision to require removing students from membership promptly if they are withdrawn from school or are chronically truant. School shouldn’t be compensated for students who are essentially never there. |
(Lance) |
Health | HB51 | Allows healthcare providers to charge even for the first copy of a patient’s requested healthcare record. | K. Moser |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | The existing law is superior. These are the patient’s records, not the provider’s, and a single (first) copy shouldn’t be imposed on the patient. | (Bob) |
Health | HB52 | Def stress injury, allows me increased length of treatment for stress-related injury to firefighters and allows lifetime cap on benefits. | K. Banta |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | good bill. There is some worry that this could potentially be exploited, as with many psychological injury. Better to err on the side of taking care of first responders. | (Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB525 | Estab KY Gaming Commission to reg skill games (incl grey machines) and sets some initial limits. (*Go ahead and legalize and regulate them; may not happen until next year.) | S. Doan |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | Very reasonable approach. Better to bring these under regulation and taxing authority than outlaw them or allow them to continue unregulated. | (Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB53 | Allows lifetime orders of protection for victims of qualifying offenses; defines qualifying offenses | K. Banta |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | good bill | (Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB533 | Prohibit gov’t from entering into $100,000+ contracts with financial companies that discriminate against politically sensitive companies. Exempts religious objections. (*Expands recent law on coal to ag, petrochem, free speech social media, and firearms.) | E. Callaway |
Support | High (Pass this session) | If you boycott investment in crucial KY industries, the state shouldn’t be giving you big contracts. Providing pushback to protect KY industries is a crucial duty of the KY gov’t. | (Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB534 | Allows legally req notices published on digital news website if site meets certain quals. Allows local gov’t to publish ad directing public to its notice section on a digital news website. (*Should be in addition, not alternative, to local paper.) | S. Dietz |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | It would be great for local governments to post information on their website and when available post information on a newspapers digital website, but this should not exempt local government from also posting this information on the newspapers hard copy. We need full transparency from our government agencies. Some people do not have internet access, or they are hesitant to get on the internet. They should not be required to mail in a request for information and then hope it gets mailed back in a timely manner. | (Steve / Lance) |
Education | HB538 | Sets regs to remove disruptive students from the classroom and expel those who are violent. (*Very important bill. Must add due process provisions, students/parents must have right to appeal.) | T. Truett |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Sets protocols and regulations allowing teachers to remove disruptive students from class and principal to expel violent or permanently remove disruptive students from classrooms.
Student behavioral issues are the single biggest problem in education (other than lack of parental involvement). HOWEVER, students must have a right of appeal. Due process is a constitutional right, and teachers and principals are generally going to be in the correct, but they cannot be allowed to be dictators. |
(Lance) |
Health | HB54 | Allows Medicaid coverage for midwifery services | R. Webber |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | good bill. Lance: I suspect this would actually drop healthcare costs (with little to no impact of patient safety) by having a trained midwife delivering vs occupying a hospital bed, is that correct? |
(Steve ) |
Education | HB547 | Codifies/clarifies right to religious expression by public school teachers. (*Some concern with (3)(g) and #1A establishment clause.) | C. Fugate |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Great bill. The only possible issue I might have is with section (3)(g)… I’m not sure that we want to give teachers carte blanche to have religious expression and ability to distribute materials to students outside instructional time but while still operating under official duties. That can potentially be dangerously close to “establishment” if abused. Rest of the bill is great. | (Lance) |
Firearms & Military | HB55 | Exempts veterans with a 50 percent service related disability from fees for personalized license plates; increases fees for several types of plates. | R. Dotson |
Support | Low (Can wait) | good bill Lance: I don’t have a major issue with this, it is a minimal impact on revenue, I’m sure. We have to draw a line somewhere on tax carveouts, why not draw a line on these minimal costs? |
(Steve ) |
Taxes & Spending | HB553 | Cleans up the Biennial Payroll to remove allocation for actuarial costs related to paid sick leave. | J. Petrie |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Fine. Apparently is was just a placeholder amount anyway, so it cleans up the accounting. | Passed House (Lance) |
Health | HB56 | Def. “regional community service program,” establishes conditions under which a regional program can provide services outside its area. | D. Bentley |
Support | Medium (Committee review+) | good bill | (Steve ) |
Health | HB569 | Adds rape and incest exemptions to abortion ban. Also adds fetal abnormality exemption. (*Even overlooking logical inconsistencies, not a good time for this or HB300.) | J. Nemes |
Oppose | Oppose (friendly) | Complete abortion ban or the near complete ban (life of the mother) that is current law is straight forward: regardless of how a baby is conceived, it is human life worthy of protection. Additional exemption for gross fetal abnormalities/birth defects would be: it is more compassionate for all to end life before a miserable, tragically short existence that would end in extremely early childhood (not arguing FOR that, but it has a clear logic). OTHER EXEMPTIONS LACK LOGICAL CONSISTENCY: In principle, I don’t understand the logic of a consensual sex incest (nonconsensual falls under rape) exemption for abortion. If it is enhanced birth defects, then shouldn’t the logic for that exemption schould actually be demonstrable proof of a severe birth defect? The logic behind either rape or incest being exempted, but not pregnancies via consensual sex also escapes me. It seems to be: (a) Babies conceived through non-consensual sex are not worthy of protection but consensual are. But, Why do conditions of conception confer value to the child?; OR (b) Pity/Compassion: We should have pity for the mother of a child via non-consensual sex, but not for one where the conception was accidental or consensual. Both situations are worthy of compassion, but if you believe it is a unique human life… compassion for one person doesn’t outweigh the compassion for, and life of, another (the baby). |
(Lance) |
Health | HB57 | Recognize a competent adult’s right to bodily autonomy and inherent and absolute right to refuse medical treatment; prohibit any person, employer, entity, or health care provider from mandating medical treatment. | S. Rawlings |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Medium (Committee review+) | Section 1 (a) says that the General Assembly recognizes that “Citizens of the Commonwealth are guaranteed autonomy over their own bodies and medical choices, and they possess the right to recieve or not received medications or treatment;” The problem with this is these words will be used against the argument for prohibiting abortion. The mantra of pro-choicers is that they should have autonomy over their bodies and medical choices. This needs to be re-worded with something like “Citizens of the Commonwealth are guaranteed to possess the right to receive or not to receive medications or medical treatments.”… or something carefully thought out. Lance: Agreed. Have to be very careful about the language here. One person’s autonomy cannot mean the direct killing of another person… I don’t think it can be receive or not receive medications either though (as most abortions are by medication currently). |
(Laura) |
Health | HB58 | Prohibit discrimination against medical care providers who decline to perform procedures that violate their conscience. | S. Rawlings |
Support | High (Pass this session) | Does several similar things: grant providers the right not to participate in or pay for services that violate their conscience; exempt providers from liability for exercising these rights; establish a civil cause of action for persons injured by violations of these provisions Amazing! Provides for cause of action and lays out recover for those who are the recipients of discrimination! Has excellent definitions as well. |
(Laura) |
Business Regs | HB594 | Effectively eliminates “skill-based grey machines” by prohibiting them returning money (only non-cash redeemable merchandise). (*Better approach is regulation, eg HB525/HB256). | K. Timoney |
Only If Amended | Medium (Committee review+) | This is a very difficult bill to evaluate. It’s purpose seems vague. Def “Amusement Machines” with the objective of distinguishing them from gambling devices, and permits their use. Provides for a penalty for anyone operating a gambling machine illegally. It assumes the proliferation of illegal gambling machines is such a problem that they must be distinguished from amusement machines. |
(John O / Lance) |
Education | HB60 | Asks school board to establish policy and develop procedures for a moment of silence and reflection at the start of each school day. | D. Fister |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | May be difficult for the teacher to “enforce”. good thought, but low priority | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB61 | Adds ” whole or ground coffee beans and dried tea to definition of home based processor. | D. Fister |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Low priority, not sure how many people this will affect | (Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB62 | Redefines ” real estate brokerage” to include those who advertise for sale an equitable interest in a contract for real property. | D. Meade |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Not a high priority. Lance: Seems to include a common practice in commercial real estate under the umbrella of real estate brokerage regulation. |
Passed House (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB63 | Incl Space Force in definition of Armed Forces. Amends Interstate Compact on Ed Opportunity for Military Children to incl the children of National Guard and Reserve personnel. | S. Bratcher |
Support | High (Pass this session) | good bill, we added a new branch of the military, so need to include it in all existing legislation. | Passed House (Steve ) |
Firearms & Military | HB64 | Extends period of time that a peace officer employed before December 1, 1998 may be separated from service before losing certification status from 100 days to 365 | M. Dossett |
Support | Low (Can wait) | Seems like a good bill, it can be a hassle to regain certification and is a police officer’s fitness for the job going to degrade that much in 100 days? Plus 100 days isn’t that long to find a next job. 1 year seems reasonable. low priority |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB65 | Allows Freedom Flag to be flown along with the American and Kentucky flags on September 11 | M. Dossett |
Support | Low (Can wait) | These changes are pretty innocuous, but (a) where does it stop & (b) is it a 1st Amendment issue to allow 1 flag that isn’t an official flag and exclude others? Could open a can of worms. | (Steve / Lance) |
Govt Regulations | HB66 | Creates winter and summer standards and a slew of other conditions for disconnection of service by retail gas and electric utilities. (*Some of this is good; but over-reg., most have similar policies anyway.) | L. Willner |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Establishes a certificate of need for persons who are at risk provided by a physician, physician assistant, community based service organization or faith based service organization. Prohibits disconnection on holidays, weekends or before 8 am and after 5 pm on weekdays. Allows for reconnection for partial payment within a payment plan, waiver of termination fees, reconnection fees and late fees for a customer with a certificate of need. Requires 14 day written notice prior to disconnection to a residence. Way to much restriction on the utility companies. Too much red tape for them to navigate through. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB67 | Req. any health benefit plan include 20 alternative pain therapy, if recommended by a doctor. (*Reducing opioid use is a HUGE priority, but this is ripe for fraud.) | C. Stevenson |
Only If Amended | Low (Can wait) | Require that any health benefit plan issued or renewed in Kentucky that provides coverage for hospital medical or surgical expenses shall include coverage for chronic pain treatments provided by a licensed professional. Require Medicaid and Medicaid managed care organizations to include coverage for chronic pain treatments. Require a health care practitioner discuss and refer or prescribe alternate treatments before initially prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance.
Reasonable requirements for insurance to cover and a good focus on the practitioner’s responsibility to monitor the history of the patient and recommend alternate treatments before prescribing controlled substances. Should help with prescription pill abuse epidemic facing the Commonwealth. |
(Steve ) |
Health | HB68 | Reqs gov’t health benefit plans to cover epi. devices for persons 18 and younger. | C. Stevenson |
Support w/ amendment suggestions | Low (Can wait) | Require health benefit plans, Medicaid, KCHIP, self-insured employer health plans offered by the governing board of a state postsecondary institution and the state employee health plan to cover epinephrine devices for persons 18 years or younger and that the coverage not be subject to cost sharing requirements. Seems pretty reasonable but I think some cost sharing could be allowed to help offset the cost to the insurers. Just needs to be a reasonable amount. |
(Steve ) |
Business Regs | HB69 | Reqs employers to provide (exorbitant) earned paid sick leave to employees, penalizes employer who fails to follow. | C. Stevenson |
Oppose | Oppose (bad bill) | Employee can use after 90 days employment, sets forth allowable uses, designates how notice of need is provided by employee.
Way too restrictive to the employer. Too liberal for the employee. You would gain 1 hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, which calculates to 69 hours per year of a 40 hour work week. |
(Steve ) |
Govt Regulations | HB70 | Restricts the KY Lottery or Corporation, it’s board or employees, from releasing the name or likeness of any winner of a lottery prize over 7 million w |