Kentucky

Create new sections of KRS Chapters 45A, 56, and 65 to require that state and local contracts contain a provision that any iron, steel, or aluminum used in all state and local projects be manufactured in the United States unless a waiver is granted; amend KRS 45A.343, 45A.352, 65.027, 162.070, 164A.575, 176.070, 176.080, and 424.260 to conform; provide that Section 1 to 3 of the Act may be cited as the Kentucky Buy American Act.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 199 to prohibit housing a child in foster care in vehicles, state offices, hotels, motels, or short-term rentals except in emergency situations not exceeding 24 hours; require a child in foster care to be placed in kinship care placements, fictive kin placements, licensed foster family homes, or licensed child-caring facilities; prohibit moving a child in foster care more than 2 times per year unless extenuating circumstances necessitate the change; require a cabinet employee to provide a written explanation for any foster child placement change beyond the initial placement; require the Department for Community Based Services to promulgate administrative regulations to prioritize housing stability and minimize placement disruptions for foster care youth; amend KRS 620.320 to require the State Citizen Foster Care Review Board to report on the number of children moved more than 2 times within a 12-month period.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 40 to define terms; create the Residential Ease of Access for Disabled Veterans Program for funding the construction and installation of accessibility ramps on residences of disabled veterans; establish the Residential Ease of Access for Disabled Veterans Program grant fund to be used for the program and administered by the Kentucky Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the Department for Medicaid Services and any managed care organization with whom the department contracts for the delivery of Medicaid services to provide coverage for doula services; create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to establish the Doula Advisory Council, council membership, and council duties; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services or the Department for Medicaid Services to seek federal approval if they determine that such approval is necessary; provide authorization from the General Assembly to make changes to the Medicaid program as required under KRS 205.5372(1).

Amend KRS 161.028 to preclude the Education Professional Standards Board from requiring a minimum score on any assessment; require applicants to submit proof of completion of a formative basic skills assessment at the time of application; require applicants to submit results of a formative basic skills assessment prior to their first day of attendance; require the postsecondary institution provide supports for candidates aligned with their formative assessment performance; amend KRS 161.030 to require the Education Professional Standards Board to narrowly tailor content assessments to the area in which an applicant is seeking certification.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 39A to require the county coroners, in consultation with the Kentucky Coroners Association, to create emergency response areas and equip each district with an emergency response trailer with necessary equipment to adequately respond to a multiple fatality event; require the Division of Emergency Management to promulgate administrative regulations; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.

Propose to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky to establish an individual right to reproductive freedom; allow the Commonwealth to regulate abortion after fetal viability, but not prohibit if medically needed to protect a pregnant patient's life or physical or mental health; forbid discrimination in enforcement of this right; prohibit prosecution of an individual, or a person helping a pregnant individual, for exercising the right to reproductive freedom; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Repeal and reenact KRS 532.031 to define "gender identity or expression"; list the actions that qualify as hate crimes; list the actual or perceived characteristics a person must have in order to qualify as a victim of a hate crime; outline penalties for a person guilty of a hate crime; set forth criteria for seeking an enhanced sentence; amend KRS 15.334 and to add characteristics of a victim to be considered when determining the cause of a crime; add a requirement that officers receive training on hate crimes; create a new section of KRS Chapter 411 to permit a civil action where the victim of a hate crime suffers damages regardless of the outcome of any criminal proceeding; establish recovery for the victim; amend KRS 17.1523 to add characteristics of a victim to be considered when determining the cause of a crime; amend KRS 15.440 to require that a unit of government shall possess a written policy and procedures manual related to hate crimes in order to receive funds from the Law Enforcement Foundation Program fund; repeal KRS 49.320, relating to victim of hate crime deemed victim of criminally injurious conduct.

Honor and congratulate John and Debbie Rogers on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary.

Create a new section to KRS Chapter 2 to officially recognize that a person has only 1 gender, male or female.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 216 to protect access to assisted reproductive technology; create a new section of KRS Chapter 311 to declare that a fertilized human egg or human embryo that exists outside of the uterus of a human body shall not be considered an unborn child, a minor child, a natural person, or any other term that connotes a human being for any purpose under state law.

Create a new section of KRS 227.200 to 227.400 to require an owner, seller, or lessor to have functional smoke detectors in all existing single-family and multifamily residential units; require a seller or lessor to verify compliance in an affidavit prior to transfer or tenancy of property; exempt KRS Chapter 324 licensees from liability; direct the state fire marshal to recommend use of carbon monoxide and fuel and gas leak detectors and provide an annual incident report on fire and carbon monoxide-related injuries and deaths to the State Fire Commission.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 533 to define terms; require the court, upon conviction of the defendant, to consider the defendant's status as a caretaker of a dependent child; provide that a court's determination of a defendant's status as a caretaker of a dependent child shall not be admissible as evidence or be determinative in any subsequent proceeding; provide that the defendant shall have the right to present an alternative sentencing plan and a family impact statement to the court; provide that in issuing an alternative sentence, the court may require the defendant to participate in programs and services that support the parent-child relationship; provide that the court may modify or revoke the alternative sentence and commit the defendant to an institution if the defendant fails to adhere to or complete the conditions of an alternative sentence; amend KRS 610.340 to provide that a court determining whether to impose an alternative sentence for a defendant who is a caretaker of a dependent child has access to court records under KRS Chapter 600 to 645; provide that the Act may be cited as the Family Preservation and Accountability Act.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 258 to define terms; establish a process for dogs and cats that have been retired from use for research and testing in an animal testing facility to be made available for adoption; prohibit the use of state funds that directly support painful experiments as defined by federal law and administered by the United States Department of Agriculture; require animal testing facilities that receive state funds to publicly publish an annual report on their website including the total animals and dogs and cats being tested yearly, active research, all testing projects that use animals, the total amount and source of funding for the project, and efforts used to reduce animal testing.

Adjourn the Senate in loving memory and honor of the Reverend George Clifton Curington, Sr.

Recognize the long-standing and successful economic and cultural partnership between Japan and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Recognize January 29, 2026, as Suits and Sneakers Day.

Amend KRS 67.060, 83A.040, 160.180, and 262.240, to require candidates for county commissioner, mayor, legislative bodys, local board of education member, and soil and water commissioner at the time of their elections or appointments and for the duration of their term in office to be a citizen of the United States, a citizen of the United States for 18 years immediately preceding election or appointment, citizen or national of only the United States and no other foreign state or country, and a citizen or national of only the United States and no other foreign state or country for 18 years immediately preceding election or appointment in order to hold each respective office.

Amend KRS 164.096 to require each public postsecondary education institution to provide the Council on Postsecondary Education its annual operating budget by August 1 of each fiscal year; require each institution to provide the council a quarterly budget-to-actual report within thirty (30) days following the end of each fiscal quarter; require each institution to provide financial information relevant to the Council's review of the institution's annual operating budget or quarterly budget-to-actual report upon the request of the council; amend KRS 164.013 to require the council's president to consult with the boards of regents and boards of trustees in their respective presidential selection and evaluation processes.

Amend KRS 304.17A-164 to define terms; prohibit insurers and administrators from requiring insureds to pay cost sharing for a prescription drug that is greater than the cash price; require insurers and administrators to count the amount paid for a covered prescription drug towards the insured's cost-sharing if certain requirements are met; establish requirements for insurers, administrators, and pharmacies for submission of cash price paid by an insured; exempt a state employee health plan from counting certain third-party payments towards the insured's cost-sharing; provide for construction of cost-sharing requirements; amend KRS 304.17C-125, 304.38A-115, 164.2871, and 18A.225 to apply cost-sharing requirements to limited health plans, self-insured state postsecondary education institution employer group health plans, and the state employee health plan; create a new section of KRS Chapter 315 to require pharmacies to comply with cost-sharing requirements; provide that cost-sharing requirements apply to health plans issued or renewed on or after effective date; EFFECTIVE, January 1, 2027.

Amend KRS 214.034 to delete hepatitis B from the list of required immunizations for children; prohibit additional immunizations from being required by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services without the approval of the General Assembly; delete requirement for hepatitis B immunization for sixth grade school attendance.

Recognize Thursday, January 29, 2026, as Suits and Sneakers Day; and honor those impacted by cancer.

Amend KRS 341.350, relating to unemployment insurance benefits, to reduce the required weekly verifiable work search activities from 5 to 3 and the required formal submitting of applications or interviewing for employment from 3 to 1.

Amend KRS 529.110 to enhance the penalty for promoting human trafficking to a Class B felony unless the victim is a minor, in which case it is a Class A felony.

Amend KRS 154.30-010 to remove the sunset date in the definition of "modified new revenues for income tax" to make it permanent.