Kentucky

Adjourn in honor and loving memory of Edward Todd, Jr.

Propose to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky to exempt from taxation a portion of the assessed value of real property maintained as the permanent residence of an owner who is a veteran or first responder; require an owner to meet the disability requirements under Section 170 of the Constitution of Kentucky; allow real property maintained as the permanent residence of the surviving spouse of a veteran or first responder to receive an exemption based on the qualifiers of the veteran or first responder prior to his or her death; allow the General Assembly to set qualification requirements by law; prohibit a property from receiving more than 1 exemption under this new section of the Constitution of Kentucky; allow the exemption to be in addition to the exemption provided in Section 170 of the Constitution of Kentucky; provide that the exemptions supersede contrary provisions of Sections 171, 172, and 174 of the Constitution of Kentucky; apply the exemptions to property assessed on or after January 1, 2028; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 2 to adopt the Green Star flag as the Commonwealth's symbol of continued awareness of military service member and veteran suicide and commitment to recognize and resolve military service member and veteran suicide.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to establish an income tax credit for employers that maintain an apprenticeship program and hire apprentices; amend KRS 141.0205 to order the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow the Department of Revenue to report to the Legislative Research Commission on the credit.

Amend KRS 154.15-010 to remove the definition of "executive director" of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA); amend KRS 154.15-020 to administratively attach the KCNA to the Finance and Administration Cabinet; remove references to the executive director and the advisory group of the KCNA; abolish the KCNA advisory group; remove references to KCNA staff and require the executive director of the Commonwealth Office of Technology (COT) to assign COT personnel to carry out the functions and responsibilities of the KCNA; require the secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet, the Treasurer, and the executive director of the Commonwealth Office of Technology serve as ex officio members on the board of directors for any nonprofit organization incorporated to carry out activities associated with the responsibilities of the KCNA or its board; amend KRS 154.15-030 to remove all current members of the KCNA board except for the representative designated by the Center for Rural Development and replace them with the chief information officer of the Department of Education, who shall serve as chair, the Attorney General, the Governor, the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Secretary of State, and the Treasurer, or their designees; amend KRS 42.726 to add carrying out the functions and responsibilities of the KCNA to the roles and duties of the COT; amend KRS 42.732 to remove the executive director of the KCNA from the Kentucky Information Technology Advisory Council; amend KRS 12.020, 12.023, and 42.014 to conform; require that on the effective date of the Act, all functions and responsibilities previously undertaken by KCNA personnel shall be transferred to existing COT personnel; require all records, files, or documents previously maintained by KCNA personnel to be transferred to the COT; require that the position of executive director of the KCNA shall be terminated on the effective date of the Act; allow the executive director of COT to determine on or before June 30,2026, which staff previous employed by KCNA shall be retained and employed by COT; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 405.021 to establish factors for a court to consider in determining the visitation rights of grandparents; amend KRS 620.090 to conform; make technical changes.

Amend KRS 61.702 and 78.5536 to provide full hospital and medical insurance benefits for a member, their spouse, and their dependents if the member becomes disabled in line of duty with a hazardous disability; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 237.109 and 237.110 to lower the age requirement for carrying concealed deadly weapons from 21 to 18; make technical corrections.

Amend KRS 158.850 to define terms; ban schools from selling or providing ultra-processed foods during the school day.

Propose to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky to exempt homeowners who are 65 years of age or older from any increase in the valuation of their permanent residence that is assessed after the later of the year the homeowner turned 65 or the year the homeowner acquired the property; require the exemption to be in addition to the exemption provided in Section 170 of the Constitution of Kentucky and notwithstanding Sections 171, 172, and 174 of the Constitution of Kentucky; apply the exemption to increases in valuation that occur after the date the amendment is ratified by the voters; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Amend KRS 139.470 to exempt from sales and use tax pet adoption fees and certain small veterinarian service fees charged by local government animal shelters and nonprofit animal welfare organizations; apply to transactions on or after August 1, 2026.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 217 to define terms; permit health care practitioners to prescribe and dispense undesignated glucagon in the name of a school; permit authorized entities to receive, possess, and administer undesignated glucagon to a student during diabetic medical emergencies; permit schools to stock undesignated glucagon; provide for immunity from civil liability for any personal injury resulting from good-faith actions to use undesignated glucagon to treat diabetic medical emergencies; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to consult the American Diabetes Association when promulgating administrative regulations related to the administration of undesignated glucagon in schools.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 2 to allow the Freedom Flag to be flown as a Flag of Remembrance each September 11.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 198A to establish the abandoned home pool fund to be administered by the Kentucky Housing Corporation to purchase and improve vacant and abandoned homes for rental to eligible individuals and families; specify application process and eligibility criteria.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 161 to enact and enter into the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact; declare purpose; define terms; set requirements for member states and for school psychologists to participate in the compact; establish provisions for active duty military members or their spouses; designate procedures for adverse actions against a school psychologist; create the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact Commission and establish its internal procedures; provide for the commission to facilitate the exchange of information; establish rulemaking procedures, oversight, financing, dispute resolution, and enforcement provisions of the compact; create member state compact withdrawal procedures; provide for amendments to the compact; specify applicability of the compact to certain Kentucky state law.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 157 to require a salary supplement for school social workers who have been nationally certified by the School Social Work Association of America and are employed by local boards of education if funding is provided for such purpose, permit local boards of education to provide a supplement from other resources if funding is not provided, and require inclusion of the supplement for Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System calculations; create a new section of KRS Chapter 157 to require a salary supplement for school psychologists who have been nationally certified by the National Association of School Psychologists and are employed by local boards of education if funding is provided for such purpose, permit local boards of education to provide a supplement from other resources if funding is not provided, and require inclusion of the supplement for Teachers’ Retirement System calculations.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to establish the employer student loan repayment credit, equal to 50% of the amount paid by an employer on an eligible student loan of a qualified employee effective for taxable years beginning January 1, 2026, but before January 1, 2030; amend KRS 141.0205 to order the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow the Department of Revenue to report on the credit.

Propose to amend Section 172B of the Constitution of Kentucky to expand the freeze on an assessment or reassessment moratorium to include the development of property and to remove the 5-year expiration date for the moratorium; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 177 to define "acknowledgment sign" and "sponsorship agreement"; allow the Transportation Cabinet to enter into sponsorship agreements with private entities to sponsor welcome centers or rest areas on the interstate and state highway system; direct that all contributions shall be used on maintenance and upkeep of the welcome center or rest area; require the Transportation Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations to establish a sponsorship policy and process to enter into sponsorship agreements.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 216B to define terms; require hospitals to maintain a publicly available chargemaster of all standard charges, in dollar amounts, and descriptions for all standard facility items or services; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to promulgate administrative regulations to establish a template for each facility to use to create the chargemaster, monitor each facility's compliance, and provide administrative penalties; prohibit collective action of debt for noncompliant facilities.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 211 to establish a PFAS Working Group; establish membership and duties; create new sections of Subchapter 10 of KRS Chapter 224 to define terms; establish a reporting requirement for manufacturers that intentionally added PFAS in products manufactured for sale or distribution in the Commonwealth; establish a reporting requirement for PFAS released in the Commonwealth by manufacturers that intentionally include PFAS in manufactured products; amend KRS 224.99-030 to establish penalty for noncompliance with reporting requirements.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 5 to establish the Advisory Redistricting Commission, which shall be composed of members appointed by the General Assembly and members of the public at large; define terms; establish commissioner pay, conditions, powers, and duties; provide that commissioners' terms correlate with obligations of each census cycle; establish the conditions, powers, and duties of the commission; require the commission to draft redistricting plans for legislative and congressional districts, with parameters prescribed; establish standards to be followed by the commission for commissioners who develop plans; require the commission to submit its redistricting plans to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on State Government; require the General Assembly to consider the commission's plans as approved by the Interim Joint Committee on State Government; allow the General Assembly to enact or reject the plans of the commission by a date certain or to return to the commission for adjustment; provide that if the General Assembly does not enact the plans, the plans shall be returned to the commission, which may incorporate changes requested by the General Assembly, but shall not be required to incorporate changes; require the commission to submit to the General Assembly new redistricting plans for enactment at a date certain; allow General Assembly to enact its own redistricting plans after a date certain; establish a $20,000 fine upon conviction of persons attempting to influence, or commissioners accepting influence, relating to the duties of the commission; amend KRS 5.005 to remove the Secretary of State as being named as a defendant in any action challenging the constitutionality of any legislative district and replace with the Advisory Redistricting Commission; provide that the Act may be cited as the Fair Maps Act.

Amend KRS 67.060, 83A.040, 160.180, and 262.240, to require a candidate for county commissioner, city mayor, city legislative body member, board of education member, and soil and water conservation district supervisor to be a natural born citizen of the United States and no other country and a national of only the United States in order to hold each respective office.

Amend KRS 304.11-020 to exempt foreign insurers from compliance with the insurance code and insurance-specific taxes, assessments, surcharges, fees, and other charges imposed by the state or a local government for an individual or group health insurance policy, certificate, plan, or contract issued or delivered in this state if certain conditions are met; amend KRS 91A.080; create a new section of KRS Chapter 136 to conform.

Amend KRS 402.020 to prohibit marriage with a person under 18 years of age; exclude from being prohibited and void, marriages entered into in the Commonwealth before the effective date of this Act if both parties are 18 or older and marriages entered into in another state or country if both parties are 18 at time residency is established; amend KRS 402.030 to require courts to declare any marriage void if a person is under 18 years of age at the time of the petition; amend KRS 402.080 and 402.210 to prohibit the issuance of marriage licenses to persons under 18 years of age; repeal KRS 402.205, relating to petitions to courts filed by minors aged 17 years seeking permission to marry.