(FRANKFORT, Ky.)-The second week of February brought a steady rhythm of work in Frankfort, providing lawmakers the opportunity to consider a growing number of bills while continuing the careful task of crafting the state budget. As of Friday, February 13, more than 600 House bills and nearly 200 Senate bills had been filed, reflecting the wide range of priorities and concerns voiced by Kentuckians across the Commonwealth.
The pace will only quicken as key deadlines approach: March 4 marks the final day for new House bills to be filed, and March 2 is the deadline in the Senate. As always, citizens can follow the progress of legislation, track bills, and watch committee meetings live by visiting legislature.ky.gov.
Here are a handful of the bills that cleared the House this week:
HB 7 would allow school districts to use camera monitoring systems on school buses to enforce a civil penalty against cars that are recorded passing a school bus with a deployed stop arm and allow school districts to contract with a private vendor or manufacturer to install, operate, and maintain them.
HB 44 would establish a robotics program trust fund in the State Treasury to award grants to programs promoting hands on learning, establishing community partnerships, highlighting career opportunities, and establishing connections to manufacturing, machining, and fabrication skills for high school students.
HB 139 would strengthen election integrity and clarifies key procedures. The measure would allow the State Board of Elections to share data with other government agencies investigating election offenses; require voting systems to at least meet Election Assistance standards; and clarify candidate filing requirements for commonwealth’s attorney races and special elections.
HB 253 would phase out the use of the “three-cueing” reading method in Kentucky schools and teacher preparation programs. The bill would prohibit three-cueing instruction by the 2029-2030 school year, instead emphasizing an evidence-based approach built around five key components: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
HB 264 would update existing statute to clarify that if someone lists or advertises a house, apartment, or commercial property for sale or rent without actually owning it or having permission from the owner, the law will assume they are trying to deceive people.
HB 266 would add speech language pathology or audiology license to the definition of eligible healthcare credential in the statute governing the healthcare worker investment fund.
HB 305 would strengthen procedures around grand jury proceedings by extending the statute of limitations applicable for knowingly recording the proceeding or disclosing any information gathered while present during a proceeding. The provisions do not apply to commonwealth’s attorneys, their staff, or peace officers engaged in their official duties.
HB 313 would modernize the timeline by reducing the amount of time required for notification when a city renews or re-sells a utility franchise agreement from 18 to six months. The update would allow cities to negotiate franchise agreements closer to their expiration, which allows better understanding of market conditions, utility performance, and community need.
HB 436 would allow free greens fees at state park golf courses to veterans who graduate from the PGA HOPE program and one guest.
HB 459 would strengthen Kentucky’s health care workforce by requiring licensing boards to collect workforce participation data during license renewals, giving policymakers clearer insight into provider availability and shortages. The bill also allows the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Marriage and Family Therapists to grant licenses to qualified applicants already licensed in other states, helping attract experienced professionals while maintaining high standards of care.
HB 508 would create guidelines for private companies who charge a fee to help Kentucky veterans access benefits. The measure would not impact the free options available through nonprofit veterans’ service organizations and would require for-profit companies to provide written notification that there are free services available. The bill would limit the fees charged for advising or assisting with veteran benefits; ban deceptive or aggressive soliciting practices; provide notification that free services are available; and protect veterans personal, medical, and financial information. HB 508 would also require compensated advisors to file annual report with the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs and enforces violations under the Consumer Protection Act.
HCR 44 urges Congress to create an accreditation pathway for private companies that assist veterans in navigating the benefits system.
HJR 25 would declare Kentucky a Food is Medicine state and encourage state agencies to expand programs that use nutrition as part of medical care and disease prevention.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Chris.Freeland@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
