AN ACT relating to emergency management and declaring an emergency.
HB 767 revises Kentucky’s emergency management law to strengthen and modernize the Division of Emergency Management’s duties and authority. The bill updates KRS 39A.050 to more explicitly define the division’s role in coordinating statewide disaster preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, and public information, and it reinforces the division’s responsibility to work with state, local, federal, and private partners during emergencies. It also requires the Kentucky Emergency Operations Plan to be a risk-based, all-hazards plan approved by the Governor, filed with the Legislative Research Commission, and updated at least annually.
The bill further emphasizes operational readiness by directing the division to maintain the State Emergency Operations Center, warning and communications systems, incident management coordination, area field offices, local emergency management support, resource planning, training, and the Kentucky Qualification System for certification and credentialing of emergency personnel. It also authorizes the division to promulgate administrative regulations to implement KRS Chapters 39A to 39F. The act contains an emergency clause, meaning it takes effect immediately upon passage and approval, reflecting the legislature’s view that the changes are urgent for public safety.
HB 767 amends Kentucky’s emergency management statutes, primarily KRS 39A.050, by expanding and clarifying the Division of Emergency Management’s statutory responsibilities and operational authorities. It affects state and local emergency management agencies, local governments, and other public safety partners by formalizing planning, reporting, coordination, and credentialing requirements, and by reinforcing the use of the Kentucky Emergency Operations Plan as the central statewide response framework. The bill also supports the division’s ability to fund local emergency management agencies, manage resources, and establish qualification standards for emergency management professionals.
The overall sentiment around HB 767 appears strongly supportive and noncontroversial. The bill passed the House and Senate with unanimous recorded votes in the available history, indicating broad bipartisan agreement on the need to improve emergency management readiness and coordination. The emergency declaration in the bill text also suggests lawmakers viewed the measure as important and time-sensitive for public safety.
No major points of contention are evident in the available record. The bill’s focus on statewide coordination, annual planning, credentialing, and administrative rulemaking could have raised questions about executive authority, local compliance, or administrative burden, but the voting history shows no recorded opposition. In the absence of committee transcripts, there is no indication of organized resistance from local governments, emergency responders, or other stakeholders.