Create new sections of KRS Chapter 344 to ensure federal law relating to emergency medical treatment and the collection of evidence is not overridden; define terms; prohibit discrimination against health care professionals who decline to perform procedures that violate their conscience; grant health care professionals the right not to participate in services that violate their conscience; exempt health care professionals from liability for exercising these rights; prohibit hiring or licensing authorities from reprimanding health care professionals; require hiring or licensing authorities to provide complaints it has received to health care professionals; establish a civil cause of action for persons injured by violations; provide that the Act may be cited as the Health Care Heroes Recruitment and Retention Act; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 158.150 to require a local board of education to expel a student for at least 12 months if the student intentionally causes physical injury to educational personnel at a school or school function; amend KRS 158.155 to require that school employees report attempted assault of any school employee to law enforcement; amend KRS 158.990 to provide for penalties for any person who intentionally violates KRS 158.155; amend KRS 610.200 to provide that a peace officer is not required to retain custody of a child for a felony violation of assault in the third degree; amend KRS 635.020 to provide that a child 14 years of age or older who is charged with a felony violation of assault in the third degree may be tried as an adult.

Amend KRS 164.2807 to provide for the administrative attachment of the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission (EPIC) to the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, and the independent functions of EPIC; require EPIC to maintain separate accounts for all funds appropriated to it; provide the executive director of EPIC with the sole authority to hire staff and retain contractors; allow the commission in its sole discretion to set compensation for its professional employees; allow the commission to conduct its own procurements and perform its own bidding and negotiations under KRS Chapter 45A; limit the membership of the EPIC board to no more than 2 members who reside outside of the Commonwealth; amend the membership of the EPIC executive committee to consist of the EPIC commission board chair, the vice chair, 2 appointees made by the Attorney General, and 1 appointee elected by the membership of the board; require, instead of allow, EPIC to employ an executive director; allow the executive director to have the full authority to act on behalf of EPIC in all matters, with the advice of the commission; specify the termination and compensation adjustment procedures for the executive director; provide that all information, records, and data submitted by utilities and produced by EPIC members and staff shall be confidential and exempt from disclosure under KRS 61.870 to 61.884; establish the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission fund and specify the purposes of the fund; make conforming changes; require the Attorney General to make appointments to the EPIC executive committee on or before August 1, 2026, and terminate the terms of the current appointees for those positions on the effective date of the Act; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 16.197 to allow an individual previously appointed to Trooper R Class or commercial vehicle enforcement officer R class to return to service with the Department of Kentucky State Police after 1 month of separation from service but no more than 60 months following the individual's latest separation date from service.

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 third-party payments unless a cash price was paid that is less than the plan's negotiated price; 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.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 519 to define terms; establish the crime of impeding a first responder.

Amend KRS 158.307 to define "dysgraphia"; require the department to annually update the dyslexia toolkit; require the toolkit to include guidance on dysgraphia and strategies and other resources to be used for students displaying dyslexia and dysgraphia; require universal screeners and diagnostic tools be approved by the department; require each district to use evidence-based instructional strategies to provide intervention services; require school districts to report data to the department; amend KRS 164.304 to require postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs include instruction on the application and implementation of a multitiered system of supports by the 2027-2028 school year.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; prohibit a school district, public school, or cooperative board from providing differential treatment or benefits on the basis of an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin; prohibit the Kentucky Department of Education, a school district, a public school, or a cooperative board from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion; prohibit the department, a school district, a public school, or a cooperative board from soliciting statements on an applicant's experience with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, from providing differential treatment or benefits to an individual based on the individual's participation in diversity, equity, and inclusion training, and from disseminating or profiting from any research, work product, or material that promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion; establish exclusions; authorize the Attorney General to bring an action for a writ of mandamus to compel the department, a school district, a public school or a cooperative board to comply; create a cause of action to permit a qualified individual to file a civil action against a the department, a school district, a cooperative board, or a public school for injunctive relief arising from a violation of this Act; permit recovery of monetary damages for a willful and intentional violation; waive sovereign, governmental, and qualified immunity; prohibit retaliation; require each public school district and cooperative board to provide the State Treasurer the name, job title, duty station, and compensation information of each employee of the school district or cooperative board each month for publication; amend KRS 161.030 to require certain certification applicants to complete an approved professional development program on Kentucky education law; amend KRS 158.4416 and 158.4414 to conform; amend KRS 160.380 to remove language requiting targeted minority recruitment; amend various KRS sections to conform; repeal KRS 156.500 and 161.165; require school districts and cooperative boards to follow designated procedures when implementing this Act including termination or transfer of certain employees; require the Kentucky Department of Education to eliminate the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and follow designated procedures when implementing this Act including termination or transfer of certain employees; EFFECTIVE, in part, February 1, 2027; EMERGENCY.

Propose to amend Section 256 of the Constitution to permit constitutional amendments to be submitted to the voters by ballot question or summary that clearly describes the substance and effect of the amendment, rather than requiring the full text of the amendment to appear on the ballot; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Propose to amend Section 29 of the Constitution of Kentucky to establish the initiative power of the people to propose laws and to enact or reject proposed initiatives at an election; establish procedures for initiatives, effect of adopted initiatives, and parameters for the subject of any initiative; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.

Amend KRS 205.1783 to define terms; require the secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to request a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture to exclude accessory foods such as candy, soft drinks, and specialty coffee drinks from being purchased using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as SNAP; require the request to be resubmitted as instructed by the General Assembly; require the cabinet to request a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture to allow the purchase of hot foods utilizing SNAP benefits; require the request be resubmitted as instructed by the General Assembly; specify waiver development and reporting requirements.

Amend KRS 67.083 to allow fiscal courts to provide for the care and maintenance of pedestrian swinging bridges that are available for recreation and public enjoyment; amend KRS 411.190 to give liability protections to owners of land leased to a local government that maintains pedestrian swinging bridges that are available for recreation and public enjoyment on the land.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to make findings and declarations about locally driven innovation and the intent of the General Assembly to permit flexibility for school districts to improve practices; amend KRS 156.161 to modify the waiver process and the waiver authority of the Kentucky Board of Education; require the Kentucky Department of Education to assist local boards of education in the development of waiver requests; specify the analysis the department shall provide to the state board in reviewing a local board's waiver request; establish a process for a local board to submit a request for a school or program to be identified as a school of innovation with a set of waivers that operate collectively; provide protections for school districts that rely on waiver assistance from the department; create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to require the state board to establish a list of expedited waivers; establish the expedited waiver process and authority; require the state board to annually review all waivers granted to determine necessary changes to administrative regulations or statutes or identify new best practices; amend KRS 157.360 to conform; create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to establish the school of innovation pilot project; establish the school of innovation pilot project fund; provide procedures for the operation of the pilot project; conclude the pilot project on June 30, 2028; require the department to annually report information and findings from the pilot project to the Legislative Research Commission.

Amend KRS 118.425 to modify issuance of certificates of election to electors of political parties and organizations in Presidential and Vice Presidential elections to award 2 certificates to the candidates receiving the highest amount of the statewide popular vote, and the remaining certificates proportionally to electors of political parties and organizations whose candidates received at least 10% of the statewide popular vote.

Amend KRS 350.240, relating to natural resources and mining, to make a technical correction.