Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House convened with 98 members present, declared a quorum, approved the prior journal, and received Senate concurrence requests on Senate Bills 263, 281, and 324. The chamber then moved through second readings and committee reports on a range of measures, including education, agriculture, banking and insurance, judiciary, licensing, and task force resolutions. Among the reported bills were measures on KEES scholarships for non-certified schools, a residential safe room rebate program, dual credit scholarships, impeding a first responder, motor vehicles, tallow-based cosmetic products, animal health emergencies, mortgage loan income limits, deferred deposit fees, child protection, Attorney General operations, corrections operations, school leadership, school transportation, advanced mathematics coursework, and task forces on charitable gaming and early childhood education governance. The House passed House Bill 642, a Teachers' Retirement System housekeeping bill, after adopting House Committee Substitute 1. The sponsor said the bill updates survivor benefit documentation, raises the daily earnings limit for retired members returning to work from $170 to $200, removes an unused early-return provision, reinstates a pension waiver program, clarifies benefit tier calculations using an earlier participation date in another state system, and allows a parent member to manage payments for a disabled child without a court order. Members asked about substitute teaching limits, retirement penalties, budget impact, and a removed provision involving index funds; the sponsor said he would follow up on the day limits and stated he did not believe the bill would add to unfunded liability. The bill passed 96-0. The House also passed House Bill 780 on recording commissioner’s deeds, after adopting a floor amendment that removed fines and penalties. The bill allows a city to petition circuit court if a deed is not recorded within 30 business days, and the court may compel filing and award costs and attorney’s fees. Members discussed whether the bill effectively created a lawsuit-based enforcement mechanism rather than a fine, and supporters said it would help local governments identify responsible property owners and address code enforcement and public safety issues. The bill passed 96-0. House Bill 541, concerning peace officers, also passed after a committee substitute; the sponsor said it cleans up Kentucky Law Enforcement Council procedures, strengthens certification standards, clarifies revocation language, and reflects input from law enforcement groups. It passed 95-0. House Bill 195, the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative, passed after a committee substitute and floor amendment. The substitute added Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension alongside UK Cooperative Extension, and the floor amendment changed the pilot’s implementation date to January 1, 2027 and adjusted the program’s term timing. Supporters said the bill would expand urban agriculture education, connect youth to food systems and career pathways, and help students in urban counties learn practical agricultural skills; it passed 97-0. The House then took up House Bill 794 on financial exploitation, which expands protections to all adults age 65 and older, adds felony penalties for knowingly, wantonly, or recklessly exploiting those adults, allows the attorney general to seek extradition from another state, and requires investment advisers to complete three hours of continuing education on financial exploitation. Members cited real-world scam experiences and urged stronger penalties, but the bill passed 96-0.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 510, which passed with a favorable expression by unanimous roll call vote and then received consent without opposition. The bill’s specific subject was not discussed in the excerpt, but the chair congratulated the sponsor after the vote. House Bill 176, sponsored by Rep. Kim Moser with testimony from Corey Meadows of the Kentucky Medical Association, would create a framework for insurers to offer waiver programs that reduce prior authorization requirements for health care providers. The sponsor said the bill was intended to cut red tape and improve transparency, and noted that the language had been worked out with insurers. The committee voted unanimously to pass the bill with favorable expression and then approved consent. House Bill 266, sponsored by Rep. Peyton Griffee with testimony from Dr. Kelly Ellis of Eastern Kentucky University, would add audiology and speech-language pathology to the credentials eligible for the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund. Supporters said these professions are critical to care across the lifespan and that their education and licensure requirements fit the fund’s purpose of retaining health professionals in Kentucky. The bill passed unanimously with favorable expression and consent, with Sen. Nemes briefly explaining his support based on workforce development experience. House Bill 393, sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Raymer with testimony from McKenzie Wallace of the Alzheimer’s Association, made cleanup changes to the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Council, added a caregiver council slot, and required the council to develop and distribute an early detection and diagnosis toolkit for health care providers. The committee passed the bill unanimously with favorable expression and consent. Sen. Mills explained his yes vote in memory of his father, who had Alzheimer’s disease.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The impeachment committee was called to order and a roll was taken. Members present included Representatives Brown, Klein, Decker, Don, Duval, King, Watkins, Elliott, Blandon, and Chair Neimus; some members were not present or did not respond during the roll call. After determining the committee was constituted to do business, a motion was made by Mr. Blandon and seconded by Mr. Dunn to go into executive session. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote, and the committee entered executive session.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee reconvened and announced it would move forward by presenting the question to the House of Representatives. The chair stated that a resolution would be filed that attaches articles of impeachment, specifically referring to Judge Goodman. A motion to adjourn was then made by Mr. Don and seconded by Mr. Bland. The committee voted on the motion, with no opposition recorded, and the meeting was adjourned.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee reconvened and considered a motion to approve posting two reports on the committee’s website: one signed by Chairman Nemes and Vice Chairman Blanton, and another signed by Representative Stephenson and Representative Gentry. Representative Stephenson made the motion, and Representative Hall seconded it. The motion was put to a voice vote and passed unanimously, with no opposition voiced. The chair stated that both reports would be available to the public on the committee’s website that evening.

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The chamber approved the prior journal, excused absent senators, and received a House message noting passage of several House bills, including House Bill 1 despite the governor’s veto. The clerk also reported committee recommendations on a number of House bills, which were placed on the calendar, and new resolutions were introduced recognizing Chloe Yates, student wellness and physical activity in schools, and the Kentucky State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. The main floor action centered on House Bill 1, which implements the Federal Education Opportunity Program in Kentucky. Supporters argued the measure would bring federal tax-credit dollars into Kentucky to expand educational opportunities for students and families at no cost to the state budget, while opponents urged sustaining the governor’s veto and raised concerns about accountability and the bill’s structure. After debate, the Senate voted 31-5 to override the veto, and House Bill 1 was finally passed notwithstanding the governor’s veto. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 183 on proxy advisory services. The House committee substitute exempted certain nonprofits with less than $500,000 in annual gross revenue from proxy advisor services from the bill’s cause-of-action provisions while preserving attorney general enforcement authority. The chamber concurred with the House substitute and then passed the bill as amended. Senators also passed Senate Bill 263, the School of Innovation cleanup bill, which makes technical changes, requires KDE support for waiver applications, and creates a pilot project for three schools of innovation with proposed matching grants. Senate Bill 281 on grandparent visitation was also adopted with committee substitute and passed unanimously after discussion focused on balancing grandparents’ access with parental rights and existing case law. Later, the Senate began consideration of Senate Bill 324 on the film industry credit, with the sponsor describing technical changes and expanded provisions to support film, video, gaming, and related production activity in Kentucky.

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all

Keywords: 958, all