LAWS BY TOPIC:
EDUCATION POLICY
SB 19 – Required Moment of Silence in Schools
Public schools must begin each day with a moment of silence. Students are required to remain seated and silent. School districts may also allow students to leave for one hour per week for off-campus “moral instruction.”
SB 181 – School Communication Rules
School-related communication must use traceable systems between educators, students, and parents. This aims to improve safety, ensure transparency, and address misconduct.
HB 208 – Cell Phone Limits in Classrooms
School boards must adopt policies prohibiting students from using personal cell phones during class unless it is for approved learning activities or emergencies.
HB 132 – Instruction During Health-Related Absences
Ensures that students admitted to inpatient mental or physical health facilities receive educational services starting the first day of their stay.
SB 73 – Awareness of Sextortion in Schools
Requires that schools and colleges provide educational materials to help students recognize and report sexual extortion and digital abuse.
SB 120 – Child Abuse Prevention in Athletics
Requires school coaches and administrators to receive training on reporting child abuse and neglect. Also, it includes new consent form language outlining student rights and Kentucky’s mandatory reporting laws.
HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAMPUS POLICY
HB 4 – Ban on State Funding for DEI in Colleges
Bars public colleges from using state funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Requires the closure of DEI offices, prohibits required DEI training, and mandates neutrality policies regarding campus viewpoints. Compliance must be completed by June 30, 2025.
WORKPLACE, LICENSING, AND LABOR PROTECTIONS
SB 1 – Establishes the Kentucky Film Office.
HB 398 – Limiting State Workplace Safety Rules
Prevents Kentucky from adopting occupational safety rules stronger than federal OSHA standards. This rolls back longstanding state-specific protections, such as safety requirements for working at heights.
SB 22 – Mobile Barbershops and Licensing Reforms
Allows mobile barbershops and salons to operate legally under the Kentucky Board of Barbering. Additionally, it allows unlimited retakes for licensing exams in several cosmetology fields.
HB 233 – Consumer Protections for Home Repairs
Allows homeowners to cancel service contracts within five business days if insurance denies or underpays a claim. Contractors must inform homeowners of their cancellation rights in writing.
HB 157 – New Agricultural License Plate
Creates a new “Friends of Kentucky Agriculture” license plate to raise funds for agricultural programs.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
HB 15 -Lowers the age to obtain a driver’s permit to 15.
HB 399 – Disrupting Legislative Proceedings
Establishes a Class A misdemeanor for knowingly disrupting official proceedings of the General Assembly. A third offense is a Class D felony. The law explicitly preserves the right to protest in public spaces like the Capitol Rotunda.
SB 73 – Sextortion Penalties Expanded
Increases criminal penalties for sextortion cases involving minors, weapons, or prior sex crimes. These offenses are now Class D felonies.
HB 520 – Law Enforcement Record Requests
Changes in the legal standard for denying public access to law enforcement records from “would harm” to “could pose a risk,” giving broader discretion to deny requests.
HB 390 – Electronic Insurance Verification
Creates a real-time system for law enforcement and courts to verify vehicle insurance status, aiming to reduce fraud and administrative backlogs.
HB 495– Voids a prior executive order banning the use of public funds for conversion therapy.
SUPPORT FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES
HB 305 – Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund
Creates a new state fund to expand healthcare workforce training and scholarship opportunities, focusing on underserved communities.
HB 303 – Bridge Programs for Military Medical Personnel
Enables Kentucky colleges to establish fast-track pathways for military-trained medical personnel to transition into civilian healthcare roles.
HOUSING AND PROPERTY RIGHTS
HB 27 – Yard Sign Rights in HOAs
Prevents Homeowners’ Associations from banning political yard signs. Residents may display signs 30 days before and seven days after an election. HOAs may still regulate placement and size.
GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT AND HEALTH ACCESS
HB 242 – Research Use of Child Welfare Data
Allows approved researchers to access de-identified child welfare data to evaluate programs and inform policy, with confidentiality protections in place.
HB 423 – Reducing Delays in Healthcare
Allows providers with strong histories of appropriate care to qualify for exemptions from prior authorization, speeding up patient access to medical services.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITY INVESTMENT
HJR 30 – $65 Million for Water Projects
Releases over $65 million from the Budget Reserve Trust Fund to support water and wastewater infrastructure across Kentucky.
HJR 32 – School Construction Aid
Allocates funds to assist school districts in constructing or repairing buildings in areas with limited local revenue.
NOTABLE LAWS WITH FUTURE EFFECTIVE DATES
- HB 136 (Takes effect January 1, 2026): Reforms rules for private contracts related to corrections and justice services.
- HB 191 (Takes effect January 1, 2026): Expands eligibility for burial at veterans cemeteries, as noted above.
If you have questions about these new laws or how they may affect you, please contact my office, 502-569-7710.
If you want to speak with your State Legislator about these bills are upcoming ones, contact your legislator directly by calling 502-564-8100. A Spanish-language assistance line is available at 1-866-840-6574, and those with hearing impairments can use Kentucky Relay (7-1-1).