Some of the Proposed legislation in Kentucky as of February 22, 2025 (3 0f 4)
I am going to make 4 posts, as there are 128 bills pulled and updated out of the over 1000 bills proposed this term.
These are currently just some of the proposed bills, this is not a complete list. You can find the current complete list at https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislation/Pages/default.aspx
I will update the list throughout the term. Also, I will also update the Bills listed.
The list will be added to during the legislative session. You can call your legislators and leave a message at the Legislative Message Line at 1-800-372-7181.
If something is labeled as “Emergency”, it means if it becomes the Law, it goes into effect immediately. While I have been updated the Bills for years, and generally do not comment on them, there are some statements have pulled from other sources, as many times a Bill may read one way, but the impact is completely different.
This year is a “short session” which means that the legislators only meet for 30 days this year (unless a special session is called).
HB=House Bill SB=Senate Bill
There are 313 Senate Bills and 814 House Bills proposed as of today
If you haven’t read the proposed Bills before, you should know that in some cases the name of the Bill has no relation to what the Bill would actually do. For example, some of the Bills labeled as “parental rights” actually would override what the parent wants if it is contrary to the language of the Bill.
Also, as some of the terminology isn’t clear, so some of the proposed Bills have descriptions with them, from various sources.
HB 154 anti trans health care . What is does it mean that insurance will not be allowed to cover any gender related services. Including mental health care and medications
02/04/25: to Health Services (H)
HB 163 “bathroom policy” Create a new section of KRS Chapter 162 to define terms; require at least 95% of restroom facilities in a specified school building be designated for a specific biological sex; amend KRS 156.160 to conform.
02/04/25: to Primary and Secondary Education (H)
HB 173 Lead testing in rental properties: To get rid of lead testing requirements by governments over landlords
02/04/25: to Local Government (H)
HB 177 Anti Fairness Bill.
02/04/25: to Judiciary (H)
HB 199 SEXUAL OFFENSES AGAINST CHILDREN. Amend KRS 510.040, 510.070, and 510.110 to provide that rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and sexual abuse in the first degree shall be capital offenses when the victim is under 12 years old; amend KRS 532.025 to conform.
2/4/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 201 THEFT BY FAILURE TO MAKE REQUIRED DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY. Amend KRS 514.060, relating to theft of services, to include the conduct of a person holding the property of another under a rental agreement longer than the period agreed upon and depriving the owner of its use for future rentals. HCS (1) Delete original provisions; amend KRS 514.070, relating to theft by failure to make required disposition of property, to include the conduct of a person holding the property of another under a rental agreement longer than the period agreed upon and depriving the owner of its use for future rentals.
2/21/2025 – (H) THIRD READING, passed 88-1 with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
HB 206 WRONGFUL CONVICTION COMPENSATION. Create new sections of KRS Chapter 411 to establish a cause of action for a person who was wrongfully convicted of a felony in the Commonwealth; specify amounts of damages that may be awarded to claimants; establish the wrongful conviction compensation fund.
2/13/2025 – floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
2/13/2025 – (H) SECOND READING, to Rules
2/12/2025 – (H) FIRST READING
HB 209 ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 532 to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment without parole for inmates presently sentenced to death; amend KRS 532.030, relating to authorized dispositions for felony offenses, to remove the death penalty; amend KRS 533.010, relating to probation, to prohibit probation for a person sentenced to life without parole or life without parole for 25 years; amend KRS 640.010 to define terms; amend KRS 640.040, relating to penalties for juveniles convicted of felony offenses, to prohibit life imprisonment without benefit of parole for a capital offense; amend KRS 422.285, 532.050, and 532.100 to conform; repeal KRS 431.213, 431.2135, 431.218, 431.220, 431.223, 431.224, 431.240, 431.250, 431.260, 431.270, 507A.060, 532.025, 532.075, 532.130, 532.135, 532.140, 532.300, 532.305, and 532.309.
2/4/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 220 DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. Amend KRS 189A.010, relating to driving under the influence, to provide that a third or subsequent offense of driving under the influence within a 10-year period is a Class D felony; provide that if a person is convicted of a third or subsequent offense of driving under the influence the minimum term of imprisonment shall be 120 days; amend KRS 189A.040, 189A.200, 189A.240, and 281A.2102 to conform.
2/20/2025 – (H) SECOND READING, to Rules
2/19/2025 – (H) FIRST READING
2/19/2025 – (H) Reported Favorably w/ HCS 1
HB 227 Sodomy. Amend KRS 413.249 to remove the statute of limitations for civil actions arising from childhood sexual assault or abuse.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 235 Civil Rights, Fairness Bill .
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 252 AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES. Amend KRS 186.763 to prohibit school districts from operating fully autonomous vehicles for transporting students; prohibit the operation of fully autonomous vehicles if that vehicle requires an operator with a commercial driver’s license; amend KRS 281.764 to conform.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Primary and Secondary Education (H)
HB 257 Expungement. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 431 to create an automatic felony expungement process for eligible convictions.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 258 Camera at School Bus Stops. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 189 to define “bus stop camera system,” “school bus stop,” and “qualifying school district”; require the installation of video cameras at each school bus stop in a qualifying school district; require the unit of government responsible for maintaining the road where the bus stop is located to install the cameras and retain the video images; specify the allowable uses of the video images and provide for retention timeframes; require school districts to notify the Transpiration Cabinet and all local governments that maintain roads in the district of the location of school bus stops.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Transportation (H)
HB 270 Bill to have gender neutral bathrooms in Kentucky Schools.
02/07/25: to Primary and Secondary Education (H)
HB 287 Leave from work, due to Court attendance. Amend KRS 337.415, relating to court-ordered appearances by employees, to define terms; prohibit employers from discharging or retaliating against an employee who is a crime victim when the employee takes leave to attend proceedings associated with a crime; require an employee to give an employer reasonable notice to take leave when practicable; provide guidelines for use of paid leave; require the employer to maintain confidentiality of records and communication with employee crime victim; create a private right of action for improper discharge, discrimination, retaliation, and failing to maintain confidentiality; amend KRS 337.990 to establish penalties for employer violations.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
HB 289 WAGES FOR EMPLOYMENT. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 337 to make it a discriminatory employment action if an employer asks questions about previous salary or wages, relies on previous salary when setting a new salary, or refuses to hire if an applicant does not provide previous salary, except to allow a request for information voluntarily provided in response to an offer of employment; allow previous salary to be considered when required by law, for internal transfers, and for public employee positions; require notice to be posted for employees; amend KRS 337.990 to assess a civil penalty for a violation.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
HB 291 CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS . Create new sections of KRS Chapter 533 to define terms; require the court, upon conviction of the defendant, to consider the defendant’s status as a primary caretaker of a dependent child unless the defendant is a violent offender, the victim is a child, or a statute prohibits an alternative sentence; require the court, upon a finding that the defendant is a primary caretaker of a dependent child, to consider an alternative sentence; provide that the defendant shall have the right to present an alternative sentencing plan and a family impact statement to the court; provide that in issuing an alternative sentence, the court may require the defendant to participate in programs and services that support the parent-child relationship; provide that the court may modify or revoke the alternative sentence and commit the defendant to an institution if the defendant fails to adhere to or complete the conditions of an alternative sentence; require the Administrative Office of the Court to report annually, beginning in 2026, to the Kentucky State Corrections Commission and to the Legislative Research Commission on the number, percentage, and demographics of parents and children impacted under this Act; provide that the Act may be cited as the Primary Caretaker Consideration Act.
2/21/2025 – (H) SECOND READING, to Rules
2/20/2025 – (H) FIRST READING
2/20/2025 – (H) Reported Favorably w/ HCS 1
HB 307 PATERNITY IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACTION. Amend KRS 403.725 to grant a court authority to make a determination of paternity when issuing orders of protection in domestic violence cases; amend KRS 403.740 to grant a court authority to include a determination of paternity when issuing domestic violence orders.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 316 Crime to give someone Plan B or something similar. Amend KRS 311.772, relating to the intentional termination of life of an unborn human being, to define terms; establish criminal penalties and fines for a foreign sender who provides an abortifacient or abortion-inducing drug; establish a civil cause of action that is available to a woman who receives an abortifacient; establish available relief; amend KRS 218A.100 to include abortifacients and abortion-inducing drugs as Schedule IV controlled substance.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 330 FIREARM POSSESSION BY DOMESTIC ABUSERS. Amend KRS 527.010 to define “domestic abuse offense,” “domestic violence protective order,” and “physical force”; create new sections of KRS Chapter 527 to create the crimes of possession of a firearm by a convicted domestic abuser and possession of a firearm by the subject of a domestic violence protective order; require the surrender of firearm by individuals subject to protective orders or convicted of specified crimes; amend KRS 403.740 and 456.060 to require courts to inform the subject of a domestic violence order or an interpersonal protective order of the firearm possession prohibition.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 349 Hate Crimes. Repeal and reenact KRS 532.031 to define “gender identity or expression”; list the actions that qualify as hate crimes; list the actual or perceived characteristics a person must have in order to qualify as a victim of a hate crime; outline penalties for a person guilty of a hate crime; set forth criteria for seeking an enhanced sentence; amend KRS 15.334 to add characteristics of a victim to be considered when determining the cause of a crime; add requirement that officers receive training on hate crimes; create a new section of KRS Chapter 411 to permit a civil action where the victim of a hate crime suffers damages regardless of the outcome of any criminal proceeding; establish recovery for the victim; amend KRS 17.1523 to add characteristics of a victim to be considered when determining the cause of a crime; amend KRS 15.440 to require that a unit of government shall possess a written policy and procedures manual related to hate crimes in order to receive funds from the Law Enforcement Foundation Program fund; repeal KRS 49.320, relating to victim of hate crime deemed victim of criminally injurious conduct.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 351 SMASH AND GRAB BURGLARY. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 511 to create the offense of smash and grab burglary.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 352 Bill to state that “no alien illegally present in the United States shall be classified as having Kentucky residency for the purpose of public postsecondary education institution tuition.” The Bill also requires that colleges have to report to ICE/INS of the students immigration status.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Postsecondary Education (H)
HB 366 ORDERS OF PROTECTION. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 431 to define specified felony offenses that are a “qualifying offense”; allow lifetime orders of protection for victims of qualifying offenses; allow a court to vacate a lifetime order of protection if the conviction for the qualifying offense is expunged.
2/7/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB 395 Birth Certificates . Amend KRS 199.570 to allow the names of adopted parents and deceased biological parents to appear on a new birth certificate issued upon adoption if it is requested by the court, adopted parents, or adopted child; direct the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to create a birth certificate form that complies with this section through the promulgation of administrative regulations.
2/12/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Families & Children (H)
HB 396 Name Changes After Death. Amend KRS 401.010 to allow a family member of a deceased person to posthumously change the deceased person’s name if the name is the result of marriage to a person arrested for or charged with committing an offense intentionally, knowingly, or wantonly, which resulted in the death of the deceased; provide that the order of priority of family members is the same as in KRS 367.93117.
2/12/2025 – (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)