HB 619 Kentucky House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT relating to public postsecondary education.

Summary
Amend KRS 164.321 to increase the membership of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) board of regents to a total of 17; reduce the terms of membership on a board of regents to 4 years; reduce the number of members allowed to reside in 1 county to 1 member; specify that the nonteaching member of a board of regents shall not be an employee who supervises more than 2 employees or reports directly to the president; specify that a member of a board of regents may be removed if the member does not attend 3 consecutive regularly scheduled meetings and the president requests the member's removal; amend KRS 164.350 to authorize the board of the KCTCS review the president's biennial budget and the budget planning and implementation processes; amend KRS164.365 to make technical corrections; amend KRS 164.580 to distinguish the responsibilities of the president of the KCTCS; create a new section of KRS Chapter 164 to require the president of the KCTCS to employ a chief financial officer and to specify the responsibilities of the chief financial officer; amend KRS 164.583 to make technical corrections; amend KRS 164.591 to require the president of the KCTCS to present a plan for review by the board of regents when considering the reduction, expansion, or creation of colleges, campuses, or programs, allow the president to conditionally implement the plan upon approval of the Council on Postsecondary Education; require KCTCS to submit a report to the appropriate committees of the General Assembly regarding the plan; require final approval of the plan by the General Assembly; require the KCTCS to submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the appropriate committees regarding the properties utilized by the KCTCS; amend KRS 164.600 to define "campus" and "chancellor"; create a board of advisors for the KCTCS made up of the chancellor of each college of the system and others as appointed by the president; specify the responsibilities of the chancellor of each college; amend other sections of KRS Chapter 164 to conform; repeal KRS 164.586, 164.587, 164.594, 164.602, and 164.5833; provide for staggering of initial appointments.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 11, 2026 Signed Apr 14, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Current/Final · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill significantly restructured the governance of Kentucky's public universities and the Community and Technical College System. It replaced the previous single unified board model with separate governing boards for each institution, reduced the number of regents for most universities from eight to eight (unchanged count but different composition) and the Community and Technical College System from seventeen to eight, and introduced new requirements for political party representation and minority racial composition on these boards.
Scope change
The bill's scope changed from a single governing body overseeing multiple institutions to distinct, smaller boards for each university and the college system, altering how members are selected and how many serve on each board.
REQUIREMENT

Changed the composition of university boards from a single unified list to specific lists for each institution, reducing the Community and Technical College System board from 17 members to 8 members.

Added new requirements that board appointments must reflect proportional representation of the two leading political parties and the minority racial composition of the Commonwealth.

Adjusted term lengths for Community and Technical College System regents to a staggered schedule ranging from one to six years, differing from the previous uniform four-year terms.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified eligibility criteria to allow one graduate of the respective institution to reside outside the Commonwealth and added residency limits to ensure no more than two appointed members live in the same county.

Floor votes · House Mar 11, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
61
Key actions
24
Committee
20
Amendments
1
Apr 14, 2026
Upper · Passed
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
upper
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 32-6
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Committee
to Rules (S)
upper
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 80-15
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Vetoed
veto overridden
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Vetoed
posted for consideration of Governor's veto
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Committee
to Rules (H)
lower
Apr 13, 2026
Vetoed
Vetoed
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 83-0
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
Free Conference Committee report adopted in House
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 37-0
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Free Conference Committee report adopted in Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Free Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Free Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee report adopted in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee report (1) filed in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for receding from Senate Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Committee
to Rules (S)
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Committee
to Rules (H)
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Introduced
floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day
lower
Mar 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Committee
to Education (S)
upper
Mar 12, 2026
Committee
to Committee on Committees (S)
upper
Mar 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
3rd reading, passed 93-1 with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 10, 2026
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Committee
to Postsecondary Education (H)
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Committee
to Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Introduced
introduced in House
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.