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SB 185 Kentucky Senate · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT relating to Kentucky State University and declaring an emergency.

SB 185 requires all branches of Kentucky government (executive, legislative, judicial) to include supporting budget documents when preparing their budget recommendations for the General Assembly. The bill amends Kentucky Revised Statute 48.030 to mandate that branches provide these supporting materials alongside their budget statements and estimates. This change applies to the budget preparation process before submissions to the legislature, ensuring more detailed documentation accompanies each branch's financial requests. The bill is currently in the Senate Committee on Committees following its introduction on February 11, 2026.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates detailed budget documentation for all branches, enhancing transparency and fiscal responsibility in budget preparation per statutory amendment.85% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 11, 2026 Signed Apr 13, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Current/Final · 7 edits
MODERATE
The bill was completely rewritten to shift from general budget procedures to specific financial restrictions for Kentucky State University. It declares a five-year state of financial exigency, requiring the university to obtain approval for any spending over $20,000 and submit monthly financial reports to the Council on Postsecondary Education. Additionally, the university must close non-essential programs to limit its academic offerings to ten areas and faces a ban on entering into new contracts with organizations that have public-private lease agreements with the university.
Scope change
The bill's scope changed from applying to all branches of government to applying exclusively to Kentucky State University.
DEFINITION

The university is explicitly defined as Kentucky's only public Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and a four-year residential polytechnic institution.

TIMELINE

A five-year state of financial exigency is declared, lasting until the university's finances are stable or a specific date, whichever comes first.

REQUIREMENT

The university must obtain prior approval from the Council on Postsecondary Education for any obligation or expenditure of $20,000 or more.

The university is required to provide monthly financial reports to the Council and consult with them on major financial matters.

The university must close programs to limit its academic offerings to no more than ten areas of study by the 2026-2027 academic year.

ENFORCEMENT

Any contract entered into with an organization that has a public-private lease agreement with the university is declared null and void.

The university president is granted authority to terminate tenured employees with 30 days' notice during the financial exigency period.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 1, 2026

How they voted

43–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 44
Apr 1, 2026
D Democratic6
6 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican38
37 Yea 1
97% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
39
Key actions
13
Committee
11
Amendments
3
Apr 13, 2026
Signed into law
signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 120)
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
passed 37-0
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred in Committee Substitute (1)
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
posted for passage for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1)
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Committee
to Rules (S)
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
3rd reading, passed 90-1 with Committee Substitute (1)
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Introduced
floor amendment (14) filed to Committee Substitute
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1)
upper
Mar 31, 2026
Introduced
floor amendments (1), (2-title), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12) and (13) filed
upper
Mar 26, 2026
Committee
to Appropriations & Revenue (H)
lower
Mar 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
returned to Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Mar 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
taken from Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Mar 26, 2026
Committee
to Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Mar 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
upper
Mar 25, 2026
Introduced
floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
upper
Mar 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day
upper
Mar 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Committee
to Appropriations & Revenue (S)
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Committee
to Committee on Committees (S)
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Introduced
introduced in Senate
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.