Tourism and Outdoor Recreation

SB 19 designates the indigo milk cap mushroom as Kentucky's official state mushroom. The bill creates a new section in Kentucky law to formally name and recognize this specific mushroom species. It does not impose any new regulations, taxes, or requirements on residents, businesses, or state agencies. This is a symbolic designation affecting only Kentucky's official state symbols, with no direct impact on policy or daily life. The bill was introduced to the Senate in January 2026 and referred to the Committee on Committees.

Amend KRS 15.519 to make game wardens employed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources subject to the same requirements for entering or accessing private open land as other law enforcement officers; amend KRS 150.090 to conform; amend KRS 235.310 to make boating enforcement officers employed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources subject to the same requirements for entering or accessing private open land as other law enforcement officers.

HB 743 updates existing provisions in Kentucky law regarding district boards of directors that oversee outdoor recreation planning. It clarifies how these boards organize advisory committees, requires them to include open space and recreation in development plans, and specifies formal cooperation with two regional recreation authorities (Kentucky Mountain Regional and Kentucky Ohio River Regional). The bill makes technical changes to the current legal framework but does not create new programs or funding, directly affecting local district boards and their planning processes.

HB 742 amends Kentucky law to replace gendered language (like "his or her") with gender-neutral terms in descriptions of park ranger employment under the Department of Parks. This change directly affects how the Department of Parks refers to park rangers in official statutes, ensuring inclusive language in job-related policies. The bill updates KRS 148.056 to remove gendered pronouns while keeping all existing duties, powers, and requirements for park rangers unchanged. The bill is currently in committee review and has not yet become law.

Amend KRS 142.406 to require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to establish criteria to administer a regional marketing and matching funds program; require the program to provide financial and marketing assistance for projects that directly support the promotion and marketing efforts of a tourism attraction event or geographic area; establish 9 tourism regions in the state; require a tourism regional committee to be established within each tourism region; set requirements for the appointment of members to the tourism regional committee; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to establish terms and operating policies of the tourism regional committees; require at least 25% of the moneys available in the tourism, meeting, and convention marketing fund to be divided equally among the tourism regions for the payment of eligible expenses; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to work in partnership with the tourism regional committees to use the money provided to the tourism regions; require at least 10% of the moneys in the tourism, meeting, and convention marketing fund to be dedicated to the regional marketing and matching funds program; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to implement initial strategic plans for marketing and promoting tourism in each tourism region; mandate reporting to the Legislative Research Commission by the secretary of the cabinet; create a new section of KRS Chapter 148 to mandate reporting by the commissioner of the Department of State Parks to the Legislative Research Commission on state park occupancy rates; EMERGENCY.