Amend KRS 150.022 to disqualify a person who has been convicted of a violation of any state or federal hunting or fishing regulation from serving on the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission (commission); establish additional qualifications to serve on the commission; require that each appointee file an affidavit with the Secretary of State setting forth how the appointee meets the qualifications and requirements to serve on the commission; require that legislation confirming the appointment of a member of the commission be referred, reviewed, and reported by the standing committee of jurisdiction; require annual executive branch ethics training for each member of the commission; add definition for "sportswoman"; amend KRS 150.061 to provide additional qualifications for the commissioner of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources; require that the commissioner be confirmed by the Senate; require for the commission to conduct national searches to fill vacancies for commissioner after the effective date of the Act; EMERGENCY.
Support the availability of termed and perpetual conservation easements as an important tool designed to promote conservation practices on private lands.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 139 to annually transfer 80% of the sales and use taxes, interest, and penalties collected during the preceding fiscal year from sporting goods retailers from the general fund to the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation fund.
SB 277 corrects technical language in Kentucky law (KRS 350.240) regarding regulations for reclaiming land disturbed by clay mining. It clarifies that the Energy and Environment Cabinet can create administrative regulations for clay mining reclamation - specifically encouraging water impoundments - while aligning with the Interstate Mining Compact's standards. The bill directly affects the Cabinet (which develops regulations) and clay mining operations (which must follow the regulations). This is a technical correction to existing law, not a new policy change.
Establish the Circular Economy and Advanced Recovery Advisory Working Group attached to the Energy and Environment Cabinet until December 30, 2026, to study circular energy economy applications for the Commonwealth; direct the Governor to make appointments no later than 30 days after the effective date of the Resolution; authorize a minimum of 4 meetings of the working group; require the working group to submit a report, including findings and recommendations, to the Legislative Research Commission by December 30, 2026.
SB 297 amends Kentucky law to establish procedures for coordinating with neighboring states on underground carbon dioxide storage. It requires Kentucky's cabinet secretary to negotiate agreements with border states covering three key areas: treating accidental CO₂ migration across state lines as non-trespass, creating compensation mechanisms for incidents, and enabling cross-state reservoir development when geologically beneficial. The bill mandates annual reports to the Governor and specific legislative committees on these discussions. This legislation directly affects Kentucky's natural resources cabinet, bordering states, and entities involved in carbon storage projects. (Note: This is a procedural bill focused on inter-state coordination, not a new policy.)
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to establish a nonrefundable income tax credit for alternative jet fuel producers; require the Department of Revenue, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and the Energy and Environment Cabinet, to promulgate administrative regulations; require the department to report on the credit to the Legislative Research Commission; amend KRS 141.0205 to order the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow the Department of Revenue to report on the credit.
Amend KRS 382.850 to require a condemnor in an eminent domain action involving property subject to a conservation easement to provide a written report to the court justifying the condemnation due to lack of feasible alternative locations; allow the court to dismiss the condemnation action if the lack of alternative locations is not demonstrated; amend KRS 262.850 to require a condemnor in an eminent domain action involving property located in an agricultural district to provide a written report to the court justifying the condemnation due to lack of feasible alternative locations; allow the court to dismiss the condemnation action if the lack of alternative locations is not demonstrated; amend KRS 416.550 prohibit a condemnor from engaging in false, intimidating, or misleading negotiation tactics; allow a property owner of potentially condemned property to obtain an independent appraisal within 60 days of an initial offer for purchase; reduce the independent appraisal period to 30 days if the property owner refuses the initial offer for purchase; prohibit the filing of a condemnation action within the independent appraisal period; establish a penalty of dismissal of the condemnation action, payment of attorney's fees, and a bar on future condemnation actions for violations; amend KRS 416.560 to specify requirements for contents of notice of entry to owners of property; establish penalty for failure to give notice; require condemnor to give notice of a material change to the project; require condemnor to use only current data for surveys; provide a copy of a survey to the property owner within 15 days of completion; allow the property owner to petition a local legislative body for a public meeting regarding the proposed taking; amend KRS 416.610 to require the condemnor to take measures to ensure access to property during on-site work on a project where only a portion of the property has been condemned; amend KRS 416.660 to include preexisting improvements on property and the value of agricultural improvements in the determination of fair market value of condemned property; amend KRS 416.570, 416.600, 416.630, 416.640, and 416.650 to conform; EMERGENCY.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 278 to define terms; require the Public Service Commission to adopt rules and policies to prioritize securing affordable, reliable, and clean energy by prioritizing domestic fuel sources, prohibiting the use of critical materials sources or manufactured by a foreign adversary nation, giving preference to infrastructure and components built in the Commonwealth and the United States, and ensuring sufficient clean energy sources that are dispatchable and minimize disruptions; EFFECTIVE November 1, 2026.
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 353 to establish the purposes of the Act; define terms; require and specify the types of permits before constructing or operating a carbon dioxide facility; exempt enhanced oil or gas recovery under KRS 353.592; require any oil, natural gas or coalbed methane well converted to a carbon dioxide sequestration well to be governed by this Act; set forth the requirements and process to obtain a Class VI underground injection control permit; require permit fees to be put in the carbon dioxide sequestration facility administrative fund; set forth a process for commercially valuable minerals; designate the consent of owners of pore space for a administratively complete application; specify when the Energy and Environment Cabinet can begin technical review of the application; require financial responsibility sufficient to cover specific activities and cabinet review of financial responsibility annually; provide that the cabinet's determination is considered final; allow for the adjustment of financial responsibility based on adjustments in cost estimates; list the type of financial instruments which can be used as qualifying financial responsibility instruments; authorize the cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations for financial responsibility; identify reasons why the cabinet would deny an application for a permit; authorize the cabinet to restore applicant eligibility for permit under specific grounds and circumstances; require cabinet approval for a transfer of a permit and allow obligations and rights to pass to the new transferee; require periodic review of permits; prescribe the notice and comment requirements for a Class VI permit; delineate the cabinet's actions for applications that are complete and incomplete; prohibit the approval or transfer of a permit to an operator for conditions specified and allow eligibility after an applicant, operator, or control person takes certain remedial actions; establish requirements to maintain the integrity of carbon sequestration wells and notification of affected parties when activities occur on the well site; provide mechanism of redress for parties that are not in agreement over activities on the well site; specify the requirements for plugging and abandoning a Class VI well or monitoring well; authorize the secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet to enter into cooperative agreements; specify the requirements for a completion certificate issued by the Energy and Environment Cabinet after demonstrating compliance for 50 years or another time frame designated by the cabinet along with notice and public hearing; require ownership transferred to the Commonwealth and that both pore and surface owners are held harmless from liability; establish a carbon dioxide sequestration facility administrative fund and specify the moneys to be placed into the fund and the purposes and uses of the fund; establish an application fee to be paid to the carbon dioxide sequestration facility administrative fund and authorize the cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations for a fee schedule; establish a carbon dioxide sequestration facility trust fund and specify the purposes and use of moneys in the fund; require sequestration operators to pay a fee on each ton of carbon dioxide sequestered and have the fees remitted to the carbon dioxide sequestration facility trust fund; require the cabinet to prepare an annual report on the Class VI underground injection control permit and the carbon dioxide sequestration facility trust fund; state that the report is due December 31 of each year beginning with the receipt of the first application for an underground injection control permit; require the Energy and Environment Cabinet to certify the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered by each permittee and allow amounts sequestered to be used for a carbon dioxide credits, allowances, trading, emissions allocations, or offsets; prohibit the altering of legal rights or relationships of several mineral estates and pore space owners in common law; specify methods for nonconsenting owners; allow for the cabinet to make a determination on missing or nonconsenting pore space owners for a sequestration facility and notice for a pooling order; require the applicant to pay the cost of administrative hearing with a pooling order; establish notice for a pooling order and the compensation of owners; establish requirements for seismic survey of lands; require operator to deposit funds for unknown or missing pore space owners and allow funds to be moved to the carbon dioxide sequestration facility trust fund after 7 years; create a severability clause; establish violations and penalties; require notice and service for violations and establish courts with jurisdiction and a requirement for a stay of notice and administrative hearing; authorize the cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations to develop regulatory program for the administration of the underground injection control program; repeal KRS 353.800, 353.802, 353.804, 353.806, 353.808, 353.810, and 353.812, relating to geologic storage of carbon dioxide.
