Rep. Scott Lewis

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 160 to require school districts that elect to provide health care services through a school nurse to bill the school-based Medicaid program for medically necessary services provided to a student enrolled in Medicaid; establish requirements for third-party Medicaid billing vendors contracted by school districts; permit school nurses to receive preventative dental services training from the Department for Public Health; permit the school district to bill the school-based Medicaid program for preventative dental services that are within a school nurse's scope of practice.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to allow school districts to implement a wearable panic alert system; establish system criteria; require the Department of Education to provide a list of approved wearable panic alert systems; require the Center for School Safety to establish the Wearable Panic Alert Grant Program; amend KRS 158.446 to allow the Center for School Safety to distribute wearable panic alert grants using funds appropriated in the biennial budget to support school safety; provide that the Act may be cited as Alyssa's Law.

Maddy summaryHB 685 requires Kentucky's Education Professional Standards Board to issue 5-year teaching certificates to new teachers who pass required assessments. This directly affects new educators and those seeking additional certification in Kentucky public schools, as it mandates successful completion of field-specific tests before receiving a professional certificate. Key provisions include: (1) a 5-year professional certificate after passing assessments, (2) conditional certificates for one year if assessments are failed (with mentoring support), and (3) temporary certificates for out-of-state teachers with less than two years' experience. The bill standardizes certification timelines and assessment requirements without altering existing fee structures or minority recruitment data collection.

Amend KRS 157.220 to require the Kentucky Department of Education to promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with the maximum class sizes and caseloads specified for exceptional children and youth; make technical corrections; amend KRS 157.200 to define "caseload" and "special classes"; amend KRS 157.230, 157.3175, and 159.990 to conform.

Amend KRS 158.307 to define "dysgraphia"; require the department to annually update the dyslexia toolkit; require the toolkit to include guidance on dysgraphia and strategies and other resources to be used for students displaying dyslexia and dysgraphia; require universal screeners and diagnostic tools be approved by the department; require each district to use evidence-based instructional strategies to provide intervention services; require school districts to report data to the department; amend KRS 164.304 to require postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs include instruction on the application and implementation of a multitiered system of supports by the 2027-2028 school year.

Amend KRS 160.210 to require a county school district having reached an end-of-year enrollment of 25,000 or more students to add 2 board members appointed by the Auditor of Public Accounts; require the appointed members to reside in the district, hold bachelor's degrees, and have at least 5 years of finance experience; specify that appointed members shall not serve more than 2 consecutive terms; amend KRS 156.132 to authorize the commissioner of education to remove an appointed local board member for malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, or gross neglect of duty; amend KRS 160.160, 160.170, 160.180, and 160.190 to conform; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2027

Amend KRS 42.740 to reduce the number of candidates submitted by the Kentucky League of Cities and Kentucky Association of Counties from 6 persons to 3 persons for consideration of the Governor to be appointed to the Geographic Information Advisory Council.

Create a new section of KRS 311 to adopt the Athletic Trainer Compact; declare the intent and purpose of the compact; define terms; establish conditions under which an individual may practice in a remote state; authorize a home state to impose adverse action against an individual's license issued by the home state; authorize a member state's licensing authority to issue subpoenas for hearings and investigations as well as cease and desist orders to restrict, suspend, or revoke an individual's privilege to practice in the state; establish the Athletic Trainer Compact Commission; provide immunity from suit and liability for members, officers, executive director, employees, and representatives of the commission who act in accordance with the provisions of the compact; require the commission to develop and maintain a coordinated database and reporting system containing licensure, disciplinary action, and significant investigatory information on all licensed individuals participating in the compact; authorize the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of state government to enforce the provisions of the compact; establish rulemaking procedures; authorize the commission to attempt to resolve disputes related to the compact that arise among member states and between member and nonmember states; require provisions of the compact to become effective on the date the compact is enacted into law by the seventh compact state; establish withdrawal guidelines for a member state that wishes to withdraw from the compact; provide for severability for any provision in the compact that is contrary to the constitution of any member state or of the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 17 to define terms; require the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet to establish and maintain a domestic violence offender registry; limit the registry to persistent domestic violence offenders; require registrants to pay a $150 registration fee.

Maddy summaryHB 720 amends Kentucky law to replace gendered terms like "his or her" with gender-neutral language in a provision about teacher computer purchases. The bill directly affects certified teachers in Kentucky by updating the wording of an existing program (not creating a new one) that allows the Kentucky Board of Education to help teachers buy computers through bulk purchasing and training. Key provisions are limited to revising the statutory language to be inclusive, with no new funding, requirements, or program changes. This is a procedural update to ensure the law uses modern, non-discriminatory language.