Rep. Robert Duvall

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 277 to require each railroad company to destroy or remove obstructive vegetation at intersections with public roads or highways; direct the Transportation Cabinet or local government to remove obstructive vegetation if the railroad company fails to do so after receiving written notice from the cabinet or local government; establish procedures for reimbursement by the railroad company for the vegetation removal.

Establish the Health Care Workforce Task Force to identify strategies to increase the number of health care providers while maintaining high quality standards of care; establish task force membership; require the task force to submit a report with recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim Joint Committees on Health Services and Education by December 1, 2026.

Amend KRS 158.6453 to require a school district's advanced coursework plan to include middle school mathematics strategies to enable students to enroll in Algebra I by grade 8.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to establish the Adult Workforce Diploma Pilot Program; define terms; establish the Adult Workforce Diploma Pilot Program fund; establish eligibility criteria for the program; direct the Education and Labor Cabinet to administer the program; provide payments to program providers for students who complete specified milestones; require program result reporting to the Kentucky Board of Education, the Secretary of State, and the Legislative Research Commission; specify a program end date of July 1, 2029.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 199 related to the quality-based graduated early care and education rating system program to establish the intent of the General Assembly related to the program; establish processes and procedures for how the program is changed by administrative regulation; require a program modernization plan and final recommendations for modernization to be created and submitted to the Legislative Research Commission; amend KRS 199.891 to define terms; create new requirements for how the Cabinet for Health and Family Services establishes and operates the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program; delete language related to a previous 1 time requirement for the cabinet to submit recommendations and best practices to the Legislative Research Commission; establish a new January 1, 2028 submission deadline for the cabinet to make publicly available a standardized application for certification and instructions for the program; establish new requirements for applications by local governments to participate in the program; require an annual report by the Cabinet for Economic Development regarding the program; amend KRS 199.8983 to increase the membership of the Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council; establish that the council shall additionally advise the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on the operations, funding, and licensing of child-care microcenters; create new sections of KRS Chapter 199 to define terms; establish licensure for child-care microcenters; establish the Kentucky Child-Care Microcenter Program to regulate the standards and operations of child-care microcenters; establish early care and education training requirements for licensed child-care providers and certified family child-care home providers; establish that the Education and Labor Cabinet shall compile, produce, and make publicly available a monthly report providing a comprehensive snapshot of all licensed and certified child care services, Head Start services, child care services regulated by the United States Department of Defense, and state-funded public preschool services operating within the Commonwealth; establish a voluntary designation process through which any licensed or certified child-care provider may identify as a faith-based program; require the Office of State Budget Director to produce a comprehensive annual report outlining all state and federal spending on child care and early childhood education services and submit it annually to the Legislative Research Commission; establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall submit an approval request to the federal Administration for Children and Families to utilize a cost estimation model to inform payment rates beginning with the fiscal year 2028-2030 Child Care and Development Fund state plan; amend KRS 199.882 to change the definitions of "contribution" and "state match" and define "third-party administrator"; amend KRS 199.883 to establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall enter into a contract with a private third-party administrator to administer the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program and establish duties and requirements of the third-party administrator; amend KRS 199.885 to establish the third-party administrator is responsible for issuing state fund matches out of the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership fund; amend KRS 199.886 and 199.887 to specify how employers and employees interact directly with the third-party administrator instead of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Direct the Auditor of Public Accounts to commission a study of applicable statutes, administrative regulations, and agency policies and processes that directly impact opening and operating licensed and certified child care services in the Commonwealth; require the Auditor to procure a vendor to conduct the study; report findings and recommendations of the study to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2027, for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children.

Amend KRS 304.9-020 to modify the definition of "apprentice adjuster," "negotiate," and "public adjuster"; amend KRS 304.9-430 to prohibit the issuing of a public adjuster license on or after the effective date of the Act; amend KRS 304.9-432 to prohibit issuing an apprentice adjuster license to a person that is supervised by a public adjuster; prohibit temporary or apprentice adjuster licensees from taking an examination for, or being issued, a public adjuster license; amend KRS 304.9-433 to prohibit a public adjuster from providing services until the required rescission period has concluded; establish information to be included in contracts between a public adjuster and an insured; require a public adjuster to provide a physical copy of the contract to the insured and insurer; modify the required rescission period for contracts between a public adjuster and an insured; provide that contracts in violation of KRS Chapter 304 are not enforceable; amend KRS 304.9-4331 to prohibit a public adjuster from being affiliated with an entity or person that obtains business in connection with a claim, utilizing a contractor, another form of business, or other person to solicit or obtain contract signatures; prohibit a public adjuster from negotiating with an insurer on behalf of an insured; amend KRS 304.9-4332 to require a public adjuster to provide insured with a receipt of deposit within 3 business days; amend KRS 304.9-4333 to modify fees that may be charged by a public adjuster; amend KRS 304.9-440 to require the commissioner to take certain regulatory actions against an adjuster or apprentice licensee under certain conditions; amend KRS 304.9-436 and 304.9-295 to conform; make conforming and technical amendments throughout; direct that certain sections apply to contracts entered on or after the effective date of the Act.

Amend KRS 205.6412 to require the Department for Medicaid Services to seek authorization from the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement a state-directed payment for physician and nonphysician professional services provided to a Medicaid beneficiary by a qualifying hospital's affiliated physician groups or physicians and other professionals employed or contracted by the qualified hospital; require the Department of Medicaid Services to direct Medicaid managed care organizations to issue payments back to January 1, 2026, upon federal approval; RETROACTIVE.

Create new sections of KRS 304.17A-600 to 304.17A-633 to define terms; prohibit insurers of health benefit plans from requiring prior authorization for a health care service for which the provider has an exemption; require insurers of health benefit plans to establish a program under which participating providers may qualify for exemptions from prior authorization; establish mandatory and permitted provisions of an insurer's prior authorization exemption program; establish requirements for sending forms and notices; require the commissioner of the Department of Insurance to submit an annual report relating to prior authorization, provide a detailed briefing upon request, and promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 304.17A-605 to conform; amend KRS 304.17A-611 to prohibit conducting a retrospective review that is based solely on a participating provider having a prior authorization exemption; provide that certain utilization review time frames do not apply to retrospective reviews conducted for the purposes of determining eligibility for a prior authorization exemption; create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the commissioner of the Department for Medicaid Services to submit an annual report relating to prior authorization, provide a detailed briefing upon request, and promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 205.536 to conform; apply the provisions to contracts delivered, entered, renewed, extended, or amended on or after January 1, 2028; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2028.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 154.12 to establish the Kentucky Talent Recruitment Grant Program under the Cabinet for Economic Development; define terms; establish the duties of the cabinet in implementation of the program subject to approval of the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority; establish eligible grant applicants' duties and program reporting requirements; establish the Kentucky Talent Recruitment Grant Program fund; APPROPRIATION; EMERGENCY.