Rep. Samara Heavrin

Maddy summaryHB 325 amends Kentucky law (KRS 405.020) to replace gendered terms like "father and mother" with gender-neutral language in provisions about parental custody, nurture, and education of children. The bill updates existing custody rules to apply equally to all parents, regardless of gender, without changing the legal responsibilities or custody procedures. It directly affects all Kentucky families with children under 18, particularly those in custody arrangements covered by the statute. The key change is simply revising the wording in the law to be inclusive, while preserving all existing custody mechanisms and definitions, including those for de facto custodians.

Maddy summaryHB 275 amends Kentucky's child custody law (KRS 610.050) to replace gendered terms like "himself/herself" with gender-neutral language. This change updates the statutory text to ensure the law applies equally regardless of gender, without altering any custody procedures or requirements. The bill affects how court orders describe child custody situations in legal documents but does not change existing rules about emergency custody, dependency cases, or mental health provisions. It is a technical correction to the law’s language, not a policy shift. The bill is currently in committee review after its initial introduction.

Maddy summaryHB 274 amends Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 407.440 to replace gendered language ("his or her") with gender-neutral terms in a provision about appeals of child support orders. The bill updates the language used by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services when referring to its secretary or representatives, making the statute more inclusive without changing the underlying process. It directly affects the Cabinet's internal procedures for handling support order appeals but does not alter eligibility, funding, or substantive rights for families. This is a technical correction to modernize statutory language, not a policy change impacting service recipients or court procedures. The bill remains in committee as of February 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1 reduces Kentucky's individual income tax rate from 4% to 3.5% for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. This change directly affects all Kentucky residents who file individual income tax returns. The bill permanently lowers the rate for the specified tax years, with the reduction taking effect after a review process that confirmed fiscal conditions were met. Governor Andy Beshear signed the bill into law on February 6, 2025 (Acts Ch. 1), making it effective for 2026 tax filings.

Maddy summaryHB 118 permits Western Kentucky University (WKU) to offer up to five research doctoral degree programs, including Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs, in fields directly tied to Kentucky's workforce and economic needs. This amendment to Kentucky law (KRS 164.295) specifically overrides a previous restriction that barred comprehensive universities like WKU from granting PhDs, except for limited exceptions. The bill requires WKU to demonstrate alignment with workforce demands and ensure new programs do not reduce funding for existing academic programs at other public universities. The change directly affects WKU's academic offerings and its ability to expand graduate education in targeted disciplines.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to define terms; establish a tax deduction for contributions made to an eligible savings account by a first-time home buyer and allow an exclusion from income for any interest earned from an eligible savings account of a first-time home buyer effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, but before January 1, 2036; require the Department of Revenue to report to the Legislative Research Commission and the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue; amend KRS 141.019 and 131.190 to conform.

Amend KRS 139.495 to exempt purchases and sales of tangible personal property, digital property, or services made by qualifying resident nonprofit educational, charitable, or religious institutions from state sales and use taxes.

Amend KRS 341.370 to prohibit disqualification from benefits for workers unemployed as a result of domestic violence and abuse, dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; create a new section of KRS Chapter 341 to direct the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 341.125 to require the secretary to provide training to personnel who process claims related to domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking and to report to the Legislative Research Commission annually the number of claims paid involving domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; amend KRS 341.360 to conform; amend KRS 341.530 to charge benefits to pooled account for workers displaced from employment through domestic or dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; amend KRS 341.550 to prevent benefit payments from pooled account from impacting an employer's experience rating.

Amend KRS 158.162 to require local boards of education to maintain a portable automated external defibrillator in a public, readily accessible, well-marked location in all school buildings, including elementary school buildings, and at school-sanctioned athletic practices and competitions; require annual report on compliance with portable automated external defibrillator requirements to be submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education.