Rep. George Brown

Amend KRS 61.598, relating to pension spiking and the definition of "bona fide promotion or career advancement," to retroactively exempt pension spiking adjustments that were due to increases in rates of pay authorized or funded by the legislative or administrative body of an employer or mandated in a collective bargaining agreement approved by the legislative body of the employer for members of the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, County Employees Retirement System, or State Police Retirement System who retired on or after July 1, 2022; require the Kentucky Public Pension Authority to review and make necessary adjustments to benefits payable on or after July 1, 2022, to impacted members; RETROACTIVE.

Amend KRS 164.2951 to require the Council on Postsecondary Education to develop, implement, and maintain statewide transfer pathways available between the public postsecondary education institutions in selected baccalaureate programs; require the council to publish on its website a list of the available transfer pathways; require participating postsecondary education institutions to accept transfer credit, earned or accepted at the prior institution within pathways as general education or program-specific general education credit before applying credit as elective; require the council to provide written notification to public postsecondary education institutions and coordinate credit transfer discussions upon receiving notification of an institution seeking to make changes to curricula impacting lower-division courses.

Amend KRS 189.993 to establish enhanced penalties for a violation of KRS 189.505, including increased fines, vehicle impoudment for up to 6 months for the first offense, and vehicle forfeiture for the second or subsequent offense; amend KRS 500.090 to provide that the proceeds from any public auction of a vehicle that has been forfeited for a second or subsequent violation of KRS 189.505 be transferred to the Crime Victims Compensation Board.

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 304.39-020, relating to personal injury protection benefits, to modify requirements for certain medical expenses paid by a reparation obligor; amend KRS 304.39-130 to increase the allowable weekly reimbursement for work loss and other loss; amend KRS 304.39-210 to establish requirements for a reparation obligor paying medical expenses and a person submitting and collecting medical expenses; create a new section of KRS Chapter 15 to provide the Attorney General with concurrent jurisdiction in the investigation and prosecution of offenses under KRS 304.47-020; amend KRS 304.47-020 to conform; create a new section of Subtitle 47 of KRS Chapter 304 to require the insurance commissioner to publish an annual insurance fraud report; direct that certain provisions apply to basic and added reparation benefits issued or renewed on or after the effective date of the Act.

Create new sections of KRS 383.200 to 383.285 to provide for expungement of records in eviction proceedings that are dismissed; prohibit minors from being named in an action for forcible detainer unless the minor is a leaseholder; provide for expungement of a minor's name from an order; amend KRS 383.250 to provide for sealing of records; amend KRS 367.310 to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from maintaining information in their files relating to dismissed eviction actions; provide that the expungement of dismissed eviction actions applies to actions initiated on or after the effective date of the Act.

Create a new section of KRS 324A.010 to 324A.100 to require actions against a certified or licensed real property appraiser to be brought within 1 year; amend various sections of KRS Chapter 324A to change "real estate appraisal" to "real property appraisal"; define "evaluation," "federally related transaction," and "real property-related financial transaction"; replace the Real Estate Appraisers Board with an independent agency to be known as the Real Property Appraisers Board; attach the Real Property Appraisers Board to the Department of Professional Licensing for administrative purposes; change the number of board members from 5 to 7; require 2 board members to be certified residential real property appraisers; require those employed by the board to investigate grievances to have 10 years of experience, hold a credential equal to the credential held by the appraiser under investigation, and have experience in appraising the type of property relevant to the investigation; allow the board to employ persons it deems necessary; allow the board to use hearing officers of the Attorney General's Office; allow the board or its authorized agents to give advice on best practices management; prohibit legal action arising from any advice given by the board or its agents relating to best practices management; prohibit any person not licensed or certified as a real property appraiser from providing any type of appraisal performed by a licensed or certified real property appraiser unless they are exempt; allow a licensed or certified real property appraiser to provide an evaluation; require a certificate or license holder to complete 28 hours of continuing education hours; allow hours completed for 1 USPAP update course to apply toward the continuing education requirement; require complaints to be filed with the board within 1 year after the date of transmittal of the appraisal report; establish a biennial license renewal period; increase initial application and renewal fees from $200 to $400; amend KRS 324B.045 to remove the Real Estate Appraisers Board from the Division of Real Property Boards; amend KRS 133.120 to allow a tax consultant and licensed real estate sales associate to receive compensation to represent a property owner at a conference with the property valuation administrator or in an appeal before the board; amend KRS 154.60-040, 198B.702, 324.085, 324A.035, 324A.050, 324A.088, 324A.100, 324A.150, 324A.152, 324A.158, 324A.162, 324A.164, 324B.030, 350.280, 413.140, 56.806, 56.8175, 56.823, 99.830, and 99.835 to conform.

Amend KRS 15.020 to define "entity of the executive branch"; require the Attorney General, in consultation with the Finance and Administration Cabinet, to review and approve or disapprove any settlement of pending or threatened litigation within 180 days before a gubernatorial inauguration that exceeds $1,000,000; amend KRS 18A.111 to require a 24-month probationary period to any person who at any time in 18 months prior to a gubernatorial inauguration is appointed to a position in the classified service and who held a position that was unclassified under KRS 18A.115; deny that person any preferences in hiring or reemployment; amend KRS 45A.095 to define "executive branch agency"; require any contract executed or renewed through noncompetitive negotiation within 180 days preceding a gubernatorial inauguration be certified as necessary due to an emergency condition by the State Treasurer and secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet; amend KRS 171.530 to require certain records be preserved in the 12 months preceding a gubernatorial inauguration for the Governor-elect and his or her transition team; amend KRS 171.990 to find any person who violates KRS 171.530 be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor; grant the Attorney General concurrent original jurisdiction to enforce.

Amend KRS 116.112 to allow the State Board of Elections to enter into intergovernmental agreements with other governmental agencies to exchange data to assist in investigating violations of election offenses; amend KRS 117.125 to require voting systems and equipment meet or exceed a standard approved by the Election Assistance Commission; amend KRS 117.145 to require that county clerks provide voting equipment with the necessary supplies for write-in votes on the day before any in-person voting occurs; amend KRS 117.265 to change the date a person running for President or Vice President must file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate to the same deadline as the certification of candidates; amend KRS 117.355 to require county boards of elections to deliver signature rosters and precinct results to the State Board of Elections within 10 days after any primary or general election; amend KRS 117.379 to require voting systems meet a previously established Election Assistance Commission standard; amend KRS 117.389 to require county clerks to test automatic tabulating equipment after any petitions for local option elections have been filed; amend KRS 118.015 to change the definition of "political party"; amend KRS 118.125 to require that the notification and declaration be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.129 to allow a contraction as an acceptable form of a candidate's name; amend KRS 118.165 to require that candidates for Commonwealth's Attorney file nomination papers with the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.315 to require that the form of petition be prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.367 to specify that candidates for a special election or election for an unexpired term shall not be required to file a statement-of-candidacy form; require that the statement-of-candidacy form be prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118A.060 to require that the petition for nomination be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 119.015 to remove the term "falsely"; amend KRS 119.165, relating to the penalty of a Class B misdemeanor regarding voters who vote at a regular or special election before being a citizen; make technical corrections; amend KRS 132.017 to require that questions as to whether the property tax rate shall be levied shall be submitted to voters in a common school election not less than 50 days nor more than 60 days from the date the signatures are validated; require the school district holding the election to post bond with the Circuit Court to cover the costs of the election within 5 days after the petition is found to be sufficient; amend KRS 160.210 to prohibit changes in the boundary of any division after June 1 in the year in which a school board member is to be elected; amend various statutes to conform; repeal KRS 118.551, relating to the definition of political party; EMERGENCY.