Amend KRS 186.162, relating to special license plates, to establish that a portion of the initial and renewal fee for a Kentucky National Guard plate is dedicated to the National Guard Association of Kentucky.
Create a new section of KRS 16.505 to 16.652 to change the retirement benefits for members participating in the State Police Retirement System (SPRS) or in a hazardous position in either the Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) or County Employees Retirement System (CERS) who are hired after January 1, 2014, but before January 1, 2027, so that, in lieu of continued participation in the hybrid cash balance plan (Tier 3 benefits), these members receive the benefits provided to members in a hazardous position who began participating immediately prior to January 1, 2014 (Tier 2 benefits); for those eligible hazardous employees, create a presumption that service credit in a hazardous position earned after January 1, 2014, is service credit earned immediately prior to January 1, 2014; for eligible hazardous members transitioning to Tier 2, require that accumulated contributions in the hybrid cash balance plan remain in the memberâs account, but any employer credit be transferred to the retirement allowance account; allow a member in a hazardous position subject to a change from Tier 3 to Tier 2 benefits to make a one-time election to opt out of the change of benefits within 30 days; establish exclusions; amend KRS 16.576, 16.577, 16.578, 16.582, 61.546, 61.552, 61.597, 61.615, 78.5512, 78.5514, 78.5524, 78.5528, and 78.616 to grant to members in a hazardous position who begin participating after January 1, 2027, or whose participation is presumed under Section 1 of this Act to begin immediately prior to January 1, 2014, the same benefits provided to members whose participation began immediately prior to January 1, 2014 (Tier 2 benefits), including death and disability benefits, benefit factors and service credit that includes service credit for unused sick leave, and eligibility for early retirement and service purchases; make technical corrections; amend KRS 16.583 and 78.5516 to limit the hybrid cash balance plan (Tier 3 benefits) only to members participating in SPRS or in hazardous positions in KERS or CERS who make an election to opt out of Tier 2 benefits under Section 1 of this Act or who make an election, prior to the effective date of the Act, under KRS 61.5955; amend KRS 61.5955 to provide that only a member in a nonhazardous position who began participating in KERS or CERS as a Tier 2 member may elect to receive Tier 3 benefits in the hybrid cash balance plan in lieu of Tier 2 benefits; amend KRS 16.505, 61.510, and 78.510 to amend definitions of various terms to conform and make technical changes; amend KRS 16.560, 61.575, and 78.640 to allow interest credited on the accounts of members participating in SPRS or in a hazardous position in KERS or CERS to be adjusted to conform; amend KRS 61.592 and 78.5520 to exempt only hazardous members who opt out of receiving Tier 2 benefits from eligibility for an employer payment to convert nonhazardous service to hazardous service; amend KRS 61.680 to require that a member who is eligible under Section 1 of this Act and who has nonhazardous service credit as a Tier 3 member of either KERS or CERS to have his or her nonhazardous and hazardous service consolidated to determine eligibility and benefits; amend KRS 78.545 to add Section 1 of this Act as one of the provisions that shall be administered for the CERS in the same manner as for the KERS.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to define terms; establish a nonrefundable income tax credit for an employer that hires an eligible employee who holds a certificate of employability; provide that the credit is equal to the amount of wages paid to the eligible employee subject to certain limitations; amend KRS 141.0205 to order the credit; amend KRS 131.190 to allow the Department of Revenue to report on the credit.
Maddy summaryHB 650 designates Shawn E. Okpebholo's orchestral suite "A Mighty Long Way" as Kentucky's official state musical composition. This procedural bill directly affects Kentucky by adding a new symbolic designation to the state's cultural heritage, following existing designations like the state song and state bluegrass song. The composition, commissioned for Lexington's 250th anniversary, uses four movements to reflect Kentucky's history, equestrian legacy, bourbon culture, racial legacy, and future aspirations. The bill requires no funding or implementation changes, solely establishing this official status through legislative action.
Amend KRS 158.070 to permit a local board of education to amend its school calendar by adding time to the school day to reach the required 1,062 hours of instructional time; for the 2025-2026 school year, allow local school districts to make up days missed by adding instructional time to student attendance days; notwithstand the requirement for the student instructional year to have 170 student attendance days; allow waiver of up to 5 student attendance days if a school district is unable to provide the required 1,062 hours of instruction by June 10, 2026; require a local board of education seeking to revise its calendar to submit a plan for approval to the Department of Education; allow instructional time made up and days waived to count as employee contracted days; provide that districts that used 10 or fewer nontraditional instruction days and choose not to use any waived days shall have the district's average daily attendance calculated by deducting 5 low attendance days in addition to the 5 days deducted under KRS 157.320(2); EFFECTIVE, in part, July 1, 2026; EMERGENCY.
Maddy summaryHB 615 amends Kentucky election laws to standardize the processing of mail-in absentee ballots. It requires county election boards to begin processing these ballots at 8 a.m. on election day (not extending voting hours as incorrectly noted in the abstract), with specific rules for signature verification, envelope handling, and ballot security. The bill mandates that counties provide lists of voters who returned mail-in ballots, allow candidate and media observation during processing, and secure ballot boxes with dual locks held by members of different political parties. These changes directly affect county election boards and county clerks managing mail-in ballot procedures.
Maddy summaryHB 595 removes the time limit for victims to file civil lawsuits related to childhood sexual assault or abuse in Kentucky. It directly affects victims (defined as those under 18 at the time of the abuse) and entities like schools or organizations that failed in their duty of care, allowing them to sue at any time regardless of when the abuse occurred. Key provisions include: civil lawsuits for injury or illness from such abuse are no longer subject to a statute of limitations, court records must be sealed immediately upon filing, and claims barred before March 2021 may be revived if filed within five years. The bill applies retroactively to revive expired cases.
Create a new section of KRS 17.500 to 17.580, relating to the sex offender registry, to define "costume" and "Halloween-related activity"; prohibit sex offenders who have committed a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor from participating in any Halloween-related activity; establish penalties.
Amend KRS 189A.010 to create enhanced penalties for a person under the age of 21 who operates a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more; amend KRS 189A.070 to create enhanced periods of license suspenion for a person under the age of 21 who operates a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more; amend KRS 189A.340 to conform.
Maddy summaryHB 579 eliminates Kentucky's one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits, meaning eligible workers can receive payments starting immediately after filing a claim. The bill amends Kentucky Revised Statute 341.350 to remove the requirement that claimants serve a waiting week before benefits begin, directly affecting unemployed Kentuckians filing for benefits. All other eligibility requirements - including work search activities, job registration, and base-period wage standards - remain unchanged. This change simplifies access to benefits without altering existing policy conditions.
