Rep. Bill Wesley

Maddy summaryHB 164, known as Braylon's Law, allows Kentucky courts to finalize adoptions after a child's death during placement in the adoptive home. It applies to pending adoption cases where the child dies while living with the petitioner, requiring the court to review a guardian's report, hold a hearing, and confirm the adoption meets standard legal requirements. The law enables adoptive parents to legally complete the adoption process even after the child's passing, with the same legal effect as a standard adoption. This change directly affects prospective adoptive parents and courts handling ongoing adoption proceedings. The bill was enacted into law on March 15, 2025.

Amend KRS 40.315 to expand interment eligibility in Kentucky state veterans' cemeteries to include eligible National Guard and Reserve service members and their families; EMERGENCY.

Urge the United States Congress and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to assist with the prevention and mitigation of flood damage in Kentucky.

Amend KRS 211.190 to make water fluoridation programs optional; allow the governing bodies of water systems subject to regulation by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to decide whether they participate in water fluoridation programs; provide that a water fluoridation program in place on the effective date of the Act continues until action is taken by its governing body to end its participation; provide that any decision regarding participation in a water fluoridation program made by the governing body of a water system shall be binding on all water systems it supplies.

Amend KRS 278.264 to prohibit the Public Service Commission from authorizing any decommissioning surcharge or recovery of any retirement or stranded asset costs through rates for a utility that has received approval from the commission to retire a fossil fuel-fired electric generating unit in which the utility has any undepreciated investment.

Amend KRS 186.020 to allow members of the National Guard or Reserves that are stationed or assigned to a base or location outside the boundaries of the United States, to renew their registration within 30 days of his or her return; allow an individual serving in the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard, or Reserves to renew their motor vehicle registration up to 280 days prior to its expiration if the person will be outside the boundaries of the Commonwealth when the current motor vehicle registration expires; require the applicant to provide military orders documenting the need for early vehicle registration; amend KRS 186.416 to allow an individual serving in the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard, or Reserves or their spouse to renew their operator's license up to 280 days prior to its expiration if the person will be outside the boundaries of the Commonwealth when the operator's license expires; require the applicant to provide military orders documenting the need for early operator's license renewal; allows a resident of the National Guard or Reserves that has been stationed or assigned to a base or other location outside the boundaries of the Commonwealth to renew his or her operator's license within 90 days of returning to the Commonwealth.

Maddy summaryHB 629 prohibits health facilities and providers in Kentucky from refusing to provide health services to a person solely because they have not received a specific vaccine. The bill directly affects unvaccinated patients seeking care and healthcare providers who must comply with this requirement. Key provisions require compliance under KRS Chapter 216, explicitly stating that vaccination status cannot be the sole reason for denying services. This policy change aims to ensure equal access to care regardless of individual vaccination choices.

Amend KRS 214.452 to add receipt of a COVID -19 vaccine to the blood donor risk factor statement collected by a blood establishment; amend KRS 214.458 to add donor receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine to the donor identification information affixed to a unit of donated blood; add that except in an emergency, a patient be informed if the donor of the blood to be transfused had received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 139 to exempt religious institutions from sales and use tax; amend KRS 139.200 and 139.495 to conform; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 161 to require school districts and public charter schools to employ a chaplain or accept a chaplain as a volunteer; set eligibility for employed and volunteer chaplains; require that employed and volunteer chaplains submit background checks; amend KRS 160.380 to include a volunteer chaplain as an adult who is required to have a background check; provide that the Act may be cited as the Teachers and School Chaplains Act.