Sen. Matt Deneen

Urge the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville to explore opportunities to participate in the United States Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy University Program and to extend their curricula to offer courses and degree paths to train the workforce that will construct and operate the next generation of nuclear energy facilities; encourage the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville to collaborate with the United States Department of War to explore possible nuclear energy-related grant funding and research opportunities.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution honors the Kentucky state Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program for its advocacy work on behalf of nursing home and assisted living facility residents. The bill formally recognizes the program's efforts to protect resident rights, investigate complaints, and improve care quality across over 600 facilities serving more than 40,000 people. It directs the Senate Clerk to send a copy of the resolution to Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe for delivery, serving as a commemorative acknowledgment rather than creating new policy requirements.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 65 to define terms; establish the process for a local government to establish a residential infrastructure development district and for dissolution of a district; authorize a local government to issue bonds and other obligations to pay for infrastructure costs within a residential infrastructure development district; authorize a local government to collect special assessments on property within the residential infrastructure development district to pay for infrastructure costs and use special assessment revenue for administrative costs unless restricted; establish that the special assessment constitutes a lien, address lien priority, require delinquent property taxes to be paid prior to a special assessment, and allow for redemption of property sold as a result of delinquent payment of a special assessment; permit local governments to act jointly to establish and maintain a residential infrastructure development district; define terms and allow a local government to establish a housing development district and a Housing Incentive Payment Program; allow a local government to exempt housing developments within a housing development district from planning and zoning following a public hearing; permit other local taxing authorities to participate in a housing development district; allow a local government to accept applications from developers to undertake projects within a housing development district; allow a local government to negotiate with a developer whose application it has accepted regarding rates associated with incentive payments to the developer; establish a means by which a developer shall be paid incentive payments by a local government; require area development districts to provide assistance to a local government in establishing a housing development district; require the Cabinet for Economic Development to promote awareness of the housing development district and incentive program and the Certified Child Care Community Designation program set out in KRS 199.891; require the cabinet to post information including a list of local governments that have established housing development districts and have obtained the certified child care community designation to its website; require local governments that have established housing development districts to provide information to the Department for Local Government regarding the district and utilization of the incentive program; require the Department for Local Government to submit a report to LRC summarizing information received from local governments regarding housing development districts; provide that the Act shall not be construed to prohibit a local government from establishing any other incentive program for housing development.

Encourage the Legislative Research Commission to establish the Fatherhood and Family Engagement Task Force; recommend duties and membership of the task force; encourage the task force to meet at least monthly during the 2026 Interim of the General Assembly and submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2026.

Amend KRS 405.021 to establish a clear and convincing standard of evidence in determining grandparent visitation; establish factors the court may consider in determining the best interests of the child; remove rebuttable presumption standard; amend KRS 620.090 to conform.

Amend KRS 402.020 to prohibit marriage with a person under 18 years of age; exclude from being prohibited and void, marriages entered into in the Commonwealth before the effective date of this Act and marriages entered into in another state or country; amend KRS 402.080 and 402.210 to prohibit the issuance of marriage licenses to persons under 18 years of age; amend KRS 402.030 to conform; repeal KRS 402.205, relating to petitions to courts filed by minors aged 17 years seeking permission to marry.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 61 to prohibit public agencies from denying permits or licenses for reasons not specified by law; implement a 30-day time frame for ruling on applications for a permit or license if no time frame is otherwise specified by law; establish procedures for applications for a permit or license which are not ruled upon during the applicable time frame or are denied; for appeal process.

Direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet's Division of Water to prepare and submit a report to the Legislative Research Commission by December 15, 2026, on recommendations for state and local governments to more easily access public waterways after flooding for debris removal and clean-up.

Amend KRS 190.046 to define "parts," "qualifying repair," "qualifying repair order," "repair order," "warranty," and "warranty work"; establish requirements for dealer performance of warranty work, including time allowances, labor rates, parts markups, and payment procedures and terms.

Amend KRS 164.2807 to provide for the administrative attachment of the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission (EPIC) to the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, and the independent functions of EPIC; require EPIC to maintain separate accounts for all funds appropriated to it; provide the executive director of EPIC with the sole authority to hire staff and retain contractors; allow the commission in its sole discretion to set compensation for its professional employees; allow the commission to conduct its own procurements and perform its own bidding and negotiations under KRS Chapter 45A; limit the membership of the EPIC board to no more than 2 members who reside outside of the Commonwealth; amend the membership of the EPIC executive committee to consist of the EPIC commission board chair, the vice chair, 2 appointees made by the Attorney General, and 1 appointee elected by the membership of the board; require, instead of allow, EPIC to employ an executive director; allow the executive director to have the full authority to act on behalf of EPIC in all matters, with the advice of the commission; specify the termination and compensation adjustment procedures for the executive director; provide that all information, records, and data submitted by utilities and produced by EPIC members and staff shall be confidential and exempt from disclosure under KRS 61.870 to 61.884; establish the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission fund and specify the purposes of the fund; make conforming changes; require the Attorney General to make appointments to the EPIC executive committee on or before August 1, 2026, and terminate the terms of the current appointees for those positions on the effective date of the Act; EMERGENCY.