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Legislative Week in Review: Lawmakers pass and consider legislation during the 2025 Regular Session
February 21, 2025
This week, legislators remained busy by filing and passing legislation, attending committee meetings, and meeting with constituents.
On Tuesday, the House convened at the Old State Capitol, which was completed in 1830 and used until 1910. The Old State Capitol is the third of four capitol buildings in the state and represents an important chapter in Kentucky's history and the history of its General Assembly. While at the Old State Capitol, the House passed HB 313, which would designate June as "Kentucky History Month" in Kentucky. The bill will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Several other pieces of legislation also passed the House and will now move to the Senate for consideration including:
House Bill 15: HB 15 would allow a person who is at least 15-years-old to apply for a driver's instruction permit. Currently, Kentucky law allows individuals aged 16 and older to apply for a driver's instruction permit, which this measure aims to lower to 15. Kentucky's neighboring states allow teens to apply for instruction permits at 15 or 15 (1/2). Additionally, this measure would require that an individual be 16 and have held an instruction permit for 180 days before obtaining an intermediate license. They must then hold their intermediate license for 180 days before applying for an operator's license. Ultimately, this bill would allow an individual to obtain their operator's license six months earlier, at the age of 16 (1/2), instead of 17 as allowed under current law. Additionally, the bill would extend the validity of a driver's instruction permit from three years to four years.
House Bill 44: HB 44, also known as "Landon's Law", would address choking incidents in schools by mandating that if a school acquires an anti-choking device, cafeteria staff and other designated users, such as school nurses, must be trained in its proper use. In addition, it would provide civil immunity to any individual who attempts to administer emergency care using an anti-choking device or performing the Heimlich maneuver. HB 44 applies to both public and private schools across the Commonwealth.
House Bill 45: HB 45 would bring consistency in election laws banning foreign nationals from attempting to influence our elections via donations and political advertising. Foreign nationals are already banned from donating to influence candidate elections, and this law would extend that ban to proposed ballot measures, like the constitutional amendments that were on our November ballot.
House Bill 191: HB 191 would expand interment eligibility in Kentucky state veterans' cemeteries to include eligible National Guard and Reserve service members and their families.
House Bill 263: HB 263 would clarify residency requirements for eligible student-teachers through the Student Teacher Stipend Program administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority. During the 2024 Regular Session, the General Assembly successfully passed HB 377, which established the Student Teacher Stipend Program and Teacher Recruitment Student Loan Forgiveness Pilot Program. The General Assembly enacted these programs to support future educators' journey to the classroom. HB 263 clarifies legislation that focuses on the determination of student residency, the distribution of the funds from the stipend program, and criteria for students conducting their student teaching outside of Kentucky.
Additionally, several bills and resolutions passed out of committee this week and moved to the House Floor including:
House Bill 24: HB 24 would add specificity to the definition of "special purpose governmental entity" to include soil and water conservation services. It would also require an audit of accounts of each soil and water conservation district to take place once every four years unless the soil and water conservation district receives or expends $1 million or more in any year, in which case the soil and water conservation district shall conduct an annual audit.
House Bill 30: HB 30 would exclude from pension spiking provisions any pay increases that are approved or funded by the employer's legislative or administrative body, or required by a collective bargaining agreement approved by the employer's legislative body, for members of the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, County Employees Retirement System, or State Police Retirement System.
House Bill 38: HB 38 would enhance criminal penalties for repeated violations of a protection order. Currently, a violation for a protection order is a Class A misdemeanor. This measure would make the first offense a Class A misdemeanor and the third offense a Class D felony if the offense occurs within five years.
House Bill 46: HB 46 would allow lottery winners of a prize with a gross value of more than $1 million to elect to have their identifying information withheld from the public record for one year unless they choose to waive confidentiality. The measure would also exempt the identifying information of lottery winners winning a prize with a gross value of more than $1 million from the Open Records Act for one year unless confidentiality has been waived.
House Bill 54: HB 54 would allow on-the-job training equivalencies of internship and cooperative placement hours to count toward those hours needed to obtain licensure in a profession regulated by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction, including but not limited to electrician, plumbing, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning licenses. The maximum equivalencies to count toward licensure would be 4,000 hours for electrician licenses, up to two years for plumber licenses, and up to 3,000 hours for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning licenses. The department would be required to establish a reporting system.
House Bill 71: HB 71 would establish the Office of Financial Management within the Kentucky Public Pensions Authority. The Office of Financial Management would contain two divisions: the Division of Accounting and the Division of Investment Operations.
House Bill 132: HB 132 would modify the timeline for home and hospital education services. Currently, schools must wait five days to be compensated for home and hospital instruction. This legislation would allow schools to begin services with compensation from the first day of a student's admission.
House Bill 137: HB 137 relates to air quality monitoring, and would require that only the most current data collection methods approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) be used for air quality monitoring, and specifies that data collected using unapproved methods shall not be admissible in enforcement proceedings.
House Bill 152: HB 152 would require the Department for Medicaid Services to submit a Medicaid preprint to establish a supplemental payment program for public ground ambulance providers.
On Tuesday, the House convened at the Old State Capitol, which was completed in 1830 and used until 1910. The Old State Capitol is the third of four capitol buildings in the state and represents an important chapter in Kentucky's history and the history of its General Assembly. While at the Old State Capitol, the House passed HB 313, which would designate June as "Kentucky History Month" in Kentucky. The bill will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Several other pieces of legislation also passed the House and will now move to the Senate for consideration including:
House Bill 15: HB 15 would allow a person who is at least 15-years-old to apply for a driver's instruction permit. Currently, Kentucky law allows individuals aged 16 and older to apply for a driver's instruction permit, which this measure aims to lower to 15. Kentucky's neighboring states allow teens to apply for instruction permits at 15 or 15 (1/2). Additionally, this measure would require that an individual be 16 and have held an instruction permit for 180 days before obtaining an intermediate license. They must then hold their intermediate license for 180 days before applying for an operator's license. Ultimately, this bill would allow an individual to obtain their operator's license six months earlier, at the age of 16 (1/2), instead of 17 as allowed under current law. Additionally, the bill would extend the validity of a driver's instruction permit from three years to four years.
House Bill 44: HB 44, also known as "Landon's Law", would address choking incidents in schools by mandating that if a school acquires an anti-choking device, cafeteria staff and other designated users, such as school nurses, must be trained in its proper use. In addition, it would provide civil immunity to any individual who attempts to administer emergency care using an anti-choking device or performing the Heimlich maneuver. HB 44 applies to both public and private schools across the Commonwealth.
House Bill 45: HB 45 would bring consistency in election laws banning foreign nationals from attempting to influence our elections via donations and political advertising. Foreign nationals are already banned from donating to influence candidate elections, and this law would extend that ban to proposed ballot measures, like the constitutional amendments that were on our November ballot.
House Bill 191: HB 191 would expand interment eligibility in Kentucky state veterans' cemeteries to include eligible National Guard and Reserve service members and their families.
House Bill 263: HB 263 would clarify residency requirements for eligible student-teachers through the Student Teacher Stipend Program administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority. During the 2024 Regular Session, the General Assembly successfully passed HB 377, which established the Student Teacher Stipend Program and Teacher Recruitment Student Loan Forgiveness Pilot Program. The General Assembly enacted these programs to support future educators' journey to the classroom. HB 263 clarifies legislation that focuses on the determination of student residency, the distribution of the funds from the stipend program, and criteria for students conducting their student teaching outside of Kentucky.
Additionally, several bills and resolutions passed out of committee this week and moved to the House Floor including:
House Bill 24: HB 24 would add specificity to the definition of "special purpose governmental entity" to include soil and water conservation services. It would also require an audit of accounts of each soil and water conservation district to take place once every four years unless the soil and water conservation district receives or expends $1 million or more in any year, in which case the soil and water conservation district shall conduct an annual audit.
House Bill 30: HB 30 would exclude from pension spiking provisions any pay increases that are approved or funded by the employer's legislative or administrative body, or required by a collective bargaining agreement approved by the employer's legislative body, for members of the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, County Employees Retirement System, or State Police Retirement System.
House Bill 38: HB 38 would enhance criminal penalties for repeated violations of a protection order. Currently, a violation for a protection order is a Class A misdemeanor. This measure would make the first offense a Class A misdemeanor and the third offense a Class D felony if the offense occurs within five years.
House Bill 46: HB 46 would allow lottery winners of a prize with a gross value of more than $1 million to elect to have their identifying information withheld from the public record for one year unless they choose to waive confidentiality. The measure would also exempt the identifying information of lottery winners winning a prize with a gross value of more than $1 million from the Open Records Act for one year unless confidentiality has been waived.
House Bill 54: HB 54 would allow on-the-job training equivalencies of internship and cooperative placement hours to count toward those hours needed to obtain licensure in a profession regulated by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction, including but not limited to electrician, plumbing, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning licenses. The maximum equivalencies to count toward licensure would be 4,000 hours for electrician licenses, up to two years for plumber licenses, and up to 3,000 hours for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning licenses. The department would be required to establish a reporting system.
House Bill 71: HB 71 would establish the Office of Financial Management within the Kentucky Public Pensions Authority. The Office of Financial Management would contain two divisions: the Division of Accounting and the Division of Investment Operations.
House Bill 132: HB 132 would modify the timeline for home and hospital education services. Currently, schools must wait five days to be compensated for home and hospital instruction. This legislation would allow schools to begin services with compensation from the first day of a student's admission.
House Bill 137: HB 137 relates to air quality monitoring, and would require that only the most current data collection methods approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) be used for air quality monitoring, and specifies that data collected using unapproved methods shall not be admissible in enforcement proceedings.
House Bill 152: HB 152 would require the Department for Medicaid Services to submit a Medicaid preprint to establish a supplemental payment program for public ground ambulance providers.
House Bill 160: HB 160 would prohibit local governments from adopting or enforcing zoning regulations that treat manufactured homes differently from single-family homes. The measure would only allow regulations of certain architectural features and require the same standards for single-family homes. HB 160 seeks to create a fair and uniform approach to residential zoning and would provide homeowners with greater flexibility while maintaining reasonable standards.
House Bill 161: HB 161 would allow third-party entities to issue driver's license renewals. This measure would require third-party entities wishing to issue driver's license renewals to apply to and receive approval from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. A third-party entity could include AAA offices, insurance offices, or other government agencies that wish to participate and are approved by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
House Bill 164: HB 164, known as Braylon's Law, would allow for families to continue an adoption process in the event of a child's death during their adoption process.
House Bill 182: HB 182 would define state or local government and prohibit a state or local government from using the word "free" in a description of any benefit, product, or service when the word refers to a benefit, product, or service financed with public funds.
House Bill 184: HB 184 would extend the insurance regulatory sandbox program until December 31, 2030 and prolong the Commissioner of Insurance reporting requirements until 2030.
House Bill 193: HB 193 would combine the state's dual credit statutes into a single statute. Students can take eight CTE and four general education dual credit courses throughout their high school careers, which dual credit scholarships would cover.
House Bill 196: HB 196 would reduce the number of emergency medical or mine emergency technicians on shift at active coal mines from two to one for shifts with 10 or fewer employees.
House Bill 206: HB 206 would establish a course of action for a person who was wrongfully convicted of a felony. HB 206 specifies that the claimant would receive $65,000 for each year of imprisonment, $75,000 for each year of imprisonment if the claimant had a death sentence, or $32,500 for each additional year that the claimant served on parole or post incarceration supervision or was required to serve as a sex offender.
House Bill 211: HB 211 would prevent local governments from restricting smoking in cigar bars. This measure would also require that cigar bars provide smoke-free spaces for the delivery of supplies, mail, and other items to the premises by persons other than employees and patrons of the cigar bar.
House Bill 216: HB 216 would allow employees of the Department of Agriculture, except those employed within the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy, to participate in, apply for, or receive funds, awards, or contracts administered by the department's Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy.
House Bill 219: HB 219 would require hospitals that offer emergency services to develop and provide training for emergency department staff on sexual assault emergency response requirements, protocols, and resources.
House Bill 233: HB 233 would enhance consumer protection by preventing harmful practices associated with property and casualty insurance related to real estate goods or service contracts through establishing clear consumer rights and penalties.
House Bill 240: HB 240 would strengthen kindergarten reading proficiency standards by implementing a universal screener for kindergarten students to assess their reading and writing ability at grade level. Students under seven years old after August 1 of each year would remain in kindergarten if they did not make adequate progress the previous year.
House Bill 242: HB 242 would expand executive government transparency by granting researcher institutions access to child welfare data to maintain and monitor the child welfare system.
House Bill 251: HB 251 would transfer oversight authority of teacher education programs from the Council on Postsecondary Education to the Education Professional Standards Board. Currently, CPE provides oversight with collaboration from EPSB. This legislation swaps the roles of the organizations, granting oversight authority to EPSB.
House Bill 261: HB 261 would allow retired certified public accountant (CPAs) to offer certain uncompensated services to the public, including preparing taxes, participating in a government-sponsored business-mentoring program, serving on the board of director for a nonprofit or governmental organization, or serving on a government-appointed advisory board, and require retired CPAs who wish to offer limited services to complete a continuing professional education waiver based on retirement before practicing.
House Bill 262: HB 262 would eliminate limitations on the naming rights of small certified public accounting firms upon the death or retirement of an owner. This measure would allow the name of one or more deceased or retired partner, member, manager, or shareholder, whose name had been included in the firm name to continue to be included in the name of a firm or its successor.
House Bill 272: HB 272 would strengthen support for students with dyslexia or other reading and writing difficulties by requiring school districts to develop a policy on dyslexia. Additionally, the Department of Education would be required to annually review and update the dyslexia toolkit, and teacher education programs would be required to include instruction on dyslexia.
House Bill 303: HB 303 would establish an academic career pathway for military healthcare personnel to transfer their skills to a civilian role by directing KCTCS to develop a structured academic track and an integrated bridge program that recognizes the medical training and experience of military healthcare personnel and the value they can bring into the civilian world. HB 303 would require KCTCS to align military medical education with state licensing requirements, and streamline the transition into a civilian career by allowing service members to apply their current skills towards obtaining licensure in healthcare fields such as nursing, paramedicine, occupational therapy, and more.
House Bill 306: HB 306 would allow an individual to qualify for licensure as a professional engineer if he or she has graduated from a fire protection engineering technology program of four years or more accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
House Joint Resolution 15: HJR 15 would return the granite Ten Commandments monument given to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1971 by the Fraternal Order of Eagles for permanent display on New State Capitol grounds.
House Concurrent Resolution 20: HCR 20 would direct the Legislative Research Commission to study access to sexual assault nurse examiners and would require the report to be submitted to the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services and the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary by December 1, 2025.
As the 2025 Regular Session continues, I encourage you to tune in to committee meetings and floor proceedings live on KET.org and follow @KYHouseGOP on social media to keep track of things happening in Frankfort.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Timmy.Truett@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature's website at legislature.ky.gov.
House Bill 161: HB 161 would allow third-party entities to issue driver's license renewals. This measure would require third-party entities wishing to issue driver's license renewals to apply to and receive approval from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. A third-party entity could include AAA offices, insurance offices, or other government agencies that wish to participate and are approved by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
House Bill 164: HB 164, known as Braylon's Law, would allow for families to continue an adoption process in the event of a child's death during their adoption process.
House Bill 182: HB 182 would define state or local government and prohibit a state or local government from using the word "free" in a description of any benefit, product, or service when the word refers to a benefit, product, or service financed with public funds.
House Bill 184: HB 184 would extend the insurance regulatory sandbox program until December 31, 2030 and prolong the Commissioner of Insurance reporting requirements until 2030.
House Bill 193: HB 193 would combine the state's dual credit statutes into a single statute. Students can take eight CTE and four general education dual credit courses throughout their high school careers, which dual credit scholarships would cover.
House Bill 196: HB 196 would reduce the number of emergency medical or mine emergency technicians on shift at active coal mines from two to one for shifts with 10 or fewer employees.
House Bill 206: HB 206 would establish a course of action for a person who was wrongfully convicted of a felony. HB 206 specifies that the claimant would receive $65,000 for each year of imprisonment, $75,000 for each year of imprisonment if the claimant had a death sentence, or $32,500 for each additional year that the claimant served on parole or post incarceration supervision or was required to serve as a sex offender.
House Bill 211: HB 211 would prevent local governments from restricting smoking in cigar bars. This measure would also require that cigar bars provide smoke-free spaces for the delivery of supplies, mail, and other items to the premises by persons other than employees and patrons of the cigar bar.
House Bill 216: HB 216 would allow employees of the Department of Agriculture, except those employed within the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy, to participate in, apply for, or receive funds, awards, or contracts administered by the department's Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy.
House Bill 219: HB 219 would require hospitals that offer emergency services to develop and provide training for emergency department staff on sexual assault emergency response requirements, protocols, and resources.
House Bill 233: HB 233 would enhance consumer protection by preventing harmful practices associated with property and casualty insurance related to real estate goods or service contracts through establishing clear consumer rights and penalties.
House Bill 240: HB 240 would strengthen kindergarten reading proficiency standards by implementing a universal screener for kindergarten students to assess their reading and writing ability at grade level. Students under seven years old after August 1 of each year would remain in kindergarten if they did not make adequate progress the previous year.
House Bill 242: HB 242 would expand executive government transparency by granting researcher institutions access to child welfare data to maintain and monitor the child welfare system.
House Bill 251: HB 251 would transfer oversight authority of teacher education programs from the Council on Postsecondary Education to the Education Professional Standards Board. Currently, CPE provides oversight with collaboration from EPSB. This legislation swaps the roles of the organizations, granting oversight authority to EPSB.
House Bill 261: HB 261 would allow retired certified public accountant (CPAs) to offer certain uncompensated services to the public, including preparing taxes, participating in a government-sponsored business-mentoring program, serving on the board of director for a nonprofit or governmental organization, or serving on a government-appointed advisory board, and require retired CPAs who wish to offer limited services to complete a continuing professional education waiver based on retirement before practicing.
House Bill 262: HB 262 would eliminate limitations on the naming rights of small certified public accounting firms upon the death or retirement of an owner. This measure would allow the name of one or more deceased or retired partner, member, manager, or shareholder, whose name had been included in the firm name to continue to be included in the name of a firm or its successor.
House Bill 272: HB 272 would strengthen support for students with dyslexia or other reading and writing difficulties by requiring school districts to develop a policy on dyslexia. Additionally, the Department of Education would be required to annually review and update the dyslexia toolkit, and teacher education programs would be required to include instruction on dyslexia.
House Bill 303: HB 303 would establish an academic career pathway for military healthcare personnel to transfer their skills to a civilian role by directing KCTCS to develop a structured academic track and an integrated bridge program that recognizes the medical training and experience of military healthcare personnel and the value they can bring into the civilian world. HB 303 would require KCTCS to align military medical education with state licensing requirements, and streamline the transition into a civilian career by allowing service members to apply their current skills towards obtaining licensure in healthcare fields such as nursing, paramedicine, occupational therapy, and more.
House Bill 306: HB 306 would allow an individual to qualify for licensure as a professional engineer if he or she has graduated from a fire protection engineering technology program of four years or more accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
House Joint Resolution 15: HJR 15 would return the granite Ten Commandments monument given to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1971 by the Fraternal Order of Eagles for permanent display on New State Capitol grounds.
House Concurrent Resolution 20: HCR 20 would direct the Legislative Research Commission to study access to sexual assault nurse examiners and would require the report to be submitted to the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services and the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary by December 1, 2025.
As the 2025 Regular Session continues, I encourage you to tune in to committee meetings and floor proceedings live on KET.org and follow @KYHouseGOP on social media to keep track of things happening in Frankfort.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Timmy.Truett@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature's website at legislature.ky.gov.
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