Legislative Liaison
Legislative Liaison
Down to the short rows!
The heat is on. While lawmakers have burned 52 of their 60 legislative days, they will utilize some slack in the calendar to hold behind-closed-doors budget negotiations this week in an effort to find agreement on a budget before the March 28th veto recess. By doing much of that work on nights and weekends, and NOT gaveling in for a session on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, the General Assembly preserves precious days to pass up to hundreds of bills before the veto recess.
Meanwhile, the working relationship between the House and Senate was strained this week as Republican bills were defeated in the opposite chamber’s committees. Couple that with frustration over the slow budget movement, and it has resulted in some temporary gridlock – each chamber is not passing the other chamber’s legislation on the floor, other than major, previously agreed-upon priorities.
The Senate revealed their version of the budget Wednesday morning, just a few hours before voting the same package off the Senate floor later that afternoon. Like the House, the Senate decided to keep one-time, non-recurring appropriations in HB1, and they reserved HB6 for recurring appropriations. Water and Wastewater Infrastructure funding totaling $150+ million remains in both the Senate and House versions.
The budget conference committee is a “free” conference committee, wherein any items may be introduced in the final bill, despite not being included in either the House or Senate versions. The House largely withheld its line-itemed projects, preferring instead to address those in conference.
House Bill 563 Public Water and Wastewater Systems (Bray) passed the House last week by a vote of 93-0, with a beneficial House Floor amendment. It has been received in the Senate and assigned to the Senate Agriculture Committee. HB 563 is expected to be heard on Wednesday at the next Agriculture Committee meeting.
Important LRC Contact Information
Kentuckians have many ways to keep in touch with the legislative process, including the Legislative Record webpage, which allows users to review and track a bill’s progression through the chambers. Citizens can also share their views on issues with lawmakers by calling the General Assembly’s toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181. Citizens with hearing impairments can use the TTY Message Line at (800) 896-0305.
HB1 |
APPROPRIATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to government agencies, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/18/2024 - , (Bill Scheduled for Hearing) |
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HB4 |
AMEND CONSTITUTUION OF KENTUCKY RELATING TO SESSIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (OSBORNE D) AN ACT proposing to amend the Constitution of Kentucky relating to sessions of the General Assembly. |
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Current Status: |
3/12/2024 - (H) Returned to Committee House Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H) |
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HB6 |
EXECUTIVE BRANCH BUDGET (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to appropriations measures providing funding and establishing conditions for the operations, maintenance, support, and functioning of the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its various officers, cabinets, departments, boards, commissions, institutions, subdivisions, agencies, and other state-supported activities. |
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Current Status: |
3/18/2024 - , (Bill Scheduled for Hearing) |
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HB27 |
CONSERVATION DISTRICT AUDITS (FISTER D) AN ACT relating to conservation district audits. |
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Current Status: |
3/14/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture (S) |
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HB40 |
WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS (MCCOOL B) AN ACT relating to water and wastewater systems. |
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Current Status: |
3/15/2024 - received in Senate |
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HB43 |
FIRE PROTECTION (HODGSON J) AN ACT relating to fire protection. |
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Current Status: |
3/15/2024 - (S) Posted for Passage in Consent Orders of the Day for Friday, March 22, 2024 |
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HB46 |
KEES SCHOLARSHIPS (RAWLINGS S) AN ACT relating to KEES scholarships for students attending noncertified schools. |
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Current Status: |
1/2/2024 - Introduced |
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HB54 |
ELECTRICIANS (BRATCHER S) AN ACT relating to electricians. |
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Current Status: |
1/30/2024 - (H) WITHDRAWN |
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HB114 |
EXECUTIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS (GRAHAM D) AN ACT relating to appropriations measures providing funding and establishing conditions for the operations, maintenance, support, and functioning of the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its various officers, cabinets, departments, boards, commissions, institutions, subdivisions, agencies, and other state-supported activities. |
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Current Status: |
1/3/2024 - Introduced |
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HB116 |
PFAS SUBSTANCES (KULKARNI N) AN ACT relating to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. |
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Current Status: |
3/6/2024 - (H) Referred to Committee House Health Services (H) |
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HB128 |
LIVING WAGE (HERRON K) AN ACT relating to a living wage. |
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Current Status: |
1/3/2024 - Introduced |
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HB141 |
WATER FLUORIDATION PROGRAMS (HART M) AN ACT relating to water fluoridation programs. |
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Current Status: |
2/9/2024 - (H) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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HB180 |
PUBLIC UTILITIES (WILLNER L) AN ACT relating to public utilities. |
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Current Status: |
1/8/2024 - Introduced |
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HB262 |
AMENDING 2022-2024 EXECUTIVE BRANCH BUDGET (PETRIE J) AN ACT amending the 2022-2024 State/Executive Branch biennial budget, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/8/2024 - (S) Returned to Committee Senate Appropriations & Revenue (S) |
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HB263 |
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH BUDGET (PETRIE J) AN ACT making appropriations for the operations, maintenance, and support of the Legislative Branch of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. |
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Current Status: |
3/18/2024 - , (Bill Scheduled for Hearing) |
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HB264 |
JUDICIAL BRANCH BUDGET (PETRIE J) AN ACT making appropriations for the operations, maintenance, support, and functioning of the Judicial Branch of the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its various officers, boards, commissions, subdivisions, and other state-supported activities. |
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Current Status: |
3/8/2024 - (S) Returned to Committee Senate Appropriations & Revenue (S) |
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HB324 |
REPORTS SUBMITTED TO INTERIM APPROPRIATIONS AND REVENUE COMMITTEE (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to reports submitted to the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue. |
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Current Status: |
3/1/2024 - received in Senate |
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HB326 |
PUBLIC CONTRACTS (BLANTON J) AN ACT relating to public contracts. |
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Current Status: |
1/22/2024 - Introduced |
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HB351 |
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION (GENTRY A) AN ACT relating to workers’ compensation. |
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Current Status: |
1/23/2024 - Introduced |
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HB352 |
MEDICINAL CANNABIS (GENTRY A) AN ACT relating to qualifying medical conditions for the use of medicinal cannabis. |
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Current Status: |
1/23/2024 - Introduced |
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HB353 |
SMALL CLAIMS (GENTRY A) AN ACT relating to small claims. |
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Current Status: |
2/27/2024 - (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H) |
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HB427 |
SEWER CHARGES (RABOURN F) AN ACT relating to sewer charges imposed by sanitation districts. |
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Current Status: |
1/30/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB442 |
EXEMPTION OF SALES AND USE TAX (TIPTON J) AN ACT relating to an exemption of sales and use tax for certain nonprofits. |
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Current Status: |
1/31/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB508 |
PREVAILING WAGE (CAMUEL A) AN ACT relating to prevailing wage. |
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Current Status: |
2/9/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB509 |
RECORDS AND MEETINGS OF PUBLIC AGENCIES (HODGSON J) AN ACT relating to access to the records and meetings of public agencies. |
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Current Status: |
3/15/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate State & Local Government (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB532 |
SPECIAL PURPOSE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES (LAWRENCE W) AN ACT relating to special purpose government entities. |
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Current Status: |
2/14/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB563 |
PUBLIC WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS (BRAY J) AN ACT relating to public water and wastewater systems, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/14/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB579 |
EMINENT DOMAIN (DOSSETT M) AN ACT relating to eminent domain. |
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Current Status: |
2/16/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB596 |
ANNEXATION (DIXON J) AN ACT relating to annexation. |
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Current Status: |
3/15/2024 - (S) Posted for Passage in Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 22, 2024 |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB607 |
AFFORDABLE AND RELIABLE UTILITY SERVICE (GOOCH JR. J) AN ACT relating to affordable and reliable utility service. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB714 |
KENTUCKY RIVER AUTHORITY (DOTSON R) AN ACT relating to the Kentucky River Authority. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB750 |
PROCUREMENT (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to procurement and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/11/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Appropriations & Revenue (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB773 |
ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION FEE (RAYMER R) AN ACT relating to the environmental remediation fee and making an appropriation therefor. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB777 |
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS (MCPHERSON S) AN ACT relating to government contracts and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/13/2024 - received in Senate |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB795 |
CITY MEETINGS (CHESTER-BURTON B) AN ACT relating to city meetings. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB807 |
ELECTRIC UTILITIES (FLANNERY P) AN ACT relating to electric utilities. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2024 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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HCR38 |
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TASK FORCE (BRAY J) A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION relating to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force to study the impact of artificial intelligence on operation and procurement policies of Kentucky government agencies and consumer protection needed in private and public sectors. |
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Current Status: |
1/25/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HCR79 |
WORKFORCE INNOVATION TASK FORCE (KULKARNI N) A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION relating to the establishment of a Workforce Innovation Task Force to complete a study of current education and workforce development programs and provide recommendations on how to provide effective workforce development programs to facilitate the training and employment of historically untapped workforce populations in the Commonwealth. |
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Current Status: |
3/7/2024 - (H) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB102 |
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS (SCHICKEL J) AN ACT relating to fire protection districts. |
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Current Status: |
2/7/2024 - (S) reassigned to committee Senate State & Local Government (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB120 |
LOBBYING (WILLIAMS G) AN ACT relating to lobbying. |
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Current Status: |
2/2/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Appropriations & Revenue (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB141 |
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS (WHEELER P) AN ACT relating to volunteer firefighters. |
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Current Status: |
1/31/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Appropriations & Revenue (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB174 |
UNDERGROUND FACILITY DAMAGE PREVENTION (CARPENTER J) AN ACT relating to underground facility damage prevention. |
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Current Status: |
3/7/2024 - (H) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB185 |
PREVAILING WAGE (ARMSTRONG C) AN ACT relating to prevailing wage. |
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Current Status: |
2/9/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB220 |
COMBINED MUNICIPAL ELECTRC AND WATER UTLITIES (WILLIAMS G) AN ACT relating to combined municipal electric and water utilities. |
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Current Status: |
3/14/2024 - (S) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB229 |
MUNICIPAL UTILITIES (WILSON M) AN ACT relating to municipal utilities. |
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Current Status: |
3/14/2024 - (H) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB273 |
LOBBYING (TICHENOR L) AN ACT relating to lobbying. |
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Current Status: |
2/28/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate State & Local Government (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB330 |
NATURAL RESOURCES (THAYER D) AN ACT relating to natural resources. |
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Current Status: |
2/29/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB332 |
REVENUE (THAYER D) AN ACT relating to revenue. |
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Current Status: |
2/29/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Appropriations & Revenue (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB333 |
LOCAL GOVERNMENT (THAYER D) AN ACT relating to local government. |
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Current Status: |
2/29/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate State & Local Government (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB379 |
LOBBYING (SOUTHWORTH A) AN ACT relating to lobbying. |
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Current Status: |
3/1/2024 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate State & Local Government (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SJR140 |
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (CARROLL D) A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Public Service Commission to make all staffing, organizational, and administrative preparations necessary to be ready to discharge its regulatory duties relating to applications for the siting and construction of nuclear energy facilities in the Commonwealth. |
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Current Status: |
3/15/2024 - (H) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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State Bill Page: |
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SJR149 |
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT CABINET AND PFAS SUBSTANCES (SMITH B) A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Energy and Environment Cabinet to provide guidance and consultation on best management practices for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to entities that discharge directly or indirectly into Kentucky's waterways. |
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Current Status: |
3/15/2024 - (H) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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State Bill Page: |
Keeping up with the Legislature has never been easier! The state has updated its Legislative website. From this site, you can view all bills and resolutions, contact legislators, by email and check on legislative committee schedules and calendars. You can reach a legislator in person by calling 502-564-8100 (not toll-free).
The toll-free meeting schedule information line is 1-800-633-9650. The toll-free message line is 1-800-372-7181, to leave a message for a legislator or an entire committee. The TTY message line is 1-800-896-0305. En Espanol, el nombre es 1-866-840-6574. The toll-free bill status number is 1-866-840-2835.
Every issue of e-Liaison will contain summary information for each bill that we track with a section that details the most recent activity with the bill. We will continue to highlight timely legislative news that is important to our members in each issue. If you would like to suggest that we add a bill to the e-Liaison for tracking, please contact KRWA. By clicking on the link, you will be taken to the bill summary on the LRC’s website.
The Kentucky legislature convenes in regular session on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January for 60 days in even-numbered years and for 30 days in odd-numbered years. It convenes in special sessions at the call of the governor.
The Kentucky Constitution mandates that a regular session be completed no later than April 15 in even-numbered years and March 30 in odd-numbered years.
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