Legislative Liaison
Legislative Liaison
ACTION ALERT ! ! !
Please contact your Representatives today in support of HB 272!
House Bill 272 is expected to receive a vote on the House floor on Monday, March 1, 2021. We need all KRWA members to contact their state representatives TODAY!
House Bill 272, which would create a new section of KRS Chapter 278 to allow water districts and water associations to charge a late payment fee of 10% of the amount billed. This is a long-standing business practice for most businesses and utilities that is being specifically eliminated as an option in recent orders issued by the Kentucky Public Service Commission. Nearly all districts and associations (98%) have late payment penalties in their tariffs now. This bill, if it becomes law, would prohibit PSC from modifying, rejecting, or suspending late payment charges established by tariff.
HB 272 also creates a new section of KRS Chapter 39A to prohibit departments or officers of state government during a declared emergency from issuing any order that conflicts with the classification by the United States Department of Homeland Security of employees of utilities and other entities subject to KRS Chapters 58, 65, 74, 76, 96, 220, 278, or 279 as essential or critical infrastructure workers; prohibit any current or future order issued by any department or officer of state government during a declared emergency from remaining in or taking effect that would prohibit or impair a municipal utility from terminating service for a customer's non-payment of a utility bill or assessing or collecting penalties for non-payment.
Important LRC Contact Information
The state maintains a comprehensive Legislative website. From this site, you can view all bills and resolutions, contact legislators, by email and check on legislative committee schedules and calendars.
The Kentucky General Assembly also maintains several toll-free phone numbers for citizens to offer feedback or opinions. The Legislative Message Line is (800) 372-7181. The Bill Status Line is (866) 840-2835.
Coming issues of e-Liaison will contain summary information for bills that we are tracking with details on the most recent activity for each bill. We will continue to highlight timely legislative news that is important to our members in each weekly issue. If you would like to suggest that we add a bill to the e-Liaison for tracking purposes, please contact KRWA.
HB32 EARNED PAID SICK LEAVE (STEVENSON, CHERLYNN)
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 337 to require employers to provide earned paid sick leave to employees; provide that employees earn paid sick leave upon the date of hire and can use the leave after being employed for 90 days; set forth allowable uses of earned paid sick time.
CURRENT STATUS: 1/5/2021 - Introduced (Pre-Filed)
HB55 PREVAILING WAGE FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS (GENTRY, ALAN)
Establish new sections of KRS Chapter 337 to create a prevailing wage law for all public works projects; amend KRS 12.020, 99.480, 227.487, 336.015, 337.010, and 337.990 to conform.
CURRENT STATUS: 1/5/2021 - Introduced (Pre-Filed)
HB107 RIGHT TO A CLEAN AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT (RAYMOND, JOSIE)
Propose to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky establishing a right of the people to have a clean and healthy environment with the preservation of the natural, scenic and cultural values of the environment, and for the Commonwealth to serve as the trustee for the conservation and maintenance of the environment and its natural resources for the benefit of all people; ballot language provided; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.
CURRENT STATUS: 1/5/2021 - Introduced (Pre-Filed)
HB124 SEWER CHARGES IMPOSED BY SANITATION DISTRICTS (FISCHER, JOSEPH M.)
Amend KRS 220.510 to prohibit a sanitation district from imposing any fee, tax, surcharge, or other charge for the provision of service to a property unless the property is connected to a sanitary sewer owned or maintained by the sanitation district, there is an approved plan to connect the property to a sanitary sewer owned or maintained by the sanitation district within five years, the property discharges storm water to a storm sewer or storm water improvement owned or operated by the sanitation district, the sanitation district's storm sewer controls storm water that flows to the property, or the person responsible for the charge has contracted with the sanitation district to provide the service; amend KRS 220.515 to conform; allow the Act to be cited as the "Ensuring Fair Sewer Charges Act."
CURRENT STATUS: 1/5/2021 - Introduced (Pre-Filed)
HB127 UTILITY RATES (HATTON, ANGIE)
Amend KRS 278.030 to include rate affordability when determining fair, just and reasonable utility rates; allow the Public Service Commission to review the affordability of a utility's rate if the utility has not requested a rate adjustment in five years; allow the commission to order a rate increase to prevent significant increases in a single period; require fair, just and reasonable rates to balance the intrests of the utility, its investors, and the ratepayer.
CURRENT STATUS: 1/5/2021 - Introduced (Pre-Filed)
HB159 WATER FLUORIDATION PROGRAMS (HART, MARK)
Amend KRS 211.190 to allow local government entities and special districts to void implementation of the water fluoridation programs administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services by legislative action.
CURRENT STATUS: 1/5/2021 - Introduced
HB192 EXECUTIVE BRANCH BUDGET (PETRIE, JASON)
The State/Executive Branch Budget: Detail Part I, Operating Budget; appropriate to General Government: 2020-2021.
CURRENT STATUS: 1/13/2021 - Conference Committee Appointed in House Rep. Petrie (Chair), Rep. Osborne, Rep. Meade, Rep. Miles, Rep. Rudy, Rep. McCoy, Rep. Jenkins, Rep. Graham, Rep. Hatton, Rep. Reed.
HB207 UTILITY SERVICE (GOOCH JR., JIM)
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 65 to prohibit a local government entity from taking any legislative or executive action that has the purpose or effect of impairing a consumer's ability to use a utility service that is described in KRS 278.010(3)(a), (b), or (c) and that is provided by a utility regulated by the Public Service Commission under KRS Chapter 278 or is otherwise incorporated under KRS Chapter 279.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/24/2021 - received in Senate
HB238 CITY UTILITY COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP (JOHNSON, DJ)
Amend KRS 96.530 allow city utilities boards to consist of either 3 or 5 members, and to specify the appointment of nonresident utility commission members for utility commissions consisting of three members and five members.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/24/2021 - (H) THIRD READING passed 93-3- with Committee Substitute (1)
HB272 WATER DISTRICTS AND ASSOCIATIONS (BRAY, JOSH)
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 278 to allow a water district formed pursuant to KRS Chapter 74 or a water association formed pursuant to KRS Chapter 273 to charge a late payment charge of 10% of the amount billed; specify that the late payment charge meet certain requirements; prohibit the Public Service Commission from modifying, rejecting, or suspending late payment charges established by tariff.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/24/2021 - Posted for Passage in Regular Orders of the Day; w/ HCS 1 and HCA 1t
HB302 SANITATION DISTRICTS (MEADE, DAVID)
Amend KRS 220.010 to add definitions for "homeowner" "on-site sewage disposal system" and "service waiver"; amend KRS 220.170 to allow a homeowner located in a county served by a sanitation district that has a an on-site sewage disposal system approved by the local board of health to refuse sanitary sewer service and not be charged by the district or denied drinking water service; establishes application, process, and timelines for requesting a service waiver; require the board to update any customer bill of rights to include information about the service waiver; amend KRS 220.250 to make technical correction.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/24/2021 - House Local Government (H), (Bill Scheduled for Hearing)
HB303 UNDERGROUND FACILITY PROTECTION (SANTORO, SAL)
Amend KRS 367.4903 to redefine "operator," "Kentucky Contact Center," "approximate location," and "working day"; define "person," "positive response," "unique identification number" or "locate request number," "locator," "second notice," "tolerance zone," "untonable facility," and "work site contact"; amend KRS 367.4909 to require a positive response from operators of underground facilities; establish the timing of operator responses.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/24/2021 - Posted for Passage in Regular Orders of the Day; w/ HFA 1, 2, 3, and 4
HB386 WATER POLLUTION CONTROL (FREELAND, CHRIS)
Create new sections of Subchapter 16 of KRS Chapter 224 to require that mixing zones for bio-accumulative chemicals of concern established on or before September 8, 2004, remain in effect until explicitly extinguished by the Energy and Environment Cabinet; require that any change or extinguishment of mixing zone assignments for bio-accumulative chemicals of concern only be accomplished through the promulgation of administrative regulations; define "rapid and complete mixing"; require the Energy and Environment Cabinet to apply rapid and complete mixing when establishing certain permit limitations and conditions for discharges that occur through a submerged high-rate multi-port diffuser or outfall structure; EMERGENCY.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/24/2021 - received in Senate
HB393 WATER DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS (GOOCH JR., JIM)
Amend KRS 74.020 to allow the Public Service Commission to grant reasonable extensions of time not to exceed six months for water district commissioners to complete their training requirements; amend KRS 74.363 to conform; EMERGENCY.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/25/2021 - House Natural Resources & Energy (H), (Bill Scheduled for Hearing)
HB432 GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY (MADDOX, SAVANNAH)
Amend KRS 39A.280 to delete the restriction on governmental immunity when the governmental agency has insurance.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/23/2021 - (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H)
HB465 ACQUISITION OF ASSETS BY UTILITIES (KOENIG, ADAM)
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 278 to define "asset acquisition price," "accumulated depreciation," "net original cost," and "water or sewer system"; establish the criteria by which the Public Service Commission determines for ratemaking purposes the value of an asset acquired by a utility that is used to provide water or sewer service; allow a utility that has entered into an agreement to acquire water or sewer utility assets to apply to the Public Service Commission for an order declaring the value of the acquired assets for ratemaking purposes.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/10/2021 - Introduced
HB559 PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL (PFAS) CHEMICALS (KULKARNI, NIMA)
Create a new section of subchapter 10 of KRS Chapter 224 to define "PFAS chemicals"; require the Energy and Environment Cabinet on or before January 1, 2022, to promulgate administrative regulations establishing maximum PFAS chemical limits and monitoring requirements for drinking water provided by public and semi-public water systems; require the Energy and Environment Cabinet on or before January 1, 2022, to promulgate administrative regulations establishing maximum PFAS chemical limits and monitoring requirements for discharges into the waters of the Commonwealth; provide that maximum PFAS chemical limits be designed to protect public health and be updated; provide that nothing in the section interferes with the Energy and Environment Cabinet's responsibilities under the federal Water Pollution Control Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act; amend 227.395 to prohibit the use of personal protection equipment for firefighting or firefighting training that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals after January 1, 2022.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/23/2021 - Introduced
HB589 LOCAL PROVISION OF WASTEWATER SERVICE (OSBORNE, DAVID W.)
Amend KRS 96.539 to clarify how refunds are calculated on-line extensions and delete imprecise language.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/23/2021 - Introduced
SB13 PREVAILING WAGE (YATES, DAVID)
Establish new sections of KRS Chapter 337 to create a prevailing wage law for all public works projects; amend KRS 12.020, 99.480, 227.487, 336.015, 337.010, and 337.990 to conform.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/11/2021 - Introduced
SB14 UNDERGROUND FACILITY PROTECTION (GIRDLER, RICK)
Amend KRS 367.4903 to define "positive response," "unique identification number", and "locator"; amend KRS 367.4909 to require operators to update the positive response system documenting the status of marking the approximate location of its underground facilities and to require excavators to give additional time to operators of underground facilities transporting gas or hazardous liquids or transmitting electricity; amend KRS 367.4911 to require excavators that find evidence of an unmarked underground facility to notify the protection notification centers and give the operators 6 hours to identify the facility; provide that if an operator of underground facilities other than one transporting gas or hazardous liquids or transmitting electricity fails to respond to locate requests and to update the positive response system the excavator shall not be liable for damages resulting from the operator's failure to comply with the duties provided in the Underground Facility Damage Prevention Act of 1994; amend KRS 367.4913 to clarify the duties of the protection notification centers and to require the centers to maintain certain information for 5 years and file an annual report with the Governor and the Legislative Research Commission.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/4/2021 - (S) Referred to Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor (S)
SB37 MANDATED IMMUNIZATION (GIRDLER, RICK)
Amend KRS 214.036 to prohibit required immunization of any person by any state agency or instrumentality; create a new section of KRS Chapter 338 to prohibit required immunization of any employee by an employer as defined in KRS 338.015; EMERGENCY.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/2/2021 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Health & Welfare (S)
SB109 WATER FLUORIDATION PROGRAMS (WEST, STEPHEN)
Amend KRS 211.190 to allow local government entities and special districts to void implementation of the water fluoridation programs administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services by legislative action.
CURRENT STATUS: 1/12/2021 - Introduced
SB145 ANNEXATION (NEMES, MICHAEL J.)
Amend KRS 81A.420 to reduce number to 50% for annexation to fail, amend KRS 81A.425 to require notification of relevant county judge/executive and in certain circumstances the secretary of the Transportation Cabinet and affected property owners; amend KRS 81A.427 relating to infrastructure and annexation to include public roads; amend KRS 81A.510 to include property owners, mayors, and county judge/executives affected in standing in court.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/2/2021 - Introduced
SB172 UNDERGROUND FACILITY PROTECTION (HOWELL, JASON)
Amend KRS 367.4911 to include exempted activities in the process of ceasing operations when damage occurs to an underground facility and notification of appropriate authorities; amend KRS 367.4915 to make conforming changes.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/24/2021 - (S) FIRST READING to Regular
SB179 KENTUCKY RIVER AUTHORITY (SOUTHWORTH, ADRIENNE)
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 151 to establish definitions for KRS 151.700 to 151.730, regarding the Kentucky River Authority; amend KRS 151.710 to clarify membership requirements for directors of the Kentucky River Authority.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/22/2021 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S)
SB201 OPEN RECORDS (SOUTHWORTH, ADRIENNE)
Amend KRS 61.880 to allow persons to complain to the Attorney General if the person feels that the intent of the open records law has been subverted by an agency by delaying past the three day time period for answering an open records request, or by excessive extensions of time.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/10/2021 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate State & Local Government (S)
SB284 MINIMUM WAGE FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS (MCGARVEY, MORGAN)
Amend KRS 337.010 to define "essential employee"; amend KRS 337.275 to set a minimum wage for essential employees; EMERGENCY.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/23/2021 - Introduced
SCR64 PUBLIC WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE TASK FORCE (WEBB, ROBIN)
Reestablish the Public Water and Wastewater System Infrastructure Task Force; direct the task force to receive reports from the Energy and Environment Cabinet and continue to evaluate policy options on how to address Kentucky's troubled public water and wastewater systems; name the membership of the task force; require the task force to meet at least three times during the 2021 Interim and to submit its findings, legislative recommendations, or a memorandum to the Legislative Research Commission by November 30, 2021; provide that the Legislative Research Commission is authorized to alternatively assign the issues to be addressed by the task force to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof and to assign an alternative study completion date.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/3/2021 - Introduced
SR85 CONFIRMING THE APPOINTMENT OF KENT ALAN CHANDLER (THAYER, DAMON)
Confirm the appointment of Kent Alan Chandler to the Public Service Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2024.
CURRENT STATUS: 2/22/2021 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S)
Issue 1 | 2021 Session Begins! |
Issue 2 | House Bill 272 Introduced |
Issue 3 | House Bill 272 Scheduled for Hearing |
Issue 4 | House Bill 272 Receives Hearing in Committee |
Issue 5 | Action Alert! |
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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