Legislative Liaison
Legislative Liaison
Session Nears Midpoint as Key Bills Gain Momentum
Week 6 of the 2026 Legislative Session
The 60-day budget session is rapidly approaching its nominal halfway point. Legislation is moving through committee and out of its originating chamber quickly, but no bill has moved all the way through the process. That may change this week with SB172, which provides relief from seasonal fuel spikes on electric utility bills during extreme weather. Introduced on Monday, it flew through the Senate last week, got its second reading in the House on Friday, and will be heard in a special called committee meeting upon adjournment when they return Tuesday.
After Friday, there are only two Fridays left before the deadlines to file new bills in the Senate (March 2) and the House (March 3). Last week, 56 House bills and 28 Senate bills were introduced, bringing the total to 643 House bills and 194 Senate bills so far this session.
The Kentucky General Assembly will observe Presidents’ Day on Monday and will reconvene on Tuesday at 4pm for Day 28. There has been some speculation about whether the legislature would make up the recent snow day; however, leadership confirmed that no make-up day is planned.
Of particular note: HB 392, AN ACT related to local public agency transactions filed by Rep. Michael Meridith, passed committee on Thursday, received its second reading to Rules on Friday and is on track to be voted on the House Floor this week. HB 392, Amends KRS 45A.345, relating to local procurement, to define "best value" and redefine "evaluated bid price" as "economic efficiency"; Amends KRS 45A.385, relating to small purchase procedures, to increase the small purchase maximum amount to $60,000 from $40,000; index the maximum amount by $10,000 every 5 years beginning in 2030.
Other closely watched Bills: Water Fluoridation (HB 103) Eminent Domain (HB 542) (SB 119), Data Centers (HB 544) (HB 593), and Waters of the Commonwealth (HB 552) saw no action last week.
Stay Connected
- Contact Lawmakers: You can leave messages for your representatives and senators through the Legislative Research Commission’s toll-free line at 800-372-7181 or find your legislator at legislature.ky.gov using the "Find Your Legislator" tool.
- Track Bills and Meetings: Stay updated on legislative proceedings by visiting legislature.ky.gov, watching live at KET.org/Legislature, or accessing archived footage on the LRC YouTube Channel at THIS LINK or KET.org/legislature/archives.
This issue of e-Liaison contains 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.
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HB41 |
PUBLIC NOTICES (LEHMAN M) AN ACT relating to public notices. |
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Current Status: |
1/14/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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HB49 |
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING (CALLAWAY E) AN ACT relating to professional engineering and land surveying scholarships. |
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Current Status: |
2/11/2026 - received in Senate |
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HB60 |
GEOENGINERING (HODGSON J) AN ACT relating to geoengineering. |
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Current Status: |
2/9/2026 - (H) recommitted to committee House Judiciary (H) |
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HB83 |
OPEN MEETINGS (ROBERTS T) AN ACT relating to open meetings. |
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Current Status: |
1/14/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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HB85 |
SANITATION DISTRICTS (ROBERTS T) AN ACT relating to sanitation districts. |
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Current Status: |
1/14/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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HB103 |
WATER FLUORIDATION PROGRAMS (HART M) AN ACT relating to water fluoridation programs. |
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Current Status: |
2/6/2026 - received in Senate |
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HB108 |
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (RAYMER R) AN ACT relating to solid waste management. |
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Current Status: |
1/29/2026 - (H) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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HB196 |
PFAS SUBSTANCES (KULKARNI N) AN ACT relating to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. |
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Current Status: |
1/14/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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HB238 |
APPRENTICESHIP TAX CREDIT (KULKARNI N) AN ACT relating to an apprenticeship tax credit. |
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Current Status: |
1/15/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Appropriations & Revenue (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB292 |
SPECIAL PURPOSE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES (THOMAS W) AN ACT relating to special purpose governmental entities. |
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Current Status: |
1/20/2026 - (H) WITHDRAWN |
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HB313 |
CITY FRANCHISES (BIVENS R) AN ACT relating to city franchises. |
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Current Status: |
2/12/2026 - received in Senate |
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HB344 |
LOCAL GOVERNMENT (MOORE A) AN ACT relating to local government. |
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Current Status: |
1/21/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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HB377 |
UTILITY DISCONNECTION PROTECTIONS (WITTEN S) AN ACT relating to utility disconnection protections. |
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Current Status: |
1/22/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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HB392 |
PUBLIC AGENCY TRANSACTIONS (MEREDITH M) AN ACT relating to local public agency transactions. |
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Current Status: |
2/13/2026 - (H) SECOND READING, to Rules |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB432 |
LOCAL PURCHASING (NEIGHBORS A) AN ACT relating to local purchasing. |
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Current Status: |
2/12/2026 - received in Senate |
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HB472 |
PUBLIC CONTRACTS (FLANNERY P) AN ACT relating to public contracts. |
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Current Status: |
1/30/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H) |
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HB494 |
ADMINSTRATIVE REGULATIONS (ROBERTS T) AN ACT relating to administrative regulations. |
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Current Status: |
2/3/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) |
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HB500 |
EXECUTIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS (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: |
2/3/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Appropriations & Revenue (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB536 |
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS (BRAY J) AN ACT relating to housing development districts. |
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Current Status: |
2/9/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB542 |
EMINENT DOMAIN (DOSSETT M) AN ACT relating to eminent domain and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
2/10/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB544 |
DATA CENTERS (MOORE A) AN ACT relating to data centers. |
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Current Status: |
2/10/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Small Business & Information Technology (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB551 |
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REALTING TO THE ENVIROMENT (STALKER S) AN ACT proposing to amend Section 1 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to the environment. |
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Current Status: |
2/10/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H) |
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HB552 |
ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION (STALKER S) AN ACT relating to environmental protection. |
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Current Status: |
2/10/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB593 |
DATA CENTERS (BRAY J) AN ACT relating to data centers. |
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Current Status: |
2/12/2026 - House Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H), (Bill Scheduled for Hearing) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB614 |
REVENUE (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to revenue. |
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Current Status: |
2/10/2026 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB9 |
HOUSING DISTRICTS (MILLS R) AN ACT relating to housing districts. |
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Current Status: |
2/17/2026 - (S) Posted for Passage in Regular Orders of the Day; w/ SCS 1 |
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SB25 |
GEOENGINEERING (RAWLINGS S) AN ACT relating to geoengineering. |
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Current Status: |
1/6/2026 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB55 |
WATER FLOURIDATION PROGRAMS (ELKINS G) AN ACT relating to water fluoridation programs. |
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Current Status: |
1/9/2026 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB119 |
EMINENT DOMAIN (HIGDON J) AN ACT relating to eminent domain. |
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Current Status: |
1/27/2026 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Transportation (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB133 |
FISCAL REPORTING OF LOCAL ENTITIES (NUNN M) AN ACT relating to the fiscal reporting of local entities. |
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Current Status: |
1/28/2026 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB172 |
UTILITY FUEL ADJUSTMENT (WHEELER P) AN ACT relating to utility fuel adjustment and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
2/17/2026 - House Natural Resources & Energy (H), (Bill Scheduled for Hearing) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB178 |
ENVIRONMENTAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS (ELKINS G) AN ACT relating to environmental administrative regulations. |
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Current Status: |
2/10/2026 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB192 |
MUNICIPAL FINANCIAL REPORTING (MAYS BLEDSOE A) AN ACT relating to municipal financial reporting. |
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Current Status: |
2/12/2026 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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SJR62 |
DIVISION OF WATER (MADON S) A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Division of Water to provide recommendations and clear guidance on how local governments can more easily access jurisdictional streams and waterways for cleanup after a flood. |
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Current Status: |
1/27/2026 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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SJR75 |
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (MADON S) A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Public Service Commission to explore measures that would address affordability and the provision of essential utility services and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
2/3/2026 - Introduced |
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State Bill Page: |
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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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