Legislative Liaison
Legislative Liaison
Kentucky General Assembly Enters Veto Recess After Flurry of Activity
Week 12 of the 2026 Legislative Session
The 2026 Kentucky General Assembly has finally arrived at the Veto Recess. For the last 58 legislative days, lawmakers have worked to complete as much work as possible, anticipating that Democratic Governor Andy Beshear will stroke the veto pen on more than a few bills. For the next 10 days (not including Sundays), the Governor will review the 75 bills the General Assembly sent to him over the last two days. Then, when the General Assembly returns on April 14th and 15th, they’ll likely override most, if not all, of those vetoes. The legislature will pass a few last-minute bills on those final two working days, but that legislation may not be overridden if the Governor decides to veto them.
Members entered Wednesday without resolution on a bevy of big-ticket items, and most were not settled until shortly before adjournment at nearly 12:30 early Thursday morning. Those items included Medicaid reform (HB2), gaming reform (HB904), the state budget (HB500), a one-time spending bill (HB900) and the tax/revenue bill (HB757).
Legislative Highlights
One Time Spending Bill – HB 900 appropriates $1.7 billion out of the state’s “rainy day” account to fund more than 300 small, medium and large-sized projects across the state. These are one-time allocations for capital projects, largely addressing water and wastewater infrastructure needs across the Commonwealth (approximately $339 million) but also include an additional $230 million over the next two years for construction-ready road projects. Of note, $90 million was included for the KY WWATERS program over the next two years.
PSC Modernization- SB 8 (Sen. Smith) was one of the last major bills to cross the finish line late Wednesday night when the House finally took action. As originally proposed by the Senate, it would have expanded the PSC from three to five members but move it to the Auditors office to make appointments and fund the agency. The Senate version also included controversial language on who could intervene in PSC cases and expanded the power of electric utilities to build new transmission lines without traditional oversight. The enacted version keeps the expanded 5-person Commission with the Governor’s appointments, but mandates that no more than three be of the same political party. It also includes new professional qualifications for Commissioners and gives the agency more flexibility in hiring and spending than typical state agencies. Provisions that were loaded into the bill by a House committee last week regarding interlocal agreements for municipal gas utilities were dropped from the final version, since they were included in HB757 (revenue), as were the controversial intervenor and transmission line provisions.
In a twist on the last day, HB757 also increases the assessment paid by all utilities to fund the Public Service Commission. Historically, the assessment, which is ultimately paid by utility customers, was capped at 2.0 “mills” (0.2% of intrastate receipts), though the Commission has historically kept that number lower. The language of HB757 increases that amount to a fixed 0.23% (2.3 mills), increasing the assessment on all utilities to, in part, help fund the expansion of the PSC.
Eminent Domain- HB 542 (Rep. Dossett). After sitting in the Consent Orders for more than a week, HB542 cleared the Senate on Tuesday. The bill makes changes to the process for condemnation of agricultural lands by requiring greater consideration of alternatives, while preserving the condemnation powers of cities, counties and utilities. The bill requires consideration of previously made improvements to the land when calculating the value, and requires a public meeting, if requested, when local governments propose to exercise eminent domain powers.
2026 Session – By the Numbers
Last 48 hours – 75 Bills Delivered to Governor
Through 58 legislative days – 177 total Bills Have Been Delivered to the Governor
4 bills have been vetoed, all have been overridden
2 bills became law without the Governor’s Signature
From February 18 to March 20 – Only 8 bills were delivered to the Governor
From March 24 to April 2 – 169 bills were delivered to Governor
We will continue our close watch on SJR 75 and all other bills during the last days of the 2026 Legislative Session!!
Stay Connected
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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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HB8 |
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: |
3/16/2026 - (H) Returned to Committee House Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H) |
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HB35 |
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY (BANTA K) AN ACT relating to scholarship eligibility for proprietary schools. |
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Current Status: |
1/13/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Primary and Secondary Education (H) |
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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: |
3/26/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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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: |
3/9/2026 - received in Senate |
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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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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: |
4/1/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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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: |
3/26/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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HB432 |
LOCAL PURCHASING (NEIGHBORS A) AN ACT relating to local purchasing. |
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Current Status: |
3/9/2026 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate State & Local Government (S) |
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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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HB498 |
ADULT WORKFORCE DIPLOMA PILOT PROGRAM (DUVALL R) AN ACT establishing the Adult Workforce Diploma Pilot Program. |
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Current Status: |
3/26/2026 - (H) recommitted to committee House Rules (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: |
4/1/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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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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HB542 |
EMINENT DOMAIN (DOSSETT M) AN ACT relating to eminent domain and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
4/1/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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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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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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HB593 |
DATA CENTERS (BRAY J) AN ACT relating to data centers. |
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Current Status: |
3/31/2026 - (S) Returned to Committee Senate Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor (S) |
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HB614 |
REVENUE (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to revenue. |
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Current Status: |
3/20/2026 - (H) Returned to Committee House Appropriations & Revenue (H) |
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HB651 |
PUBLIC WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS (BRAY J) AN ACT relating to public water and wastewater systems and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
4/1/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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HB693 |
EXTENSION OF MUNICIPAL UTILITY SERVICE (DOSSETT M) AN ACT relating to the extension of municipal utility service. |
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Current Status: |
3/2/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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HB757 |
REVENUE MEASURES (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to revenue measures and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
4/2/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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HB763 |
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (MCCOOL B) AN ACT relating to workforce development, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/5/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (H) |
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HB844 |
INTERLOCAL GAS UTILITIES (BRAY J) AN ACT relating to municipal interlocal gas utilities. |
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Current Status: |
3/25/2026 - (H) Returned to Committee House Appropriations & Revenue (H) |
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HB876 |
SMART METERS (MASSARONI C) AN ACT relating to smart meters. |
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Current Status: |
3/11/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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HB878 |
ABOLISHMENT OF EMINENT DOMAIN (ROBERTS T) AN ACT relating to the abolishment of eminent domain. |
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Current Status: |
3/11/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H) |
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HB888 |
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS (BRAY J) AN ACT relating to collective bargaining agreements and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/25/2026 - (H) Returned to Committee House Appropriations & Revenue (H) |
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HB892 |
STATE PROCUREMENT (WHITE R) AN ACT relating to state procurement. |
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Current Status: |
3/11/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House State Government (H) |
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HB897 |
INVESTOR-OWNED WATER UTILITIES (BOWLING A) AN ACT relating to investor-owned water utilities. |
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Current Status: |
3/11/2026 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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HB900 |
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to government agencies, making an appropriation therefore, and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
4/1/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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HR84 |
EAST KENTUCKY DISASTER RELIEF CENTER (TACKETT LAFERTY A) A RESOLUTION encouraging the development and construction of the East Kentucky Disaster Relief Center at Bear Mountain near Pikeville, Kentucky. |
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Current Status: |
2/25/2026 - Introduced |
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SB8 |
PUBLIC UTILITIES (SMITH B) AN ACT relating to public utilities and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
4/2/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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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: |
4/1/2026 - floor amendments (3) and (4) filed to Committee Substitute |
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SB22 |
DUAL CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (HIGDON J) AN ACT relating to the dual credit scholarship program. |
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Current Status: |
4/1/2026 - floor amendment (3) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendments (1) and (2-title) filed to bill |
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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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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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SB133 |
FISCAL REPORTING OF LOCAL ENTITIES (NUNN M) AN ACT relating to the fiscal reporting of local entities. |
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Current Status: |
4/14/2026 - (H) Posted for Passage in Regular Orders of the Day; w/ HFA1 and HFA2(T) |
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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: |
2/19/2026 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; (Acts Ch. 1) |
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SB178 |
ENVIRONMENTAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS (ELKINS G) AN ACT relating to environmental administrative regulations. |
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Current Status: |
3/4/2026 - (S) recommitted to committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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SB192 |
LOCAL ENTITIES (MAYS BLEDSOE A) AN ACT relating to local entities and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/31/2026 - delivered to Governor |
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SB249 |
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (WHEELER P) AN ACT relating to workforce development and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
4/1/2026 - floor amendments (1) and (2-title) filed |
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SB255 |
RURAL REVITALIZATION (MEREDITH S) AN ACT relating to rural revitalization. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2026 - Introduced |
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SB267 |
ENERGY (HOWELL J) AN ACT relating to energy. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2026 - Introduced |
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SB277 |
NATURAL RESOURCES (SMITH B) AN ACT relating to natural resources. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2026 - Introduced |
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SB284 |
NATURAL RESOURCES (SMITH B) AN ACT relating to natural resources. |
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Current Status: |
2/27/2026 - Introduced |
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SB285 |
THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (SMITH B) AN ACT relating to the Public Service Commission. |
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Current Status: |
2/27/2026 - Introduced |
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SB344 |
MERGER OF WATER DISTRICTS (WILLIAMS G) AN ACT relating to the merger of water districts. |
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Current Status: |
3/2/2026 - Introduced |
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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: |
4/14/2026 - (H) Posted for Passage in Regular Orders of the Day |
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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: |
4/14/2026 - (H) Posted for Passage in Regular Orders of the Day; w/ HFA1 |
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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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