Legislative Liaison
Legislative Liaison
House Bill 272 Goes to the Senate!
House Bill 272 won approval in the House on Monday and is now headed to the Senate! The legislation has been assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee and may receive a hearing in committee as soon as tomorrow, Friday, March 5.
Call Your Senator Today in Support of HB 272!
Representative Josh Bray is the lead sponsor for 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 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.
The PSC has recently started abolishing Late Payment Fees for every regulated utility that has a rate case pending. This practice started with the Hyden-Leslie Water District (Case No. 2020-141, dated November 6, 2020) and has been applied in each case since.
Late Payment Fees are:
- an effective management tool to ensure prompt payments
- universally accepted by businesses (including utilities)
- promoted and approved by PSC for over 50 years
Fundamental Fairness
Customers who pay their bills on time should not have to bear the cost for customers who don’t pay their bills on time!
- Utilities incur real costs in collecting late payments (extra mailings, phone calls, collection agencies, cut-off expenses)
- PSC is shifting the cost caused by late payers to all customers
- User rates will increase for all customers by abolishing Late Payment Fees
Please contact your Senator today!
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; designate how notice of need to use sick time is provided by employees; amend KRS 337.990 to establish penalty for employers that fail to follow paid sick leave requirements.
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 interests 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)
House Committee Substitute (1) The State/Executive Branch Budget: Detail Part I, Operating Budget; appropriate to General Government: 2019-2020; APPROPRIATION.
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)
House Floor Amendment (1) Delete original provisions; prohibit any executive, administrative, or legislative action that has the purpose or effect of prohibiting or otherwise limiting in any way, based upon the energy source, a consumer's ability to use a utility service described in KRS 278.010(3)(a), (b), or (c) that is provided by a utility regulated by the Public Service Commission under KRS Chapter 278 or that is otherwise incorporated under KRS Chapter 279; provide that nothing in the section shall prohibit or alter the powers of the Public Service Commission or the ability of a local government to act in any other lawful way; define "local government."
CURRENT STATUS: 3/3/2021 - (S) FIRST READING to Consent
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.
House Committee Substitute (1) Retain original provisions except require that in order for an individual to be appointed who does not live within the city, that individual must be a resident of a county served by the utility, possess qualifications and expertise to the benefit of the utility and city, and not be employed by, serve in a fiduciary or agency capacity with, or does not possess an ownership interest in, a direct supplier or competitor of the city utility.
CURRENT STATUS: 3/3/2021 - (S) FIRST READING to Consent
HB272 UTILITY SERVICES (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.
House Committee Substitute (1) 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, discontinuing, abolishing, or suspending late payment charges; Create 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 65, 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 utility subject to or created under KRS Chapter 96 from terminating service for a customer's non-payment of a utility bill or assessing or collecting penalties for non-payment.
CURRENT STATUS: 3/3/2021 - (S) Returned to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S)
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: 3/3/2021 - 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; amend KRS 367.4911 to provide excavator start dates, to include entities engaged in exempt activities to notify operators immediately upon discovery of damage to an underground facility, and to provide when mechanized equipment can be used in the tolerance zone; amend KRS 367.4913 to require contact centers to maintain certain locate request information for five years and to change the composition of the Kentucky Contact Center board of directors; amend KRS 369.4915 to require entities engaging in exempt activities to cease activity and notify an operator when an underground facility is damaged and to exempt certain noninvasive inspection and maintenance excavating for an existing utility pole; amend KRS 367.4917 to impose penalties on the employer if the violation is committed in the scope of employment and to provide that the Public Service Commission shall establish a written agreement form to deviate from the locate request dates provided for in the Underground Facility Damage Prevention Act of 1994; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2022.
House Floor Amendment (2) Add a definition for "fiber-to-the-premises"; add a fiber-to-the-premises broadband deployment excavation locate request that requires underground facility operators to respond to within four working days.
House Floor Amendment (5) Amend to provide that an entity or individual otherwise exempt from the requirements of KRS 367.4901 to 367.4917 under Section 5 of this Act, who conducts an excavation that results in the escape or suspected escape of any flammable, toxic, or corrosive gas or liquid shall cease excavation and notify affected operators.
CURRENT STATUS: 3/3/2021 - (S) FIRST READING to Regular
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: 3/3/2021 - (S) FIRST READING to Regular
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: 3/3/2021 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S)
HB432 GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY (MADDOX, SAVANNAH)
Amend KRS 39A.280 to delete the restriction on governmental immunity when the governmental agency has insurance.
CURRENT STATUS: 3/1/2021 - (H) posted in 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; allow the acquiring utility to seek an order declaring the value of the acquired water or sewer utility assets as part of its first application for a change in base rates following the acquisition of the assets.
CURRENT STATUS: 3/4/2021 - House Natural Resources & Energy (H), (Bill Scheduled for Hearing)
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.
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
HR82 RAISING AWARENESS OF PFAS SUBSTANCES (BRATCHER, KEVIN D.)
Resolution identifying the risk of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and urging the United States Environmental Protection Agency to set limitations for PFAS exposure.
CURRENT STATUS: 3/1/2021 - 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.”
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: 3/3/2021 - received in House
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: 3/3/2021 - (S) FIRST READING to Regular
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: 3/3/2021 - (S) THIRD READING, passed 37-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
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: 2/25/2021 - (S) Referred to Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor (S)
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! |
Issue 6 | House Bill 272 Goes to the Senate! |
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.
KY Legislature |
US Congress |
Senate |
Senate |
House of Representatives |
House of Representatives |
Contact by Phone I Contact by email I Legislative Calendar I Live Streaming Video