LegislativeActionToolkitHeader2

MONITORING

MonitoringSummarySponsorBackground Information
SB1Sets out legislative findings and determinations specific to Jefferson County Public Schools and repeals and reenacts statutes governing the duties and authority of superintendents and local boards of education.D. Givens, S. West
SB2Conditions eligibility for Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) funds on districts limiting superintendent and administrator percentage pay increases to no more than the average percentage increase provided to classroom teachers; makes conforming amendments.J. Adams
SB3Establishes timelines and procedures for school district budget adoption, requires districts to maintain a minimum 2% budget reserve, and mandates creation and maintenance of a district financial disclosure website with published budgets, reports, and financial information, with conforming statutory changes.L. TichenorLetter of Support
SB4Establishes a principal leadership development practicum administered by the Kentucky Department of Education, defines key terms, sets required components and timelines beginning in the 2027–2028 school year, allows practicum hours to substitute for certain instructional leadership requirements, updates principal certification statutes, removes outdated references, authorizes administrative regulations, and requires KDE to submit an implementation plan report by November 1, 2026.Letter of Support
SB 6Appropriates $150 million from the General Fund to the endowed research fund for FY 2026-2027; declared an emergency.R. Stivers
SB22Expands the dual credit scholarship program to include eligible registered teacher apprenticeship programs, defining student and program eligibility and participation requirements.J. Higdon, S. West, L. TichenorLetter of Support
SB 152Amends multiple statutes to restructure school-based decision making by shifting authority from school-based decision-making councils to principals and advisory councils, while increasing local board oversight. The bill defines “school-based policy,” requires principals to submit regular reports to local boards, clarifies superintendent authority to select principals, and sets notice requirements for advisory council elections. It also requires most school-based policies to be reviewed and approved by local boards (with limited exceptions), allows large county districts to delegate certain approvals, permits local boards to adopt human sexuality curricula, and makes conforming changes across numerous education statutes.A. Reed, S. West, D. Givens, S. Meredith, L. Tichenor, G. WilliamsLetter of Opposition
HB 6Modernizes Kentucky’s early care and education system by updating the quality rating framework, strengthening oversight and transparency, and expanding child care supply. The bill sets clear processes for updating the quality-based rating system, requires a statewide modernization plan, and enhances reporting and legislative oversight. It establishes licensure and regulation for child-care microcenters, updates training requirements for providers, expands the role of the Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council, and creates new data and fiscal reporting requirements. The bill also restructures administration of the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program by moving it to a private third-party administrator and updates payment rate planning for future federal child care funds.S. Heavrin, R. Duvall, R. Bivens, J. Branscum, S. Bratcher, M. Clines, S. Dietz, K. Jackson, DJ Johnson, S. Lewis, S. McPherson, D. Meade , A. Neighbors, J. Nemes, D. Osborne, J. Payne, M. Pollock, W. Williams, S. WittenLetter of Support
HB190Establish square footage requirements for child-care centersDJ Johnson, R. Duvall, M. Lehman, M. Proctor
HB253Requires the Kentucky Department of Education to approve and maintain a list of evidence-based reading curricula and interventions that do not use the three-cueing system, and prohibits school districts, professional development, and teacher preparation programs from using or teaching three-cueing methods. The bill strengthens dyslexia policy requirements for local school boards and mandates comprehensive, evidence-based reading and dyslexia instruction in educator preparation programs by the 2027–28 school year.J. Tipton, T. BojanowskiLetter of Support
HB257Allows school districts to create and implement local accountability systems, with required public reporting, KDE technical assistance, incentives, and a timeline for statewide adoption. It updates the state accountability system by adding student growth and engagement indicators, removing certain existing metrics, and revising assessment requirements. The bill also shifts writing from a standalone summative assessment to a required instructional program embedded in standards and professional development, with schools adopting and publishing a writing policy.J. Payne, K. Jackson, S. Lewis, S. Riley
HB 307Creates a statewide proactive admissions program that uses student data to notify high school juniors of the Kentucky public colleges where they meet minimum admission criteria, provides KEES award information, and streamlines applications through a common online system, while expanding data-sharing and public reporting on postsecondary and workforce outcomes.J. Tipton
HB389Expands literacy support requirements by defining dysgraphia, requiring annual updates to the state dyslexia toolkit to include dysgraphia guidance, mandating KDE approval of screeners and diagnostic tools, and requiring districts to use evidence-based interventions and report data. It also requires teacher preparation programs to include instruction on implementing a multitiered system of supports by the 2027–28 school year.S. Heavrin, T. Bojanowski, C. Aull, R. Duvall, K. Jackson, S. Lewis, S. McPherson, S. Riley, T. TruettLetter of Support
HB 498Establishes the Adult Workforce Diploma Pilot Program in KRS Chapter 156, including definitions, eligibility criteria, and a dedicated program fund; directs the Education and Labor Cabinet to administer the program and make milestone-based payments to providers; requires reporting of program outcomes to the Kentucky Board of Education, Secretary of State, and Legislative Research Commission; and sunsets the program on July 1, 2029.R. Duvall, S. Bratcher
HB 500Authorizes the state/executive branch budget by outlining the operating and capital budgets, general provisions, salary and employment policies, fund transfers, budget reduction and surplus expenditure plans for the General and Road Funds, tobacco settlement allocations, and an overall executive branch budget summary.J. Petrie, A. Bowling, J. Bray
HB 562Requires the Kentucky Board of Education to establish regulations for an alternate high school diploma and a modified high school diploma, including specific eligibility and completion requirements. Directs the Department of Workforce Development to develop and publish a list of employers willing to hire individuals with an alternate high school diploma. Makes conforming amendments to related education and postsecondary statutes.T. Truett, C. Fugate, S. Baker, R. Bivens, J. Blanton, D. Fister, P. Flannery, D. Gordon, T. Huff, K. Jackson, W. Lawrence, D. Lewis, S. Lewis, S. McPherson, M. Pollock, T. Smith, B. WesleyLetter of Support
HJR50Directs the Auditor of Public Accounts to review and evaluate state statutes, regulations, and agency policies that affect the establishment and operation of licensed and certified child care services in Kentucky.S. Heavrin, R. Duvall, K. King, W. ThomasLetter of Support

FOLLOWING

FollowingSummarySponsor
HB 1The bill creates a new section in KRS Chapter 14 allowing the Commonwealth to opt into the federal qualified elementary and secondary education scholarship tax credit program. It designates the Secretary of State as the sole official responsible for notifying the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, submitting required documentation, publishing regulations and guidance online, and administering the program. The Secretary of State is authorized to promulgate administrative regulations, collect fees, and accept private contributions to cover administrative costs, with specific requirements for managing those funds. The bill also waives Eleventh Amendment immunity for matters related to the section and amends KRS 141.019 to exclude qualified contributions to scholarship granting organizations from Kentucky individual income tax dedications.K. Moser, T. Roberts, D. Osborne
HB 5Establishes a prison education and job training program through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and the Kentucky Department of Corrections at Northpoint Training Center; sets eligibility criteria; creates a certificate of employability upon completion; and revises public employment and occupational licensing laws to limit disqualification based solely on prior convictions.J. Decker, D. Osborne, R. Bridges, E. Callaway, J. Calloway, R. Duvall, D. Elliott, K. Fleming, C. Freeland, D. Gordon, P. Griffee, M. Hart, T. Huff, M. Imes, K. Jackson, S. Lewis, M. Lockett, B. McCool, S. McPherson, D. Meade , S. Miles, K. Moser, A. Neighbors, J. Nemes, M. Proctor, T. Roberts, S. Rudy, N. Tate, T. Truett, M. Whitaker, R. White, N. Wilson, S. Witten
HB11Establishes a statutory process for creating new independent school districts from persistently underperforming districts, including local ballot approval, provisional governance, and interim boards of education. Sets requirements for transitioning authority, dividing assets, liabilities, and tax revenues, and outlines KDE’s role in calculations, oversight, and technical assistance. Provides timelines, dispute resolution, and funding transition provisions, allows temporary waivers and service contracts, and creates a first-year funding projection model for both the new and remaining districts.J. Bauman
HB35Includes proprietary schools as eligible institutions for both the Dual Credit Scholarship Program and the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program.K. Banta
HB44Creates the Robotics Competition Fund and a selection committee to award grants to eligible robotics teams and sponsors, sets committee membership and duties, requires KDE to establish grant procedures, sets application and reporting requirements, and provides implementation timelines. Titled the Advanced Manufacturing Through Robotics Education Act.C. Lewis, E. Callaway, P. Griffee, D. Grossberg, T. Huff, J. Nemes
HB47Require Kentucky State Police posts to enter into agreements with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement to participate in the Task Force Model Program; require Kentucky State Police officers who participate in the Task Force Model Program to complete Immigration and Customs Enforcement training; amend KRS 15.404 to provide that any peace officer who completes Immigration and Customs Enforcement training will be deemed to have completed annual in-service trainingT. Roberts, S. Baker, K. Banta, R. Bivens
HB49Establishes the Kentucky Professional Engineer and Professional Land Surveyor Incentive Scholarship Fund to provide postsecondary scholarships to Kentucky residents pursuing engineering or land surveying. Recipients must obtain licensure within six years and practice in-state, with enforcement provisions for noncompliance, and the board must report annually to the legislature.E. Callaway, M. Koch
HB88Allows Kentucky to participate in the federal Qualified Education Scholarship Tax Credit Program, designates the Auditor of Public Accounts to submit the state’s election and maintain a list of scholarship-granting organizations, and authorizes the Auditor to set rules and enter agreements to implement the program.T. Roberts
HB94Requires the Council on Postsecondary Education to create and maintain statewide transfer pathways for selected baccalaureate programs, publish them online, ensure participating institutions accept transfer credits as general education or program-specific general education, and coordinate curriculum changes affecting lower-division courses.V. Grossl
HB99Establishes a process for creating new independent school districts in qualifying cities, including voter petitions, interim board elections, and transition of authority, assets, debts, and taxes from the originating district; requires the interim board to develop a transition plan, allows temporary waivers and service contracts, and sets up a state funding projection model for the first year of operations.J. Tipton
HB 321Allows certified family child-care home providers and licensed Type II child-care centers to participate in the Child Care Assistance Program, defines applicable terms, and sets participation requirements related to providers’ own children and nonrelative children served through the program.V. Grossl
HB 322Exempts child-care providers located on military installations or facilities from state certification requirements if they are licensed or certified by the U.S. Department of Defense, a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the National Guard, or a reserve component.V. Grossl
HB 328Establishes licensure requirements and operational standards for child-care centers by amending existing statutes governing child-care center regulation.N. Wilson
HB 379Updates postsecondary governance statutes by eliminating obsolete definitions and repealing outdated provisions, formally codifying the Commonwealth Education Continuum, and establishing its governance, membership, duties, staffing, and annual reporting requirements. The bill also attaches the Board of Student Body Presidents to the Council on Postsecondary Education for administrative purposes and makes conforming technical changes.S. Baker
HB 469Requires candidates and appointees for local boards of education to obtain a KDE-issued certificate of qualification, including background and CA/N checks, to appear on the ballot, run as a write-in, or be appointed. Establishes a statewide code of ethics for school board members with an investigation and public reprimand process, updates eligibility and filing requirements, protects current members during their terms, and phases in key provisions beginning January 1, 2027.R. Bivens, J. Hodgson, K. Jackson, J. Payne, T. Truett
HB 513Eliminates separate funding calculations for kindergarten, removes half-day program provisions, and aligns related statutes; effective July 1, 2027.S. Stalker, T. Truett
HB564Requires that certified school personnel be compensated for mandatory professional development activities that occur outside the scheduled school calendar or regular work hours.C. Aull
HB 572Expands access to preschool by requiring districts to serve 4-year-olds from households at or below 160% of the poverty level through the 2030–2031 school year and, beginning in 2031–2032, all 4-year-olds who are at risk. The bill defines key terms, sets program guidelines, requires use of fully utilized Head Start capacity, and directs districts to submit preschool expansion plans. It also requires KDE to establish a statewide unified data system, promulgate regulations, enforce penalties for noncompliance, and report annually to the Legislative Research Commission on preschool expansion progress.T. Bojanowski, A. Donworth, G. Brown Jr., L. Burke, A. Camuel, B. Chester-Burton, A. Gentry, M. Marzian, A. Moore, R. Roarx, S. Stalker, P. Stevenson, A. Tackett Laferty, J. Watkins, L. Willner
HB 574Expands preschool access by requiring school districts to serve 4-year-olds from households at or below 160% of the poverty level through the 2033–2034 school year and, beginning in 2034–2035, all eligible children. The bill defines key terms, sets program guidelines, and requires districts to confirm full use of Head Start capacity and submit preschool expansion plans. It also directs KDE to establish a unified statewide data system, promulgate administrative regulations, enforce penalties for noncompliance, and report annually to the Legislative Research Commission on preschool expansion progress. A. Donworth, T. Bojanowski, C. Aull, G. Brown Jr., L. Burke, A. Camuel, B. Chester-Burton, A. Gentry, E. Hancock, M. Lehman, M. Marzian, A. Moore, R. Roarx, S. Stalker, P. Stevenson, J. Watkins
HB 591Requires the Kentucky Department of Education to develop a career and technical education program or pathway focused on performing arts.S. Bratcher
HB 609Establishes the Classroom Library Grant Program within KRS Chapter 158, defining key terms and directing the Kentucky Department of Education to implement the program through a designated program administrator. Sets qualifications and responsibilities for the administrator and appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to support classroom libraries statewide.K. Jackson, C. Fugate, S. Lewis, A. Neighbors, S. Riley, T. Truett, L. Willner
HB 610Requires teachers to be paid for noninstructional planning time during the school day when they are required to supervise or instruct students.C. Massroni
HB 619Expands and restructures the KCTCS Board of Regents, shortens member terms, and strengthens attendance and eligibility rules. Clarifies the roles of the board, president, and new chief financial officer, increases board oversight of budgeting, and requires legislative approval and reporting for major structural changes to colleges, campuses, or programs. Creates a board of advisors and repeals outdated statutes.J. Bray and J. Petrie
HB 621Requires the Kentucky Department of Education to issue regulations enforcing maximum class sizes and caseload limits for exceptional children and youth. Defines “caseload” and “special classes,” and makes conforming and technical updates to related statutes. T. Bojanowski, J. Nemes, K. Banta, L. Burke, A. Camuel, B. Chester-Burton, A. Gentry, S. Heavrin, K. Jackson, N. Kulkarni, M. Lehman, C. Lewis, S. Lewis, M. Marzian, B. McCool, S. Riley, R. Roarx, S. Stalker, P. Stevenson, T. Truett, J. Watkins, L. Willner
HB654Removes multiple reporting requirements for school districts and superintendents, repeals minimum requirements for summer learning camps, and limits the authority of the Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Board of Education to require school improvement plan components or designated reports unless explicitly required by state or federal law. Effective July 1, 2026.S. Baker
SB26Prohibits public schools, districts, cooperative boards, and the Kentucky Department of Education from providing benefits, differential treatment, or resources based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin, and bans the use or promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Establishes enforcement mechanisms, including civil actions and AG oversight, allows recovery of damages for intentional violations, requires monthly employee reporting for transparency, mandates certain professional development for certification applicants, and directs elimination of DEI divisions and related programs. Effective in part February 1, 2027, with emergency provisions.L. Tichenor, S. West, et. al
SB114Restructures governance of large county school districts with enrollments of 25,000 or more by replacing elected boards with an 11-member appointed board consisting of division-based and at-large members. Board members would be appointed by the county’s chief executive officer and confirmed by the county’s legislative body, with proportional representation of the two leading political parties. The bill sets appointment, vacancy, oath, removal, and transition procedures, allows current elected members to serve out their terms, and requires full implementation by January 1, 2027.D. Givens
SB 105Defines dysgraphia and strengthens statewide literacy supports by updating the dyslexia toolkit to include dysgraphia guidance, requiring department-approved screeners and evidence-based interventions, mandating district data reporting, and requiring teacher preparation programs to include multitiered systems of support instruction by 2027–28.R. Thomas
SB121Makes multiple governance and operational updates across K–12 education by extending the duration of certain facilities waivers unless otherwise limited by the Kentucky Board of Education, establishing timelines for state board review of facilities and class size waivers, and revising the selection and rotation of nonvoting board members. The bill also redirects certification fee proceeds to support the Kentucky Educator Placement Service System, transfers education technology and FFA Leadership Training Center responsibilities to the Kentucky Department of Education, repeals obsolete statutes, and sets procedures for initial appointments of nonvoting teacher and student board members.G. Williams
SB 160Amends KRS 199.896 to clarify how the Cabinet for Health and Family Services responds to alleged child-care licensing violations by setting standards for plans of correction and enforcement actions. The bill limits when a single violation can lead to license suspension or revocation, allows child-care centers up to five business days to submit documentation, and increases support for centers with preliminary licenses through weekly contacts. It prohibits issuing violations during a probationary period, makes certain enforcement actions discretionary rather than mandatory, includes technical corrections, and applies to pending and future actions. Declared an emergency.D. Carroll
SB 165Expands preschool access by requiring school districts to serve 4-year-olds from households at or below 160% of the poverty level through the 2033–2034 school year and, beginning in 2034–2035, all eligible children. The bill defines key terms, sets program guidelines, and requires districts to confirm full use of Head Start capacity and submit preschool expansion plans. It also directs KDE to establish a unified statewide data system, promulgate administrative regulations, enforce penalties for noncompliance, and report annually to the Legislative Research Commission on preschool expansion progress.G. Neal, R. Thomas, K. Berg, G. Clemons, K. Herron
SB 166Requires school districts to provide preschool to 4-year-olds from households at or below 160% of the poverty level through the 2030–2031 school year and, beginning in 2031–2032, to all 4-year-olds who are at risk. The bill defines key terms, establishes program guidelines, and requires districts to confirm full utilization of Head Start services and submit preschool expansion plans. It also directs the Kentucky Department of Education to maintain a unified statewide data system, promulgate administrative regulations, enforce penalties for noncompliance, and report annually to the Legislative Research Commission on preschool expansion.C. Armstrong, G. Neal, K. Berg, G. Clemons, K. Herron, R. Thomas
SB170Requires the Kentucky Department of Education to develop a career and technical education program or pathway focused on performing arts.B. Storm
SB191Creates the Kentucky Kindergarten Readiness Performance-Based Child-Care Incentive Pilot Program within KRS Chapter 199; directs the University of Kentucky to operate the pilot; outlines program purpose and requirements; and sets a completion date and reporting obligations.D. Carroll