Before I get into my legislative update, know that I’m deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, a proud Kentuckian from Bardstown who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country overseas.
At just 34 years old, Pruitt exemplified the courage and dedication of our armed forces. Pruitt was among six airmen killed on March 12 when a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq during a mission supporting Operation Epic Fury.
Her sacrifice is a solemn reminder that our freedoms are protected by those willing to serve in harm’s way. We extend our heartfelt prayers and deepest condolences to her family, fellow airmen, Bardstown and Nelson County.
Budget process
The Senate passed a balanced and responsible state budget that protects taxpayers, strengthens essential services and positions Kentucky for long-term stability. The plan avoids using one-time dollars to fund ongoing expenses, maintains strong reserves and continues the work of reducing long-term liabilities such as pensions and retiree health costs. At the same time, it allows us to make targeted investments in the services Kentuckians rely on every day.
The budget resides in four bills.
House Bill (HB) 500 establishes a balanced two-year state budget focused on fiscal stability and key investments. It fully funds pension and health obligations, maintains about $3.9 billion in reserves and includes spending controls. The plan sustains education funding, supports universities and school safety, preserves Medicaid services, expands behavioral health care. It also invests in infrastructure, disaster response and economic development projects such as nuclear energy.
HB 503 largely maintains the House proposal while ensuring the General Assembly has the resources to carry out its duties. It includes 2 percent annual salary increases for legislative staff and funds a salary study to evaluate compensation, supporting long-term workforce planning in the judicial branch.
HB 504 maintains core judicial funding while improving efficiency and flexibility. It includes 2 percent annual raises for judicial employees, fully funds judgeships created in 2022 and provides $1 million annually for county support services. The bill also refines expense reductions, supports key facility projects, pauses new courthouse construction and increases oversight of capital projects.
HB 900 allows one-time strategic investments from the state’s budget reserve trust fund while maintaining strong reserves. It funds targeted infrastructure, economic development and emergency response projects and separates these expenditures from the operating budget to promote disciplined use of surplus funds.
With the Senate’s changes now before the House of Representatives, lawmakers from both chambers will continue working together to finalize a two-year budget that meets the needs of Kentuckians while protecting the commonwealth’s long-term financial health.
HB 1 veto
Both chambers quickly overrode the governor’s veto of HB 1, which made it Kentucky law. This
legislation is a defining moment in Kentucky's future. Students will now have access to potentially hundreds of millions of federal dollars to help meet their individual educational needs. The scholarships may be used for tuition, tutoring, special needs services, books, technology, transportation and other approved educational expenses. If Kentucky had not opted in, federal dollars paid by Kentuckians would benefit students elsewhere.HB 1 does not involve any state funds. No public dollars are directed to any particular school. Instead, contributions go to scholarship-granting organizations, which then provide scholarships directly to eligible students and families, including those served by our public schools. The focus is not on institutions but on the opportunities these scholarships create. Every Kentuckian who pays federal taxes can contribute to the organization of their choice. You can write a $1,700 check to a scholarship-granting organization of your choice, and those funds will benefit a Kentucky child and their education. This is a very tangible way each and every one of us can invest these federal dollars in our future.
I am pleased that Senate Bill (SB) 199 has been delivered to the governor’s desk. SB 199 approves a pesticide label by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to be used as a warning label under Kentucky law for state duty-to-warn claims. Since the EPA has the sole authority over what information is contained in a warning label, and manufacturers cannot change the warning label without EPA approval, the manufacturers do not need to be sued over warning label language they cannot control. It clears up any question on the manufacturer's duty on failure to warn lawsuits against the makers of all EPA-approved pesticides used in agricultural production in Kentucky, while including "claw back" language for a failure to warn lawsuit if the EPA finds that a manufacturer did withhold or destroy harmful information to prevent its consideration by the EPA. This bill helps protect the pricing and availability of the pesticides critical to the needs of our farmers and helps protect Kentucky's proud farming tradition.
Additional bills
This week, legislation continued to move steadily through both chambers, with many bills advancing and coming one step closer to reaching the governor’s desk. This momentum highlights a busy stretch in the legislative process, as proposals are debated, refined, and passed to the next stage. I’ve included the following bills that passed out of our respective chambers this week.
Senate Joint Resolution 139 designates and renames various roads, highways, and bridges across multiple counties in honor of individuals and makes technical corrections to previously named roadways.
SB 195 updates Kentucky law governing civil liability in roadway construction and maintenance projects by establishing clearer standards for when contractors may be held responsible for damages. The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that contractors have met required plans and specifications once a project is accepted by a state or local government, while still allowing liability when a failure to follow those specifications or a hidden defect is shown to be a substantial factor in causing harm.
SB 223 establishes a regulatory framework for the sale and distribution of cannabis-infused beverages in Kentucky. The bill allows licensed manufacturers, distributors and retailers to sell these beverages at bars, restaurants, fairs, festivals and certain retail locations. The bill also creates supplemental licenses for qualifying alcohol and hemp retailers, establishes labeling and delivery requirements, and applies open-container restrictions for cannabis-infused beverages in motor vehicles to align them with existing alcohol laws.
SB 233 exempts planned communities with 14 or fewer units from certain financial reporting and document retention requirements, reducing administrative obligations for smaller associations.
SB 249 allows the governor, in consultation with the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, to approve workforce training programs eligible for federal Workforce Pell Grants and coordinate approvals to prevent duplicate payments.
SB 251 clarifies that the Department of Corrections is not required to issue administrative regulations related to the death penalty and allows execution protocols to be set through internal policy or memorandum, with conforming technical changes.
SB 263 updates Schools of Innovation laws to give districts more flexibility to adopt new practices. It streamlines the waiver process, requires the Department of Education to review applications within 30 days, and allows expedited waivers with approval from the Kentucky Board of Education. The bill also protects districts from penalties for previously approved actions and creates a pilot program with a dedicated fund.
SB 278 allows for certain types of off-duty or secondary employment for law enforcement personnel, excluding retail establishments, weddings and businesses that primarily sell alcohol. It permits work tied to public contracts, projects involving contractors serving public entities, organizations receiving state funding and ticketed events where public safety is a concern. The commissioner must also establish policies governing off-duty employment and use of uniforms, equipment and facilities.
SB 281 updates grandparent visitation law by establishing a clear and convincing evidence standard when a child is in a parent’s custody and a preponderance of the evidence standard when another person is the custodian.
SB 289 expands the criteria for issuing an AMBER Alert, including when a child is reported missing by law enforcement, when the disappearance may not have been voluntary and the child’s safety is at risk, and when a child is missing while in the custody of state agencies or placement programs. It also clarifies that alert resources must comply with federal requirements. Section 2 designates the act as “Wynter’s Law.”
SB 324 updates Kentucky’s film and entertainment tax incentive program by expanding eligible productions to include commercials, video games and music projects while raising in-state spending requirements to increase economic impact. The bill clarifies eligible expenses, allows unused portions of the tax credit cap to carry forward, assigns application review to the Kentucky Film Office and requires a certified audit of each project within 180 days of completing production.
HB 96 updates the structure and membership of the Council on Postsecondary Education’s working group by expanding legislative representation, establishing the council president as a nonvoting chair and shifting meetings to a calendar-year cycle beginning in 2026. A Senate committee substitute changes the meeting requirement from every three years to every four years.
HB 185 expands employment and licensing opportunities for individuals with prior criminal convictions by requiring hiring and licensing authorities to establish a process allowing applicants to receive a determination on whether a conviction would disqualify them before pursuing employment or training. The bill requires authorities to evaluate factors such as the nature of the offense, time since conviction and evidence of rehabilitation, and to provide written findings to applicants. The Senate committee substitute further defines “tipped employee,” expands eligibility within tip pooling arrangements to include certain employees who directly support tipped services, and prohibits salaried employees, managers and supervisors from participating in tip pools.
HB 280 updates health care and school health policies by adjusting nursing licensure requirements, strengthening reporting and oversight, and expanding access to emergency medications in schools. It allows trained individuals to administer undesignated glucagon during diabetic emergencies with liability protections. A Senate committee substitute clarifies provisions related to diabetes management plans and glucagon administration.
HB 290 allows the state to provide electronic access to books and legal resources in place of bound volumes and permits, rather than requires, the state law librarian to purchase bound volumes or electronic access to court opinions for use by courts and law libraries when requested.
HB 312 allows Kentucky adults ages 18 to 20 to apply for a provisional concealed carry license, giving them the legal ability to carry a concealed firearm if they meet the same requirements as older adults, including a background check and firearm training. Supporters argue the bill fixes an inconsistency in state law by recognizing that young adults who can already vote, sign contracts, serve in the military and work in law-enforcement-related fields should also be able to carry a firearm for self-defense. They also noted about 25 other states allow similar access for this age group.
HB 459 establishes a statewide system to collect health care workforce data through licensure renewals to better assess workforce supply and needs. Licensing boards will collect information on education, employment status, practice setting and workforce participation while protecting privacy and allowing opt-outs for data sharing.
HB 470 updates regulations for alcohol and drug peer support specialists by extending the use of qualified professionals, removing temporary classifications and creating a work group to develop a statewide credentialing system. It sets a Jan. 1, 2027, compliance deadline and prohibits peer support specialists from providing psychoeducational services, with Medicaid also barred from covering them. Includes an emergency clause.
HB 555 allows schools to establish student-run businesses such as stores or food stands to provide real-world business experience. Local school boards may approve and regulate these programs, including operations and use of earnings, while certain limits on food sales are removed.
HB 562 updates Kentucky’s high school diploma options for students with disabilities by creating an “alternate” diploma that meets federal graduation standards and a “modified” diploma that does not count toward federal graduation rates. The bill also directs workforce officials to promote job opportunities for alternate diploma graduates and clarifies that eligible students remain able to receive KEES funding.
HB 648 strengthens protections for motor vehicle dealers by setting clearer standards for manufacturer reimbursement for warranty and recall work, including parts, labor and related costs. A Senate floor amendment extends the deadline for dealers to submit reimbursement claims from 30 to 90 days.
All of these measures have been introduced in at least one chamber or passed both chambers and are still under consideration.
I count my duty representing you and District 1 in Frankfort as one of the greatest privileges of my life. If you have questions about legislation or where bills are in the process, please reach out to me at jason.howell@kylegislature.gov or call me by phone at 502-564-8100.
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Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray, represents the 1st Senate District, including Calloway, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Lyon, and Trigg Counties. Howell serves as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee and co-chairs the Tobacco Settlement Committee. He is vice chair on the License and Occupation Standing Committee and the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committees. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Banking and Insurance, and Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor. Additionally, Howell serves on the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee and the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee.
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