Bill Tracker

KFTC's legislative issues during the

2021 Kentucky General Assembly

To read a bill or get additional information, click on the bill number in the Summary column. If you’d like to express your opinion on any of the bills listed in the tracker, contact your legislators at 800-372-7181.

You can get additional resources for taking action by visiting KFTC's General Assembly page. You will find resources for contacting your legislator, important legislative dates and more. Sign up here for others ways to take action with KFTC during the 2021 General Assembly.

Finally, please like us on Facebook. That’s where we will provide the quickest, latest updates on important bills that begin to move or need action.

Check out the bill trackers and legislative priorities of our allies: ACLU-Kentucky; Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky; Kentucky Voices for Health; Forward Kentucky and the Kentucky Conservation Committee.

KFTC's Priority Legislation
KFTC Supports Voting Rights House Bill 232 Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. Jason Nemes, Pamela Stevenson, William Lawrence and others	Summary House Bill 232 would automatically restore voting rights to almost all people who have a felony in their past upon completion of their prison sentence, probation or parole. It would restore other civil rights after a five-year waiting period. HB 232 is a proposed constitutional amendment and would be placed on the November 2022 ballot if approved by legislators.	Additional Information HB 232 is similar to legislation passed by a House committee last year that received no further consideration when the pandemic curtailed the 2020 session. It has bipartisan sponsorship and support. HB 232 has not yet been assigned to a committee but should go to the Elections, Constitutional Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.
KFTC Supports Breonna's Law House Bill 21 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Attica Scott & other Democrats	Summary House Bill 21, or Breonna's Law, would expand Louisville's recent ban on no-knock search warrants statewide and make sure judges determine whether violent entry to serve a warrant is necessary. HB 21 would require all law enforcement to wear – and activate – body cameras when carrying out search warrants. It also would require officers to undergo alcohol and drug testing following any shooting or otherwise deadly incident while on duty.	Additional Information HB 21 was introduced in the House on January 5, and after much delay assigned to the Judiciary Committee. The committee also is likely to consider Senate Bill 4, a weaker bill that addresses the issuance and execution of police warrants.
KFTC Supports Healthy Democracy: Redistricting House Bill 23 Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. Buddy Wheatley, Kelly Flood & Attica Scott	Summary House Bill 23 would create an Advisory Redistricting Commission to draft redistricting plans for legislative and congressional districts. The commission would include members of the public, and its recommendations would need final approval by the legislature. Redistricting is done every 10 years based on new census data, and likely will be done next in the 2022 legislative session, so the need for a committee to be in place and work this year.	Additional Information The majority party often has used redistricting to shape districts in ways that weaken the votes of minority populations, pit sitting legislators against each other and skew the district to favor their party’s candidates. The goal of this legislation is to remove that partisanship from the process. The Kentucky League of Women Voters has been particularly active in developing HB 23. HB 23 has not yet been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Supports Healthy Democracy: Voting Hours House Bill 51 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Buddy Wheatley & others	Summary House Bill 51 would extend voting hours to 7 p.m.	Additional Information Kentucky has one of the earliest poll closing times in the nation at 6 p.m. This adds one hour in the evening. HB 51 has not yet been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Supports Healthy Democracy: Expanded Absentee Voting House Bill 72 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Rachel Roberts & others	Summary House Bill 72 would allow "convenience of the voter" as a reason for requesting and casting an absentee ballot. Kentucky currently has a narrow list of reasons allowed for casting an absentee ballot.	Additional Information "No excuse" absentee voting absentee (also referred to as mail-in voting) was widely used in the 2020 elections, but done so only under emergency orders for voters concerned about voting safely. HB 72 would make this a part of Kentucky law. HB 72 has not yet been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Supports Healthy Democracy: Expanded voter registration House Bill 182 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Josie Raymond	Summary House Bill 182 would allow same day voter registration, and make a driver's license applications (including renewals) simultaneously a voter registration (unless declined).	Additional Information A person not previously registered could do so at the precinct of their residence on the day of an election, provided they met all qualifications to be a voter (age, residency, etc.). A person registered through their driver's licrese application or renewal would be required tro sdecline if they did not meet all qualification. HB 182 has not yet been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Supports Redistricting Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. Buddy Wheatley, Attica Scott, Lisa Willner	Summary House Concurrent Resolution 61 encourage the Kentucky General Assembly to take steps to allow public input and hold public hearings during the redistricting process.	Additional Information HCR 61 has not yet been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Supports Ban Conversion Therapy House Bill 19 Senate Bill 30 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Lisa Willner / Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr with bipartisan cosponsors	Summary House Bill 19 and Senate Bill 30 would prohibit mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation and gender identi	Additional Information Both bills have bipartisan sponsorship. Neither bill has yet been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Supports Maternal Health Bill House Bill 27 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Attica Scott and others	Summary House Bill 27, the Maternal Health Bill, would require health facilities to provide each patient with written information regarding the patient's rights and implement an evidence-based implicit bias program for all health providers involved in the perinatal care of patients within those facilities; require the Department for Public Health to track data on maternal death and severe morbidity. HB 27 is part of a"Kentucky Maternal and Infant Health Project" package of 21 bills from the Democratic Women's Caucus that affirm a pro-family, pro-infant, pro-maternal health strategy. These bills also work to close racial maternal and infant health gap. See: "Kentucky needs a birth plan to connect pregnant women to proper care."	Additional Information HB 27 and most of the other maternal health-related bills have not been assigned to committees. However, House Bill 212 is moving. It would require a child and maternal fatality annual demographic analysis by race, income and geography. HB 212 was approved unanimously by the House Health & Family Services Committee on February 4 but then was reassigned by House leaders to the State Government Committee rather than sent to the floor for a vote.
KFTC Supports Civil rights protection House Bill 132 Bill Sponsor(s): Nima Kulkarni, Jason Nemes	Summary House Bill 132, titled the "Uniform Public Expression Protection Act," would establish procedures for dismissing lawsuits designed to silence and intimidate the defendant(s) from engaging in constitutionally prot	Additional Information HB 132 has not been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Opposes Public funding for private schools House Bill 149 Senate Bill 25 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Chad McCoy / Sen. Ralph Alvarado and other Republicans	Summary House Bill 149 creates the Education Opportunity Account Program by offering tax credits to donors, in essence using public dollars for private school tuition and education-related expenses. The potential loss to the state General Fund is $205 million over the next five years. For an analysis of the bill, see "Voucher Proposal Takes Dollars from Kentucky’s Public Schools and Gives Them to Unaccountable Private Schools."	Additional Information HB 149 is before the House Appropriations & Revenue Committee. A companion bill, Senate Bill 25, is before the Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee.
KFTC Opposes Penalties on water customers House Bill 272 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Josh Bray and other Republicans	Summary House Bill 272 would allow 10% late fee added to delinquent water bills, and prohibit the Public Service Commission from preventing utilities from assessing the penalty. The legislation is in response to the PSC finding that late penalties are harmful to consumers and do not significantly increase collections. See "KY regulators tell utilities to drop their late fees, but a lawmaker is pushing back." Action alert from the Kentucky Resources Council.	Additional Information HB 272 was approved by the House Local Government Committee on Feb. 11. It was passed by the full House, 70-25, on March 1. It now goes to the Senate. See how House members voted.
KFTC Opposes Renter Evictions Senate Bill 264 Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Stephen West and Republicans; Rep. David Meade	Summary Senate Bill 264 would forbid an eviction moratorium during an emergency. That means that during a pandemic with many losing jobs and 1 in 3 Kentuckians rent their homes, SB 264 would expose renters to eviction and homelessness. House Bill 570 is a broader bill though it also includes limits on the governor's authority to protect renters during an emergency. Sign-on letter here.	Additional Information SB 264 has been assigned to the Senate Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee. HB 570 has not yet been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Opposes Medical care refusal Senate Bill 83 Bill Sponsor(s): Sens. Stephen Meredith, Robby Mills	Summary Senate Bill 83, also called the "Health Discrimination Law," would protect from liability medical care providers who refuse care that they say violates their conscience. More information in an open letter to members of the General Assembly.	Additional Information SB 83 was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 11. It next goes to the full Senate for a vote. See how committee members voted.
KFTC Opposes Child food security Senate Bill 65 Bill Sponsor(s): Sens. Steven West, Ralph Alvarado	Summary Senate Bill 65 would nullify certain administrative regulations and have the effect of banning SNAP (food assistance) benefits for parents who are behind in making child support payments. This would mean more food insecurity for children and other members of that family. See an analysis from Kentucky Policy.	Additional Information SB 65 was approved by the Senate State & Local Government Committee on February 10 and the full Senate, 30-6, on February 23.. See how committee members voted. See how all senators voted. In the House, SB 65 is on the agenda for the Licensing & Occupations Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 3.
KFTC Opposes Criminalizing rental damage Senate Bill 11 Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. John Schickel & other Republicans	Summary Senate Bill 11 makes damage of $500 or more to rental property a criminal offense.	Additional Information SB 11 was approved by the Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee and the full Senate, 28-8, on February 4. See how senators voted. In the House SB 11 has been assigned to the Licensing & Occupations Committee.
KFTC Opposes Legalized pari-mutuel gambling Senate Bill 120 Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. John Schickel and others	Summary Senate Bill 120 would legalize pari-mutuel slot machines at a race track or simulcast facility (referred to as Historical Horse Racing). This activity, which generates millions of dollars in revenue for the horse industry and track owners, was ruled unconstitutional by the Kentucky Supreme Court last September. Besides the gambling aspect, the bill is controversial because it does not correct that this activity is negligibly taxed. Applying comparable tax rates could generate $100 million annually for the state General Fund. Legislation to address this is expected to be introduced. For more background, see: Coalition Letter to Kentucky General Assembly: End the Tax Break on Slot Machines Kentucky lawmakers must fix a tax-rate mistake while protecting historical horse racing	Additional Information SB 120 was approved by the Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee and by the full Senate, 22-15, on February 9. It was moved through the House in near record time, getting a committee hearing and approval on February 10 and approval by the full House, 55-38, on February 11. Gov. Beshear signed the bill into law on February 22. An effort, through a House floor amendment, to increase the excise tax on historical horse racing from 1.5% to 3.5% was ruled out of order by House Speaker David Osborne. Another bill, HB 481 proposes a 27% excise tax on the gross commissions from the slot machine wagering. It has not yet been assigned to a committee. See how Senate and House members voted on SB 120.
KFTC Opposes U.S. Senate vacancies Senate Bill 228 Bill Sponsor(s): Sens. Robert Stivers, Tom Buford	Summary Senate Bill 228 would change how vacancies in the U.S. Senate are filled. Currently, Kentucky's governor may appoint a replacement of their choice.	Additional Information SB 228 has been assigned to the Senate State & Local Government Committee.
KFTC Opposes Constitutional Convention Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Robby Mills and other Republicans	Summary House Joint Resolution 56 petitions Congress to call a convention for the purpose of amending the U.S. Constitution.	Additional Information HJR 56 has not been assigned to a committee.
KFTC Opposes Reproductive Justice Senate Bill 9 Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Whitney Westerfield	Summary Senate Bill 9 states that a baby born alive should not be put to death (a situation that the sponsor admits has not occurred in Kentucky).	Additional Information The purpose of SB 9 seems to be to "shame and ostracize patients and healthcare providers … [and use] inflammatory rhetoric to make physicians who provide abortion care appear criminal." (ACLU-KY analysis). SB 9 was fast-tracked by Republicans and passed by the Senate 32-4 and the House 76-18 in the first week of January. It became law with Gov. Andy Beshear's signature. Because it has an emergency clause, it goes into effect immedicately.

Bills to Watch
Comprehensive Tax Reform House Bill 356	Summary House Bill 356 proposes a variety of reforms to the state tax code to make the system more fair, close loopholes, make taxes more equitable across all incomes levels, increase the tax on cigarettes and tobacco products, expand the family size tax credit, put limits on some deductions except charitable ones, reinstate an estate tax and a number of other changes that would result in substantial new revenue. The KFTC Economic Justice Committee is studying an analysis of the bill provided by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy.	Additional Information HB 356 has not been assigned to a committee.
Omnibus voting changes House Bill 574 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Jennifer Decker	Summary House Bill 574 proposes a number of changes to how voting will be conducted, including allowing limited expanded early and absentee voting (more than what the law allows now but less than what was implemented in 2020). It also addresses voter registration, county board of election appointments, precinct election officer qualifications, consolidated precincts, online portal for mail-in ballot application requests, drop-box or receptacle for absentee ballots, voter assistance requirements and other aspects of voting. See "Kentucky Republicans trying to pass a big elections reform bill. Here’s what it does." for more details. A companion bill in the Senate, SB 259, has not been assigned to a committee.	Additional Information A 144-page committee substitute for the original 138-page HB 574 was approved by the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on February 25. It was approved by the full House, 93-4, on February 26, after they defeated a provision to expand no-excuse in-person early voting and added a provision to help people who are homeless register and vote. See how House members voted.
Death Penalty Limit / Abolition House Bill 148 Senate Bill 60 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Chad McCoy, Sen, Stephen Meredith and other Republicans and Democrats	Summary House Bill 148 would prevent the execution of any person with a diagnosis of serious mental illness. Senate Bill 60 would eliminate the death penalty and replace it with a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.	Additional Information HB 148 was approved by the House Judiciary Committee on February 24. It passed the full House, 75-16, on March 1. See how House members voted. SB 60 has not been assigned to a committee.
Statewide Fairness House Bill 116 Senate Bill 269 Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. Minter and Willner, Sen. McGarvey and Democrat and Republican cosponsors	Summary House Bill 116, House Bill 130 and Senate Bill 269 each would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, public accommodation, insurance, housing and financial transactions. The legislation mirrors ordinances in effect in a number of Kentucky towns and cities, making Fairness statewide.	Additional Information None of the bills have been assigned to a committee by legislative leaders.

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