Bill Tracker

KFTC's legislative issues during the

2021 Kentucky General Assembly

The 2021 Kentucky General Assembly is now concluded. The bills listed below are among the ones KFTC prioritized, within the limits of our organizational capacity and a Republican supermajority opposed to KFTC's vision in most important ways.

To read a bill or get additional information, click on the bill number in the Summary column. If you’d like to let your legislators know what you think of any of these bills or how they voted, contact them through the Legislative Message Line at 800-372-7181 (open all year) or by email.

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.

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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 was a proposed constitutional amendment that would have, if approved by voters, automatically restored 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.	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 had bipartisan sponsorship and support. HB 232 was not assigned to a committee and legislative leaders denied the bill a hearing or a vote.
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 have expanded Louisville's recent ban on no-knock search warrants statewide and made sure judges determine whether violent entry to serve a warrant is necessary. HB 21 would have required all law enforcement to wear – and activate – body cameras when carrying out search warrants. It also would have required 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 however passed over HB 21 and instead approved Senate Bill 4, a weaker bill that addresses the issuance and execution of police warrants but does not ban no-knock warrants. SB 4, which had passed the Senate 33-0 on February 25, was amended and approved by the House, 92-5, on March 30. The Senate concurred, 34-0, with House amendments. SB 4 was signed into law by the governor on April 9. See how legislators voted on SB 4.
KFTC Supports 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 have prevented the execution of any person with a diagnosis of serious mental illness. Senate Bill 60 would have eliminated the death penalty and replaced 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. HB 148 was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, 6-4-1, on March 4 (see how committee members voted). HB 148 was been blocked from getting a vote by the full Senate by Sen. Damon Thayer (@damon_thayer) and died in the Senate Rules Committee SB 60 was not assigned to a committee.
KFTC Supports Healthy Democracy: Redistricting House Bill 23 Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. Buddy Wheatley, Kelly Flood & Attica Scott	Summary House Bill 23 would have created 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 is 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 was to remove that partisanship from the process. The Kentucky League of Women Voters has been particularly active in developing HB 23. HB 23 was not assigned to a committee and ignored by legislative leaders.
KFTC Supports Healthy Democracy: Voting Hours House Bill 51 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Buddy Wheatley & others	Summary House Bill 51 would have extended 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 would have added one hour in the evening. HB 51 was not assigned to a committee and ignored by legislative leaders.
KFTC Supports Healthy Democracy: Expanded Absentee Voting House Bill 72 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Rachel Roberts & others	Summary House Bill 72 would have allowed "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 have made this a part of Kentucky law. HB 72 was not assigned to a committee. No excuse absentee (mail-in) voting was specifically excluded from the voting bill that did pass (see entry below for HB 574).
KFTC Supports Healthy Democracy: Expanded voter registration House Bill 182 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Josie Raymond	Summary House Bill 182 would have allowed 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 license application or renewal would be required to decline if they did not meet all qualification. HB 182 was not assigned to a committee or given a hearing or vote.
KFTC Supports Redistricting Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. Buddy Wheatley, Attica Scott, Lisa Willner	Summary House Concurrent Resolution 61 encouraged the Kentucky General Assembly to take steps to allow public input and hold public hearings during the redistricting process.	Additional Information HCR 61 was not assigned to a committee and was ignored by legislative leaders.
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 have prohibited mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts ("conversion therapy"), and prohibited the use of public funds for such efforts.	Additional Information Both bills had bipartisan sponsorship. Despite this, neither bill was assigned to a committee and received no consideration during the session.
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 have required 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; it also required the Department for Public Health to track data on maternal death and severe morbidity. HB 27 was 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 would 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 were not assigned to committees and were ignored by legislative leaders. However, House Bill 212 did move. It requires 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 and then, after a delay, by the full House, 92-3, on March 3. It received approval by the Senate, 36-0, on March 16, and was signed into law by Gov. Beshear on March 25.
KFTC Supports Re-entering Kentuckians House Bill 497 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Kimberly Moser	Summary House Bill 497 provides returning Kentuckians, their families and communities a healthy and successful pathway forward post-incarceration. See sign-on letter from more than 60 organizations supporting HB 497.	Additional Information HB 497 was passed by the House, 95-0, on March 5. In the Senate it was amended and approved by the Judiciary Committee on March 15 and the full Senate on March 16, 35-0. The House concurred with Senate changes, 91-0, on March 29. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Beshear on April 5.
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 have established procedures for dismissing lawsuits designed to silence and intimidate the defendant(s) from engaging in constitutionally protected activities, such as free speech, the right to petition and the right to association.	Additional Information HB 132 was not assigned to a committee and denied a hearing or vote by legislative leaders.
KFTC Opposes Public funding for private schools II House Bill 563 Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. C. McCoy, S. Santoro	Summary House Bill 563 started as a bill to allow non-resident pupils to be counted in a district's average daily attendance; it was amended in the House to also include school voucher language from HB 149 (see below), which was not moving. Read an analysis here: "Voucher Proposal Takes Dollars from Kentucky’s Public Schools and Gives Them to Unaccountable Private Schools"	Additional Information HB 563, as amended with school voucher language, passed the House, 51-45, on March 11. In the Senate, HB 563 was further amended and approved by the Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee hearing on March 16, and passed the full Senate a few hours later, 21-15. The House later concurred with Senate changes, 48-47. HB 563 was vetoed by the governor on March 24, citing the $25 million cost that would be taken away from public funds and used to subsidize private schools. The House (51-42) and the Senate (23-14) voted to override the governor's veto on March 29. See how legislators voted on HB 563.
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 would have created 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 would have been $205 million over 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 was assigned to the House Appropriations & Revenue Committee. The bill was not moving so the bill language was added to House Bill 563, which passed the House, 51-45, on March 11. See the entry above for action on HB 563. A companion bill, Senate Bill 25, was assigned to the Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee but did not receive a hearing or vote with HB 563 moving.
KFTC Opposes Penalties on water customers House Bill 272 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Josh Bray and other Republicans	Summary House Bill 272 allows a 10% late fee added to delinquent water bills each billing period, and prohibits the Public Service Commission from preventing utilities from assessing the penalty. A Senate committee amendment exempted customers who also quaifiy for LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) wile also prohibiting the governor from suspending late penalties during an emergency for any city-owned utility (water, sewer, electric). The legislation was 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 amended and approved by the House Local Government Committee on Feb. 11. It was passed by the full House, 70-25, on March 1. In the Senate, bipartisan opposition during a Natural Resources & Energy Committee hearing led the sponsors to agree to stop pushing their bill and work with opponents on a modified version next year. However, Senate Republican leaders demanded an emergency committee meeting on March 16, where the bill was amended and passed committee. Because it had been fast-tracked, it went to a vote before the full Senate just a few hours later and passed the Senate, 25-10. The House then concurred with Senate changes, 71-23. See how legislators voted on HB 272. HB 272 was vetoed by Gov. Beshear on March 23. The House (69-26) and the Senate (24-12) voted to override the governor's veto of HB 272 on March 29.
KFTC Opposes Renter Evictions Senate Bill 264 Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Stephen West and Republicans; Rep. David Meade	Summary Senate Bill 264 would have forbidden an eviction moratorium during an emergency. That means that during a pandemic with many losing jobs and 1 in 3 Kentuckians renting their homes, SB 264 would have exposed renters to eviction and potential homelessness. House Bill 570 was a broader bill though it also included limits on the governor's authority to protect renters during an emergency. Sign-on letter here.	Additional Information SB 264 was assigned to the Senate Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee. Though initially fast tracked by Senate leaders, SB 264 did not receive approval by the Senate committee. HB 570 was not 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 have protected from liability medical care providers who refused care that they say violated their conscience. More information in an open letter to members of the General Assembly. Also see: "'Selective Samaritan bill' would wrongfully let Kentucky doctors deny care"	Additional Information SB 83 was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 11. It was not given a vote before the full Senate and died in that chamber. See how committee members voted.
KFTC Opposes Go to jail for not being nice Senate Bill 211 Bill Sponsor(s): Sens. Danny Carroll, Michael Nemes	Summary Senate Bill 211 would have made a person guilty of a crime if they "accosts, insults, taunts, or challenges a law enforcement officer with offensive or derisive words, or by gestures or other physical contact, that would have a direct tendency to provoke a violent response from the perspective of a reasonable and prudent person." Importantly, SB 211 made it a crime (a Class B misdemeanor with a penalty of up to 90 days' imprisonment) to insult a police officer at a protest, giving excessive discretion to the officer and the judicial system to decide what is an insult, what is a protest, and who is "a reasonable and prudent person." Many legal scholars believe the law would have been unconstitutional. Anti-camping sections in the original bill could have been used to target homeless communities. Read The Courier-Journal article about the bill here. Take action with Hood to the Holler.	Additional Information SB 211 was approoved by the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee on March 4, and by the full Senate, 22-11, on March 11. It was not given a heraring or vote in the House. See how senators voted.
KFTC Opposes Child food security Senate Bill 65 Bill Sponsor(s): Sens. Steven West, Ralph Alvarado	Summary Senate Bill 65 nullifies certain administrative regulations and has the effect of taking away food assistance (SNAP benefits) from 6,000 Kentucky children in households with a parent who is behind in making child support payments. This means more food insecurity for children and other members of that family, plus several hundred thousands of dollars in administrative costs. 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. In the House, SB 65 was approved by the Licensing & Occupations Committee on March 11. It passed the full House on March 16, 68-23. SB 65 was vetoed by Gov. Beshear on March 23. The House (71-23) and the Senate (30-7) voted to override the governor's veto of SB 65 on March 29. See how legislators voted on SB 65.
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. In the House, SB 11 was approved by the Licensing & Occupations Committee and the full House, 75-17, on March 5. On March 11, the Senate, on a 26-6 vote, concurred with House changes. On March 24, Gov. Beshear vetoed SB 11. The House (74-18) and the Senate (28-8) voted to override the governor's veto of SB 11 on March 29. See how legislators voted.
KFTC Opposes Legalized pari-mutuel gambling Senate Bill 120 Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. John Schickel and others	Summary Senate Bill 120 legalizes 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 was 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. 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 proposed a 27% excise tax on the gross commissions from the slot machine wagering. It was not assigned to a committee or allowed a vote. House Concurrent Resolution 69 proposed a Pari-mutuel Wagering Taxation Task Force. It passed the House, 88-6, on March 12, but was killed by Senate leaders. 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 changes how vacancies in the U.S. Senate are filled. Currently, Kentucky's governor may appoint a replacement of their choice. SB 228 restricts that list to three individuals nominated by the same party as the departed senator.	Additional Information SB 228 was approved by the Senate State & Local Government Committee on March 1, and since it had been fast-tracked by Senate leaders received a floor vote the next day, passing 28-8. SB 228 was approved by the House Elections & Constitutional Amendments Committee at a special meeting on March 12. It passed the House, 73-25, on March 16. SB 228 was vetoed by Gov. Beshear on March 22. The House (70-24) and the Senate (29-8) voted to override the governor's veto of SB 228 on March 29, and the legislation becomes law. See how legislators voted on SB 228.
KFTC Opposes Constitutional Convention Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Robby Mills and other Republicans	Summary House Joint Resolution 56 petitioned Congress to call a convention for the purpose of amending the U.S. Constitution.	Additional Information HJR 56 was assigned to a committee.
KFTC Opposes Turn out anti-abortion voters House Bill 91 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Joe Fischer and others	Summary House Bill 91 is a proposed constitutional amendment that states that Kentucky's Constitution does not secure or protect a right to abortion or funding of abortion. The amendment would have little immediate actual effect. It is designed to mobilize the turnout of anti-abortion voters who also likely will vote for Rand Paul and Republicans.	Additional Information HB 91 was approved by House Elections & Const. Amendments Committee on February 11, and passed the full House, 76-20, on February 25. In the Senate it was approved by State & Local Govt Committee on March 15, and the full Senate, 32-6, on March 30. As a proposed constitutional amendment, the governor cannot veto this legislation. See how legislators voted.
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 admitted has not occurred in Kentucky).	Additional Information 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 without Gov. Andy Beshear's signature. Because it has an emergency clause, it went into effect immedicately. See how legislators voted.

Bills to Watch
Executive Branch Budget House Bill 192 Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. J. Petrie, B. Reed, R. Dotson	Summary House Bill 192 is the Executive Branch Budget, covering most state agencies. Gov. Andy Beshear proposed a state budget in January. That proposal was introduced as HB 192 but quickly amended in the House. Read what the governor proposed here: "Governor’s Budget Increases Funding for Relief and Reinvestment."	Additional Information HB 192 was amended quickly and passed both the House and Senate in early January, with each chamber then going through a process of not agreeing with the other chamber's changes so that the budget could be created in conference committee, without public hearings. On March 15, both chambers approved the "free conference committee" report and passed a state budget (executive branch) much different from the one proposed by Gov. Beshear. The vote was 30-0-6 in the Senate and 74-23 in the House. Read about the what legislators did here: "Legislature To Pass Austere Budget, Prevent Governor From Using New Federal Aid Without Authorization." Gov. Beshear vetoed a number of line items in the budget. Legislators sustained a few but overrode most of his vetoes on March 29.
Comprehensive Tax Reform House Bill 356	Summary House Bill 356 proposed a variety of reforms to the state tax code to make the system more fair, close loopholes, make taxes more equitable across all income 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 have resulted in substantial new revenue and a tax system that's a little more fair.	Additional Information HB 356 was not assigned to a committee or given consideration by legislative leaders.
Omnibus voting changes House Bill 574 Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Jennifer Decker	Summary House Bill 574 makes 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 much 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. HB 574 makes some improvements, but because Kentucky is behind some other states in voter registration and early and absentee voting, in those states HB 574 would have been seen as an attempt at voter suppression.	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. HB 574 was amended and approved by the Senate State & Local Government Committee on March 15. On March 16, it passed the full Senate, 33-3. On March 29, the House concurred with Senate changes, 91-3. The bill was signed into law by the governor on April 7. See how legislators voted. SB 259 was not assigned to a committee.
Open Records House Bill 312 Bill Sponsor(s): Reps. B. Rowland, C. Massey, B. Wesley	Summary House Bill 312 as originally filed was a neutral bill to correct language in existing statute. The House State Government Committee changed the bill to one that weakens the Open Records Law. The bill was again amended in the Senate. Read the latest analysis.	Additional Information HB 312 was approved by the House, 71-26, on February 26. The Senate amended the bill and approved it, 22-11, on March 11. The House concurred with the Senate changes on March 12, by a 70-26 vote. On March 23, Gov. Beshear vetoed HB 312. The House (66-29) and the Senate (22-16) voted to override the governor's veto of HB 312 on March 29. See how House and Senate members voted.
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 have prohibited 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. The bills were all ignored by legislative leaders and denied hearings and votes.	Additional Information None of the bills have been assigned to a committee by legislative leaders.
Commission on Race and Opportuntity Senate Bill 10 Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Givens and other Republicans and Democrats	Summary Senate Bill 10 establishes a Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity to provide research driven policy proposals.	Additional Information SB 10 passed the Senate, 35-1, on February 24. It was amended in the House and passed, 65-24, on March 11. The Senate concurreed with House changes, 27-9 on March 15. SB 10 became law without the governor's signature. See how Senate and House members voted.

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