FRANKFORT, Ky. — It was a short week in the 2024 legislative session. But the days were long, and they are only growing longer as lawmakers head toward March with more bills appearing on the chamber floors.
The Kentucky General Assembly did not convene on Monday in observance of Presidents’ Day. However, legislators made up the difference by acting on scores of bills throughout the rest of the week.
The Senate worked into the evening Tuesday to pass House Bill 18, which won support following an exchange on property rights, housing discrimination and the role of local government.
HB 18 would prevent local governments from requiring landlords to accept tenants who use federal housing assistance. It would also prevent local governments from requiring landlords to pay fees related to emergency response calls to their properties.
It’s been one of the most prominent bills in the session so far, and the Senate voted 25-11 to advance the measure back to the House after making some minor changes. If the House agrees with the revisions, HB 18 could soon be headed to the governor’s desk.
In the House, the pace peaked during a marathon floor session Thursday. That’s when lawmakers passed 12 bills, including two that stirred debate over child labor and public benefits.
House Bill 255, the legislation on child labor, seeks to align Kentucky law with federal law and ease some restrictions on work hours for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Proponents said it would allow teenagers to gain more work experience and help reduce youth crime. But critics said it will interfere with education and expose low-income youth to exploitation. The bill passed 60-36.
The measure on public benefits, House Bill 367, would add work requirements and new income limits for individuals who use food stamps.
Opponents argued that the bill would harm low-income families and cause Kentucky to miss out on federal money. Supporters, however, said the changes are needed to protect the program from abuse and improve workforce participation. It cleared the floor on a 61-33 vote.
Both bills are headed to the Senate.
Many other measures on religious liberty, kratom, vaping and consumer privacy are also gaining traction. Here’s a look at some of the bills that were moving in the ninth week of the session:
School Bus Behavior: House Bill 446 seeks to address disciplinary issues on school buses. Under the bill, every bus rider – and at least one of their parents or guardians – would need to sign a transportation agreement with the district. The agreement would outline expectations for students and parents and explain the consequences for misbehavior. The House Education Committee advanced the bill Tuesday.
Consumer Data Privacy: House Bill 15 would establish new privacy protections for digital consumers. It would allow consumers to review and correct any data that companies collect on them. Consumers could also refuse to have their data sold and could demand to have their data deleted. The measure cleared the House floor Tuesday.
Religious Liberty: House Bill 47 would update Kentucky’s religious freedom law with more specific language and definitions, essentially strengthening the rights of religious Kentuckians in the courts. It cleared the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday.
Animal Abuse: House Bill 258 seeks to strengthen state laws against torturing a dog or cat. That includes stiffer penalties for first-time offenders, who would face a Class D felony rather than a misdemeanor charge under the bill. The House Judiciary Committee passed the measure Wednesday.
Kratom: House Bill 293 aims to regulate kratom, an herbal drug frequently sold online and in convenience stores. The bill would prohibit sales to people under 21 and provide guidelines for labeling and advertising. It moved off the House floor Wednesday.
Gubernatorial Pardons: Senate Bill 126 proposes to amend the state constitution and limit the governor’s powers to issue pardons at the end of a term in office. The Senate passed the legislation Wednesday.
Research Consortiums: Senate Bill 1 would create an endowment fund to support collaborative research consortiums in Kentucky. The legislation cleared the Senate Education Committee Thursday.
Vaping in Schools: House Bill 142 would ban all tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products in Kentucky public schools. It would also require school districts to adopt disciplinary procedures for students who violate the bans. The bill won support in the House Thursday.
Election Deepfakes: Senate Bill 131 would prohibit the use of synthetic media – often referred to as deepfakes – to influence the outcome of an election. The Senate advanced the bill Friday.
Missing Adults: Senate Bill 45 calls on Kentucky State Police and other state officials to operate a new alert system that helps find missing people over the age of 17. It passed on the Senate floor Friday.
Lawmakers are scheduled to return Monday for day 38 of the 60-day session. That’s the last day to file new bills in the House while Wednesday is the last day to file new bills in the Senate.
Kentuckians can track the action through the Legislative Record webpage, which allows users to read bills and follow their progression through the chambers. Capitol observers can also track budget bills on the 2024 Budget Bills webpage.
Citizens can also share their views on issues with lawmakers by calling the General Assembly’s toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181.