KY Legislative Update - Updated w/ Bill Lists

**We are reissuing our update to make a couple of corrections and add in links to the updated bill lists.

Sine Die

The 2020 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly came to a close this evening on the constitutionally mandated adjournment date of April 15. Each General Assembly session is unique, however this one was stranger than most with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the legislature to shorten the session by seven legislative days, pushing aside many bills deemed too controversial given the crisis, and requiring the adoption of a one-year budget due to an expected drop in tax revenues.

On the session's final two days there was significant legislative action, including:

- Overriding all budget line items vetoed by the Governor in HB 351, HB 352, HB 353, HB 354, and HB 356.

- Overriding five bills vetoed by the Governor, SB 2, SB 5, HB 150, HB 195, and HB 336

- Passage of several COVID-19 matters: 

• HR 135 that creates an Emergency Preparedness Task Force 
• HB 387 that allows budget flexibility for the Governor to buy PPE  

- Several constitutional amendments were passed, including SB 15 Marsy's Law

- SB 191 that would provide for employer sponsored substance use disorder programs was given final passage

- The Senate confirmed Governor Beshear's appointments to the Kentucky Board of Education, except for the Chair, and the Senate confirmed Sharon Clark as Insurance Commissioner.

Those bills passed the final two days of the session are subject to review by the Governor and potentially could be vetoed, without legislators having the ability to override.

In all, nearly a hundred bills were passed by the General Assembly this session. You can view updated bill lists at the links below.

Education Bill List

Energy-Environment Bill List

General Business Bill List

Health Care Bill List

Health Insurance Bill List

Insurance Bill List

Transportation Bill List

In the next few days we will be preparing an end of session report summarizing legislative activity of particular interest to you to aide in your compliance efforts.

Updated w/ Bill Lists -- KY Legislative Update - Sine Die

**We are reissuing our update to make a couple of corrections and add in links to the updated bill lists.

Sine Die

The 2020 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly came to a close this evening on the constitutionally mandated adjournment date of April 15. Each General Assembly session is unique, however this one was stranger than most with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the legislature to shorten the session by seven legislative days, pushing aside many bills deemed too controversial given the crisis, and requiring the adoption of a one-year budget due to an expected drop in tax revenues.

On the session's final two days there was significant legislative action, including:

- Overriding all budget line items vetoed by the Governor in HB 351, HB 352, HB 353, HB 354, and HB 356.

- Overriding five bills vetoed by the Governor, SB 2, SB 5, HB 150, HB 195, and HB 336

- Passage of several COVID-19 matters: 

• HR 135 that creates an Emergency Preparedness Task Force 
• HB 387 that allows budget flexibility for the Governor to buy PPE  

- Several constitutional amendments were passed, including SB 15 Marsy's Law

- SB 191 that would provide for employer sponsored substance use disorder programs was given final passage

- The Senate confirmed Governor Beshear's appointments to the Kentucky Board of Education, except for the Chair, and the Senate confirmed Sharon Clark as Insurance Commissioner.

Those bills passed the final two days of the session are subject to review by the Governor and potentially could be vetoed, without legislators having the ability to override.

In all, nearly a hundred bills were passed by the General Assembly this session. You can view updated bill lists at the links below.

Education Bill List

Energy-Environment Bill List

General Business Bill List

Health Care Bill List

Health Insurance Bill List

Insurance Bill List

Transportation Bill List

In the next few days we will be preparing an end of session report summarizing legislative activity of particular interest to you to aide in your compliance efforts.

KY Legislative Update - Sine Die

Sine Die

The 2020 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly came to a close this evening on the constitutionally mandated adjournment date of April 15. Each General Assembly session is unique, however this one was stranger than most with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the legislature to shorten the session by seven legislative days, pushing aside many bills deemed too controversial given the crisis, and requiring the adoption of a one-year budget due to an expected drop in tax revenues.

On the session's final two days there was significant legislative action, including:

- Overriding all budget line items vetoed by the Governor in HB 351, HB 352, HB 353, HB 354, and HB 356.

- Overriding five bills vetoed by the Governor, SB 2, SB 5, HB 150, HB 195, and HB 336

- Passage of several COVID-19 matters: 

• HR 135 that creates an Emergency Preparedness Task Force 
• HB 387 that allows budget flexibility for the Governor to buy PPE  

- Several constitutional amendments were passed, including SB 15 Marsy's Law

- SB 191 that would provide for employer sponsored substance use disorder programs was given final passage

- The Senate confirmed Governor Beshear's appointments to the Kentucky Board of Education.

Those bills passed the final two days of the session are subject to review by the Governor and potentially could be vetoed, without legislators having the ability to override.

In all, nearly a hundred bills were passed by the General Assembly this session. In the next few days we will be preparing an end of session report summarizing legislative activity of particular interest to you, which will contain a list of those bills that passed to aide in your compliance efforts.

Legislative Update & Bill Lists - April 14, 2020

From Government Strategies:

The General Assembly met until late yesterday evening and before adjourning they had: 

- Acted to override five bills vetoed by the Governor, SB 2, SB 5, HB 150, HB 195, and HB 336.
- Deliver another 11 bills to the Governor/Secretary of State
- Take floor action on another half dozen bills that will need some additional concurrence today.

The legislature will meet today for the final day of the 2020 Regular Session and we expect them to consider:

- The Governor's vetoes of the budget and revenue bills
- COVID-19 relief/recovery bill
- Possibly a dozen other bills still awaiting final legislative action.


During the General Assembly, you can view the following bill lists updated nightly.

Education Bill List

Energy-Environment Bill List

General Business Bill List

Health Care Bill List

Health Insurance Bill List

Insurance Bill List

Transportation Bill List

Bill Lists - April 1, 2020

From Government Strategies:

During the General Assembly, you can view the following bill lists updated nightly.

Education Bill List

Energy-Environment Bill List

General Business Bill List

Health Care Bill List

Health Insurance Bill List

Insurance Bill List

Transportation Bill List

KY Legislative Update -- Day 51

Day 51 -- As Expected

The Kentucky General Assembly convened today for the purposes of finalizing action on the "budget" and the various affiliated bills. As was expected they did just that taking action on the bills below and only these bills, all of which are budget related:

HB 352 - The $11 billion Executive Branch budget for the Commonwealth, as was previously announced the Conference Committee, and now enacted version of HB 352, is a one year only budget appropriating monies solely for FY 2021. (FCCR/Enacted)

HB 351 - The statutorily mandated "revenue" bill that is required to pass alongside the budget to provide funding for HB 352. 

HB 353 - The Transportation Cabinet budget

HB 354 - The Biennial Highway Construction budget

HB 355 - The Legislative Branch budget

HB 356 - The Judicial Branch budget

HJR 66 - This is the document containing the projects for the four out years of the 6 year Road Plan.

SB 249 - A pension related bill that extended the freeze on local government and quasi-government entity employer contributions rates and extended other quasi-governmental entity pension reforms like opt-outs. This was necessary to pass as it impacted the funding in the budget.

HB 308 - This is the annual claims bill, that appropriates monies  to satisfy any claims against the state.

Social Distancing

In a first for the House, members were asked not to be present in Chambers and were allowed to vote via paper ballot, which they photographed and sent via text message to a designated member of House Leadership who recorded verbally the member's vote on the floor. Members were provided access to the budget documents electronically and the proceedings were live streamed, so that they could follow along in their legislative offices, homes, or even in their cars in the Capitol parking lot in a couple of instances. This was unique and spoke to the impact COVID-19 is having on the 2020 General Assembly session in more ways than just passing a 1-year budget, which hasn't been done in Regular Session in recent memory. The Senate did have their members spaced out and practiced social distancing, but did not adopt the remote voting procedures of the House.

Looking Ahead

With the budget behind them, legislative leaders now have to decide when they will return for the session's remaining days and whether they plan to address any gubernatorial vetoes and take action on the 20-30 bills that await action in the chambers at that time. When the House and Senate adjourned today for the veto recess they did so until April 13. This is a departure from the current legislative calendar that had legislators returning April 14 & 15 for the session's final two days. It is our understanding the legislature may use all three days April 13-15 for legislative action, but may cut that short if they can proceed quickly through the remaining bills.

As to their agenda when they return, legislative leaders made remarks on the floor and to members of the media that they intend to finish their business and preserve their right to override any vetoes when they return later this month.  

KY Legislature to Return

The General Assembly will return to Frankfort tomorrow for the 51st legislative day to take action on the branch budgets and accompanying bills. A quick update is provided below on what to expect tomorrow.

Executive Branch Budget Update

Today, the House and Senate Chairs of the HB 352 Conference Committee presented a summary of the budget compromise reached between the two chambers. The proposal only budgets for Fiscal Year 21, leaving Fiscal Year 22 to be considered during the 2021 legislative session in January. The FY 21 budget, based on $115 Million less in revenue than original proposals, does not include pay raises for teachers or state employees and does not provide an increase to the SEEK formula. The compromise does fully fund public employee pensions contributions, freezes pensions contribution rates for quasi-governmental entities, and allocates the Volkswagen Settlement funds. You can view the HB 352 FCCR summary HERE.

Schedule

Legislators return tomorrow and will gavel in for the final legislative day before their scheduled return on April 14th and 15th for veto override votes and possible consideration of other bills. Six legislative committees were scheduled to meet tomorrow morning, but four have since been cancelled. As of this update, only the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee and Senate Transportation Committee will meet and are expected to take up budget related bills. Both Chambers convene at Noon and appear poised to only consider budget bills, the revenue bill that is required to accompany the state budget, and the Road Plan.

We will update you following tomorrow's actions.