Week six of the 2025 Legislative Session
We’re in the home stretch, but plenty of work remains. With just four legislative days before the veto period, things are moving quickly. Bills are being debated, final votes are happening, and we’re working hard to pass legislation that will impact Kentucky families, businesses, and communities. The next few legislative days will be fast-paced and decisive, and I want to keep you informed as we make the final push.
At this point in the session, we’ve shifted our focus to hearing a large batch of House bills in committee and on the Senate floor. Just as the House works through Senate bills, we carefully review their legislation to ensure it aligns with Kentuckians’ priorities.
This week also brought a great reminder of why this work matters, as students from across the state visited the Capitol for Kentucky Youth Advocacy Week. It’s always inspiring to see young Kentuckians engage in the legislative process and share their vision for the future.
Senate Bill (SB) 103, which I have written about previously, has cleared another major hurdle. A House legislative committee approved it and now qualifies for a vote by the full House. This bill enhances transparency and accountability within the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to ensure better support for individuals with disabilities while prioritizing in-state service providers. With Kentucky ranking 48th in employment disparity, this reform is a big step toward expanding job opportunities and independence. I look forward to seeing it advance to the Governor’s desk soon.
The Senate approved my SB 144 this week. It requires firearms used in criminal homicides to be destroyed rather than resold at public auction.
As a former police officer, I understand the emotional impact of these weapons. Look no further than the 2018 Marshall County High School shooting, where two students were killed and 14 others were injured.
For those of us who have lived through the horror of these types of evil acts, we know the trauma of firearms being used in such a heinous way. There is no justification for a firearm used to take innocent lives to be resold and potentially land in the hands of another criminal. This is the right policy to protect public safety and respect the dignity of families left to grieve.
SB 144 will allow KSP to destroy confiscated firearms if they have been defaced, contaminated, deemed unsafe to discharge, or if an innocent owner requests their destruction. Additionally, the bill mandates that local law enforcement agencies destroy criminal homicide-related firearms within 90 days of a court order and adopt formal procedures for firearm destruction by Jan. 1, 2026.
Below are several other bills that passed the Senate this week and that the Kentucky House of Representatives may now take up. I signed on as a co-sponsor of several bills. I’ll start with those.
As a former law enforcement officer, I was happy to back SB 266. This bill updates Kentucky State Police (KSP) policies to permit troopers to take on off-duty law enforcement jobs while maintaining oversight to prevent conflicts of interest. Currently, KSP troopers are largely restricted to official duties under the department’s authority. The legislation grants the KSP commissioner the power to approve off-duty law enforcement employment and requires policies to regulate these roles so they do not interfere with official responsibilities.
Key provisions include requiring the commissioner to establish guidelines for off-duty employment, including rules on the use of uniforms, equipment, and facilities. Additionally, the bill allows troopers to use state-owned vehicles with regular license plates for off-duty work, provided their use remains limited to law enforcement activities. By formalizing these policies, the bill modernizes KSP regulations, and aligns them with practices in other agencies while giving troopers additional income opportunities.
I co-sponsored SB 58. It allows special needs trusts (SNTs) to receive lifetime retirement benefits from Kentucky’s public pension systems to ensure financial support for disabled beneficiaries without affecting their eligibility for government assistance. It formally recognizes SNTs as eligible beneficiaries under the State Police Retirement System, Kentucky Employees Retirement System, County Employees Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS), and Judicial Retirement Plan. The bill allows SNTs to receive retirement benefits if a member dies before retirement and ensures trustees can accept payments on behalf of the trust. Trustees must notify the appropriate retirement system upon the beneficiary’s death and repay any improperly issued benefits. Additionally, it prevents annuity payments from being used to reimburse Medicaid expenses so the funds remain available for the beneficiary’s needs. The bill also grants authority to the state’s retirement systems to establish regulations for administering SNT provisions, creating a structured approach to managing these benefits.
I also co-sponsored SB 153. The bill establishes standards for prepayment claims review in Kentucky’s Medicaid program to ensure accuracy and prevent improper payments. It requires the Cabinet for Health and Family Services or the Department for Medicaid Services to seek federal approval if necessary and comply with existing state regulations. The bill aims to increase oversight, reduce fraud, and improve Medicaid reimbursement processes while complying with federal and state requirements.
SB 1 is priority legislation that I signed on to co-spsonsor. It establishes the Kentucky Film Office within the Cabinet for Economic Development to attract film and television productions, streamline permits, coordinate incentives, and market Kentucky as a filming destination. It creates the Kentucky Film Leadership Council to oversee tax incentives and industry policies.
SB 63 allows street-legal special-purpose vehicles on certain public roads under safety and registration conditions. It prohibits use on interstates and parkways, requires inspections, and exempts farm-use vehicles from registration. I was a co-sponsor of SB 63.
SB 93 I co-sponsored also. It requires private insurers, Medicaid, KCHIP, state employee, and university health plans to cover hearing aids and services for children starting Jan. 1, 2026. It mandates at least one hearing aid per ear with a $2,500 minimum per device, consults the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on coverage levels, adjusts cost-sharing for higher-priced devices, and sets network adequacy standards for pediatric audiologists.
SB 237 exempts experienced out-of-state law enforcement officers from Kentucky’s physical agility test for peace officer certification, easing recruitment while maintaining professional standards. I co-sponsored this bill.
Finally, I also co-sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 66, which establishes the Air Mobility and Aviation Economic Development Task Force.
SB 3 updates Kentucky’s NIL laws to align with anticipated legal settlements to allow student-athletes to receive direct compensation through agreements with universities. It sets fair market standards, permits sublicensing of NIL rights, and includes an emergency provision for immediate implementation.
SB 6 improves education funding transparency by requiring the SEEK formula to include state-paid fringe benefits in per-pupil funding calculations. This will provide a more accurate picture of taxpayer investment. The changes would take effect July 1, 2026.
SB 7, the Right of Publicity Act, prohibits the unauthorized commercial use of unclothed images of individuals, living or deceased, in Kentucky. It allows legal action for misuse, exempts cloud and internet service providers, and preserves First Amendment protections for journalism, art, and entertainment.
SB 9 strengthens the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System by standardizing sick leave policies, capping pensionable sick leave at 12 days per year, and requiring districts to cover the costs of additional leave. It also mandates 30 days of maternity leave by 2030, ensures TRS reports sick leave liabilities, and allows state audits for oversight. The bill aligns administrator leave policies with teacher leave policies to improve pension sustainability and fairness.
SB 38 allows school bus cameras to enforce stop arm violations, increases fines for offenders, and allocates funds for camera systems. It clarifies stopping rules on divided highways and bans autonomous vehicles for student transportation.
SB 68 reduces school administrative burdens by eliminating certain reporting requirements, clarifies school board tax authority, expands career and technical education, and repeals outdated statutes.
SB 130 creates new criminal offenses for gift card fraud to make it a Class D felony to tamper with or steal gift cards. It defines “face value” for prosecution and strengthens law enforcement tools to combat financial fraud.
SB 132 protects medical professionals’ rights to decline participation in procedures that violate their conscience. It prohibits retaliation, ensures professionals can access complaints filed against them, and includes an emergency clause for immediate effect.
SB 133 enhances combat sports oversight by redefining “exhibition,” requiring sanctioning bodies to notify the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission of events, and strengthening regulatory compliance.
SB 136 modernizes Kentucky’s vehicle registration and licensing processes by streamlining KAVIS, ensuring consistent insurance valuations for totaled vehicles, and expanding REAL ID eligibility for Freely Associated States citizens.
SB 162 strengthens unemployment fraud prevention by mandating notification of suspected fraud, disqualifying individuals under investigation from benefits, and tightening misconduct-related termination rules.
SB 181 establishes traceable communication systems for school employees and volunteers when messaging students, requires parental notification, and mandates reporting of unauthorized communication to school officials and the Education Professional Standards Board.
SB 183 requires proxy advisers working with state retirement systems to prioritize financial outcomes over environmental, social and governance (ESG) activism, mandates economic analysis for certain shareholder votes, and reduces reliance on politically motivated investment decisions.
SB 190 expands charitable gaming by increasing the number of allowable bingo sessions from two to three per week and extending the maximum gaming hours from 10 to 15. The changes take effect July 1.
SB 193 requires the secretary of state to issue a jailer service card to individuals who served as elected or appointed jailers, provided they were not removed from office or disqualified.
SB 202 regulates cannabis-infused beverages to protect consumers and establish oversight under The Kentucky Department of Alcohol Beverage Control. It limits products to 5 mg per serving, requires a University of Kentucky Cannabis Center report by Nov. 1, and allows existing inventory exceeding the new limits to be sold until May 1.
SB 207 creates a waiver process for public schools to implement innovation strategies. This process allows them to tailor academic offerings, expand programs, and apply for state-approved flexibilities while maintaining oversight.
SB 218 improves financial transparency by directing the Kentucky Department of Revenue to create an online hub for local government spending and tax information with public access by 2026.
SB 257 creates the Office of Government Efficiency within the Auditor of Public Accounts Office to identify waste, improve cost-effectiveness, and enhance transparency. It formalizes the auditor’s structure, authorizes staffing and funding for efficiency initiatives, and takes effect July 1, 2026. The bill builds on a decade of legislative efforts to ensure fiscal discipline, strengthen pensions, boost reserves, and lower income taxes.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 67 directs the Legislative Research Commission to create the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force to study disaster mitigation and infrastructure resilience. The task force must produce a report by December 1.
Several House measures were delivered to the Governor’s desk.
House Bill (HB) 191 expands eligibility for burial in Kentucky state veterans’ cemeteries to certain National Guard and Reserve members and their families, aligning with federal standards. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.
HB 216 allows Department of Agriculture employees (excluding Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy staff) to apply for funds, awards, or contracts from the office. Includes an emergency provision.
HB 219 requires emergency medical providers to receive sexual assault emergency response training but does not mandate certification.
HB 234 expands Kentucky Office of Homeland Security grants to airport security personnel. It directs firearm sale funds toward protective gear and technology to enhance safety and policing.
HB 241 provides school districts relief from excessive closures by granting up to five additional NTI days, allowing extended school days, and waiving certain instructional day requirements. It prevents KDE from limiting virtual program enrollment.
HB 261 permits retired CPAs to provide unpaid services such as tax preparation and nonprofit board participation without forfeiting their CPA license.
HB 262 allows small CPA firms to retain the name of a deceased or retired owner.
HB 391 increases the threshold for selling pure Kentucky honey without regulatory permits from 150 to 500 gallons to support small-scale beekeepers.
House Concurrent Resolution 20 directs the Legislative Research Commission to study access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) in Kentucky, with training led by the state’s Sexual Assault Response Team Advisory Committee.
Once we wrap these final legislative days, we’ll enter the veto period to give the Governor time to review the bills we’ve sent to his desk. He can sign them into law, let them take effect without his signature, or issue a veto. When we return for the remaining two days of session, the legislature can override any vetoes with a majority vote in both chambers. This ensures that our work isn’t undone at the last minute, and the policies we’ve worked hard to pass stay on track.
Don’t forget to follow legislative coverage at legislature.ky.gov and find live and archived meeting footage at KET.org/legislature and the KY LRC Committee Meeting YouTube Channel. Don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at 502-564-8100 or Danny.Carroll@lrc.ky.gov.