Health bills continue to move in week six of the legislative session. Here are some of them:
Health care worker investment fund – House Bill 266, sponsored by Rep. Peyton Griffee, R- Mt. Washington, would include speech-language pathology or audiology licenses as eligible expenses in the health care worker investment fund, which was established during the 2023 Regular Session to alleviate Kentucky’s health care worker shortage through public-private partnerships. During the 2025 session, the General Assembly expanded eligibility to physician assistants, dietitians and nutritionists. HB 266 passed out of the House on Feb. 9, 95-0. It now resides in the Senate for consideration.
Choking prevention – HB 335, sponsored by Rep. Candy Massaroni, R-Bardstown, would allow schools and other government facilities to obtain anti-choking devices and provide legal protections for staff who use them during emergencies. The House Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection approved the bill Tuesday, Feb. 10. It now resides in the House for consideration.
Mental illness – HB 485, sponsored by House Majority Whip Jason Nemes and co-sponsored by Rep. Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, would change procedures for involuntary hospitalization and care of individuals with mental illness. The measure is intended to improve oversight of treatment decisions while ensuring individuals receive appropriate mental health care. HB 485 cleared the House Health Services Committee on Thursday, Feb. 12, with a committee substitute. It now resides in the full House for consideration.
Health care workforce licensure – HB 459, sponsored by Moser, would require the collection of health care workforce participation data by health care licensing authorities and create a license portability framework for out-of-state marriage and family therapists seeking to practice in Kentucky. HB 459 passed out of the full House on Friday, Feb. 13, 90-0. It will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Peer support specialist – HB 470, sponsored by Moser, would extend the deadline for alcohol and drug peer support specialists to become registered to Jan. 1, 2028. This bill would address concerns that access to care may be limited due to the initial 2026 deadline that was put into place by HB 505 that was passed during the 2024 legislative session. HB 470 passed out of the House on Friday, Feb. 13, 97-0, with a committee substitute, floor amendment and committee amendment. It now resides in the Senate for consideration.
Food is Medicine – House Joint Resolution 25, sponsored by Rep. Deanna Gordon, R-Richmond, would declare Kentucky a “Food is Medicine” state and direct state agencies to advance Food is Medicine initiatives. The House adopted the resolution on Feb. 11, 95-0. It now resides in the Senate for consideration. A similar measure, Senate Joint Resolution 23, sponsored by Sen. Shelly Funke Frommeyer, was adopted with a committee substitute in the Senate on Jan. 28 and now resides in the House.
Medicaid, non-opioid analgesics – Senate Bill 56, sponsored by Minority Floor Leader Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, would bar Medicaid programs and their pharmacy benefit managers from imposing stricter utilization controls on non-opioid analgesics than on opioids. The bill passed out of the Senate Health Services Committee on Feb. 11 and now resides in the full Senate for consideration.
Autism Trust Fund – SB 69, sponsored by Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, would create an autism spectrum disorder trust fund administered by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. It would allow individuals to donate their tax refunds to support research and support services. The fund could also accept grants, appropriations and other types of contributions. The bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee on Feb. 11 and resides in the Senate Orders of the Day.
Health care worker rights – SB 72, sponsored by Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville, would let health care workers refuse to participate in services that violate their sincerely held beliefs. It would also protect such workers from discrimination or retaliation from employers and government agencies. The Senate Health Services Committee passed the legislation 8-2 following a long debate on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Lawmakers clashed for nearly an hour Friday, Feb. 13, before moving the bill off the Senate floor on a 28-5 vote. SB 72 now heads to the House for consideration.
Substance use disorder program and funding map – Senate Joint Resolution 74, sponsored by Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, would direct the Legislative Research Commission and state agencies to collaborate to create a statewide fiscal map of substance use disorder programs and funding sources. SJR 74 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 12 and is posted for passage in the Senate Orders of the Day.
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Written by Melissa Patrick. Cross-posted from KY Health News.
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