FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 20, 2026) — The Kentucky General Assembly hit the midpoint of 2026 legislative session this week as lawmakers sparred over voting laws, advanced a measure to restrict early release of violent felons, and received some high-profile testimony related to the federal budget.
This year’s 60-day session reached the halfway mark on Thursday, the same day the first bill to pass both the House and Senate this year was signed into law by the governor – another milestone for the session.
Senate Bill 172 allows the Public Service Commission to mitigate large spikes in fuel adjustment charges that appear on electric bills. Under the legislation, the charges could be spread out over time rather that appearing on a single bill – if the changes are requested by an energy provider.
The measure is among scores of bills that will receive final passage in the general assembly this year, and two major deadlines related to bill filings are fast approaching on the legislative calendar.
March 2 will be the final day to introduce new legislation in the Senate, while lawmakers in the House have until March 4. That means lawmakers will be working next week to polish up bill drafts before the deadlines take effect.
Two measures inching closer to passage this week were Senate Bill 80 and Senate Bill 154, both related to voting in Kentucky.
SB 80 proposes an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution that would automatically restore voting rights to certain felons after they have completed a prison sentence, probation or parole. The Senate State and Local Government Committee advanced the bill Wednesday and the measure won support on the Senate floor Friday.
SB 154 would remove Social Security cards and food stamp cards from the list of secondary identification options that voters can use at the polls if they do not have a standard photo ID. The bill received a nod from the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Wednesday and advanced off the Senate floor on Friday.
Both bills now head to the House where lawmakers also passed a bill related to voting out of committee this week.
House Bill 534 seeks to identify and remove from voter rolls any felons or non-citizens that may be registered to vote in Kentucky. The House Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee approved the bill Thursday.
In addition to debates over Kentucky’s voting laws, lawmakers also spent more than an hour Wednesday deliberating on a proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution.
House Concurrent Resolution 45 calls on Congress to submit a balanced budget amendment for ratification by the states, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis grabbed headlines by testifying in favor of the measure Wednesday.
It was all part of a concurrent meeting of the House State Government Committee and the House Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs. Despite the prominent visit, lawmakers called the resolution for discussion only, and did not hold a vote.
Wednesday also brought impassioned testimony on a bill named after 6-year-old Logan Tipton, who was stabbed to death in his bed in 2015.
House Bill 422 – known as Logan’s Law – would clarify the insanity defense in state criminal law and eliminate the eligibility of some violent offenders for early release. The bill was filed after the man who killed Logan, Ronald Exantus, was released early from prison last year.
The measure received a go ahead from the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and now heads to the full House.
Dozens of other bills were on the move this week in the legislature. Here’s a look at some of the measures progressing through the process:
Kindergarten Readiness – Senate Bill 191 calls on the University of Kentucky to establish a pilot program that gauges the effectiveness of using financial incentives to encourage kindergarten readiness. The measure cleared the Senate Families and Children Committee on Tuesday.
Child Care Modernization – House Bill 6 proposes a broad overhaul of the regulatory framework for Kentucky’s child care sector. Specifically, it seeks to modernize the system, enhance data collection, and improve access and quality of services. The House voted in support of HB 6 on Tuesday.
Campaign Finance – House Bill 136 would allow the use of campaign funds to pay for the “reasonable costs” of security measures for candidates, office holders and family members. The bill cleared the House on Tuesday.
Autism Trust Fund – Senate Bill 69 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 Senate advanced the legislation on Tuesday.
Diabetes – House Bill 141 calls on the Kentucky Department of Education to provide informational materials on Type I diabetes to school districts for distribution to parents and students. The House Primary and Secondary Education Committee passed the legislation Wednesday.
Addictive Online Platforms – House Bill 227 seeks to protect minors from addictive features on social media platforms. It would require platforms to limit features designed to keep minors engaged for extended periods, such as auto-scrolling and algorithm-driven recommendations. It also would call on platforms to use existing age-verification methods to ensure parental consent is provided. The House Committee on Small Business and Information Technology moved the bill forward Wednesday.
License Plate Readers – Under House Bill 58, data from automated license plate readers could be stored for only 90 days, with some exceptions. The bill would also limit the use of license plate readers to specific activities like regulating parking, collecting tolls, and promoting public safety, among others. The House passed the bill Wednesday.
Missing People – Senate Bill 159 calls on local law enforcement to submit case information on missing people to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. The bill cleared the Senate on Wednesday.
Search and Rescue Benefits – Senate Bill 47 would align Kentucky’s search and rescue personnel with other emergency responders – paid and volunteer – regarding death benefits if they die in the line of duty. The bill received unanimous approval Wednesday from the Senate.
FAIR Teams – Senate Bill 162 would eliminate the requirement to use Family Accountability, Intervention and Response teams – known as FAIR teams – in the diversion process for juvenile offenders in Kentucky. The bill cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
Status Offenders – Senate Bill 170 would create a four-year pilot program in up to 10 school districts to help address barriers to school attendance and improve accountability among parents of habitually truant students. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the measure on Thursday.
Student Violence – Senate Bill 101 would mandate that local boards of education expel students for a minimum of 12 months when they become aware of an incident in which a student in grades 6–12 intentionally harms a teacher or other school employee on school grounds or at a school function. The Senate Education Committee voted in support of the bill Thursday.
Organ Donors – House Bill 510 aims to protect patients during the organ donation process by requiring additional verification steps before organ procurement can begin. It would also clarify that donor consent must be properly documented and that a patient must be formally declared dead before organs are donated. The House Health Services Committee advanced the bill on Thursday.
DNA Samples – House Bill 414 would require jails to collect a DNA sample when adults are booked into jail on a felony charge. The samples would be expunged if the suspect is acquitted, the charge is dismissed or the suspect is ultimately convicted of a lesser, nonfelony offense. The House Local Government Committee passed the bill Tuesday, and the legislation cleared the House floor on Thursday.
Mental Health Care – House Bill 485 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. The House passed the bill Thursday.
Impeding a First Responder – Senate Bill 104 seeks to prevent interference or harassment of first responders. It would create a 25-foot safe zone around police, firefighters and others while they are performing their official duties. Individuals who remain in the zone could face criminal charges if they ignore an initial warning to move back. The bill cleared the Senate on Thursday.
School-Based Councils – Senate Bill 152 would replace school-based decision-making councils with school-based advisory councils. The advisory councils would continue to provide feedback and recommendations to school officials, but final authority over hiring, curriculum and leadership would rest with the principal and superintendent under the bill. The Senate passed the bill Thursday.
Substance Use Disorder – Senate Joint Resolution 74 would direct the Legislative Research Commission and state agencies to create a statewide fiscal map of substance use disorder programs and funding sources to support better policy, budgeting and accountability. The Senate voted for the bill Thursday.
Fishing on Private Property – Senate Bill 39 would exempt private landowners from most statewide fishing regulations while fishing on their own property. The Senate passed the legislation Friday.
Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on Monday for day 32 of the session.
Kentuckians are encouraged to check the general assembly’s calendarfor updates. Kentuckians can also track the action through the Legislative Record webpage, which allows users to read bills and follow their progression through the chambers.
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.
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“Capitol Update” is a non-partisan publication of the Legislative Research Commission
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