FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 20, 2026) — Lawmakers overrode a veto on a major education bill this week, advanced two key bills on firearms, and kicked off negotiations between the House and Senate on a handful of bills related to the state’s next two-year spending plan.
The Kentucky General Assembly is inching ever closer to the veto recess – a 10-day period reserved on the calendar for the governor to consider vetoes of any recently passed legislation.
Lawmakers save two days at the end of the recess to reconvene and potentially override any vetoes the governor issued during the break.
The general assembly has already overridden two vetoes so far, including one this week on House Bill 1, which will clear the way for Kentucky to participate in the new federal educational tax credit program.
U.S. Congress created the program last year through passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
It allows taxpayers to contribute up to $1,700 to scholarship organizations that assist K-12 students in public and private schools. Families can use the funds for a wide range of education-related expenses, and taxpayers would receive a matching federal tax credit for contributions.
The House voted to override the governor’s veto on Monday and the Senate followed suit on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, both chambers moved forward on bills related to firearms that have garnered debate throughout the session.
The House on Tuesday passed House Bill 78, legislation that would codify federal standards outlined in the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005. It would prevent firearms manufacturers and sellers from facing lawsuits when guns are used in the commission of a crime.
The measure cleared the chamber 75-17 and has been sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which voted Thursday to advance a separate measure on Kentucky’s concealed carry law.
House Bill 312 would allow Kentuckians aged 18 to 20 years old to obtain a provisional concealed carry permit after undergoing a background check and firearms training.
The full Senate voted 30-7 to give the bill final passage on Friday following a debate over public safety, gun rights and the maturity of people in the age group. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.
Many other high-profile bills made progress this week, including legislation on the death penalty, impeding first responders, nuclear energy, school governance, license plate readers, financial exploitation, literacy and gaming.
But for many, the state budget remains at the center of the action this year.
The Senate unveiled its versions of the state budget bills on Wednesday, passing the measures out of committee in the morning and off the Senate floor later in the day.
The House did not concur with the Senate’s changes to the bills, and the Senate refused to recede, setting the stage for a conference committee to begin meeting Friday afternoon to nail down a compromise.
The two chambers appear close on many priorities but differences remain on about two dozen points, including money for performance-based funding in higher education, payments to Medicaid managed care organizations, unfunded pension liabilities, funding for out-of-home care, raises for county sheriff’s deputies, and other provisions.
In a rare move, the House also voted 73-13 Friday to adopt articles of impeachment against Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Muth Goodman over allegations of abusing judicial discretion and authority in six court cases.
A House impeachment committee heard testimony from Goodman and her attorneys on Monday, and lawmakers debated the impeachment resolution for close to two hours before Friday’s vote.
The measure – House Resolution 124 – calls for the appointment of a committee to prosecute the articles of impeachment before the Senate.
Friday marked day 51 in this year’s session, and many other bills are making headway toward the finish line. Here’s a look some of the other bills that moved forward this week:
Motor Vehicle Racing – House Bill 425 would enhance the penalties for illegal street racing with increased fines and provisions for impounding and forfeiting vehicles used in the races. The House advanced the measure Monday.
Death Penalty Regulations – Under Senate Bill 251, the Kentucky Department of Corrections would no longer be required to promulgate death penalty regulations and could implement execution protocols and procedures through internal policy, memorandum or similar action. Supporters say the change would help end an impasse over death penalty regulations in the courts and clear the way for executions to resume in Kentucky. The Senate passed the bill Monday.
Kentucky State Police – Senate Bill 278 calls for the commissioner of Kentucky State Police to allow state troopers to participate in approved, off-duty law enforcement work for public entities, entities that receive state funding and certain ticketed events. The legislation cleared the Senate on Monday.
Missing Children – Senate Bill 289 would provide more flexibility to issue Amber Alerts when a child is missing and may be in danger. The Senate voted for the bill Monday.
KEES Scholarships – House Bill 298 would expand the eligibility requirements from the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship program, allowing students enrolled in noncertified schools to obtain scholarships based on equivalent grade point averages. The House Postsecondary Education Committee passed the measure Tuesday.
Student Housing – House Bill 766 calls on Kentucky colleges and universities with on-campus living requirements to provide a formal exemption process for qualifying students. The bill seeks to allow more students to opt out of these requirements, potentially reducing overall education costs. The legislation received a nod from the House Postsecondary Education Committee on Tuesday.
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 House Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee voted Tuesday to move the bill forward.
Hearing Aids – House Bill 164 would increase the coverage amounts that health insurance plans provide for purchasing hearing aids and related services for minors. The bill cleared the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on Tuesday.
Nuclear Energy – Senate Bill 57 would create the Nuclear Reactors Site Readiness Pilot Program to help energy providers obtain licenses and permits related to site work for nuclear power projects. The program would provide up to $25 million in grant funding to each of three projects in Kentucky. The House Appropriations and Revenue passed the legislation 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. The fund could accept grants, appropriations and other types of contributions to support research and services. SB 69 received a favorable vote in the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee on Tuesday.
School Safety – House Bill 643 would allow school districts to implement a wearable panic alert system so that teachers and staff can silently notify first responders in the event of a security threat. The House voted Tuesday to move the bill forward.
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 Senate Health Services Committee passed the bill Wednesday.
Student Violence – Senate Bill 101 would mandate that local boards of education expel students for a minimum of 12 months when a student in grades 6–12 recklessly or intentionally causes or attempts to cause physical injury to a district employee on school grounds or at a school function. The measure cleared the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee on Wednesday.
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 Senate State and Local Government Committee advanced the legislation Wednesday.
License Plate Readers – House Bill 58 would limit the use of readers to largely public safety purposes, such as regulating parking, controlling access to secured areas, deterring crime and conducting criminal investigations. The state Transportation Cabinet could also use readers for toll and revenue collection and certain enforcement needs. HB 58 also would require data captured by automatic license plate readers to be deleted after 90 days, with limited exceptions for criminal investigations and other needs. The Senate Transportation Committee voted in favor of the bill Wednesday.
Financial Exploitation – House Bill 794 would increase the penalties for financially exploiting a person age 65 and older. The House passed the bill Wednesday.
Energy Study – House Joint Resolution 77 would direct the Kentucky Energy Planning and Inventory Commission to conduct a comprehensive assessment of coal resources and electricity affordability in the region. The study aims to provide lawmakers with research and data that could guide future energy and economic policy decisions affecting coal-producing communities. The measures cleared the House on Wednesday.
Medal of Distinction – House Bill 644 would create the Kentucky General Assembly Medal of Distinction and establish criteria and a selection process for the award. The bill won support on the House floor Wednesday.
Child Welfare – House Bill 778 proposes multiple changes to Kentucky law related to child welfare. It seeks to ensure safe and adequate foster care placements and that children in foster care are not placed with someone on the sex offender registry. Also under HB 778, child injuries caused by ingestion or inhalation of a controlled substance would be included in the definition of neglect, and neglect would be added to the child abuse statute. The House passed HB 778 on Wednesday.
Dismissed Eviction Records – House Bill 338 calls for the automatic expungement of dismissed eviction filings and would protect minors from being listed in eviction cases. The bill cleared the House on Wednesday.
School Bus Safety – House Bill 7 would allow school districts to install traffic cameras on school buses to help enforce laws against stop-arm traffic violations. The Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee passed the measure Thursday.
Public Utilities – Senate Bill 8 seeks to modernize the Kentucky Public Service Commission to better handle utility regulations, infrastructure investment and rate cases. Among many provisions, it would expand the commission from three to five members and establish professional qualification standards for members. The House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy passed the bill Thursday.
Alternative Sentencing – Senate Bill 122 aims to keep families intact when a parent is convicted of a felony. It would require Kentucky courts to consider alternative sentences for certain nonviolent felony convictions when the defendant is a primary caretaker of a dependent child. The House Families and Children Committee passed SB 122 on Thursday.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Senate Joint Resolution 54 calls on the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services to cooperate in exploring ways to increase enrollment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The resolution advanced out of the House Families and Children Committee on Thursday.
Expungement – Senate Bill 290 seeks to create an automatic procedure for courts to expunge convictions that meet the eligibility requirements under Kentucky’s expungement law. It would also waive a fee for requesting an expungement. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted for the bill Thursday.
Grooming – House Bill 4 would criminalize efforts to manipulate a minor into sexual contact with an adult, a practice known as “grooming.” HB 4 received a favorable vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
School Communications – House Bill 67 seeks to clarify a law adopted last year regarding communications between school employees and students. The Senate Education Committee voted in favor of the bill Thursday.
Literacy and School Employee Misconduct – House Bill 253 would end the use of the three-cuing method, a system used to teach reading, in Kentucky schools by the 2029-30 academic year. The bill seeks to replace that model with evidence-based reading approaches that emphasize techniques like phonics, vocabulary and fluency. The latest version of the bill also includes a provision that would prohibit schools from entering into non-disclosure agreements with employees related to abusive misconduct involving a minor or student. Another section calls on schools to share information on disciplinary actions related to abusive conduct when applicants are considered for a job at another school. The Senate Education Committee moved the bill forward on Thursday.
Physician Residencies – Senate Bill 137 would allow the state Board of Medical Licensure to issue a provisional license to a physician who completed residency in a foreign country and can meet other requirements. The applicant would need to provide an offer of employment from a licensed health care provider located in an underserved area. The House Health Services Committee voted for the bill Thursday.
Pesticide Labeling – Under Senate Bill 199, pesticides that display a warning label approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will have met legal standards concerning the duty to warn consumers about potential health effects. The latest version of the bill applies only to products that have an agricultural use label. SB 199 cleared the House on Tuesday and received final passage in the Senate on Thursday.
Storm Shelter Rebates – Senate Bill 11 would create a residential safe room rebate pilot program that helps homeowners pay for building emergency storm shelters. The goal is to provide matching grants using money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The rebate fund would not include state appropriations. The bill won support in the House Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee on Tuesday and cleared the House on Thursday. SB 11 has been delivered to the governor.
Sports and Charitable Gaming – House Bill 904 would overhaul multiple sections of Kentucky law on sports wagering and charitable gaming. Among other changes, the legislation would raise the sports wagering age from 18 to 21 and regulate fantasy contests. It would also ban proposition bets on Kentucky college athletes. The House passed the bill Thursday.
School Administrator Salaries – Senate Bill 2 would prohibit school administrators from receiving a percentage pay increase that is greater than the average percentage pay increase provided to classroom teachers in that district unless the increase is due to a significant change in job duties. The bill includes a waiver process for certain circumstances. SB 2 moved off the House floor Thursday and received final passage in the Senate on Friday.
Cannabis-Infused Beverages – Senate Bill 223 would prohibit open containers for cannabis-infused beverages in motor vehicles. It would also create a new permit that allows establishments already holding alcohol licenses to sell individual cannabis-infused beverages, by the drink, to consumers 21 and older. The Senate voted to advance the bill off the chamber floor Friday.
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners – House Bill 134 aims to expand the availability of sexual assault nurse examiners across Kentucky. It calls for a statewide coordinator to recruit nurses, facilitate training and improve collaboration between hospitals, law enforcement and rape crisis centers. HB 134 cleared the Senate on Friday.
School Leadership – Senate Bill 4 would create a three-year training program that provides leadership development and mentorship opportunities for new school principals in Kentucky. The latest version of the bill would also create an improvement advisory process for school districts that have more than four schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement. Other sections would overhaul the governance of large school districts, designating two seats on the school board for appointees of the state treasurer, each with expertise in finance. The House Primary and Secondary Education Committee moved the bill forward on Wednesday, and the measure cleared the House on Friday.
Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday for day 52 of the session.
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“Capitol Update” is a non-partisan publication of the Legislative Research Commission
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