Proposed on Jan. 23, Senate Bill 123 intends to limit written and road skills driving tests to only being available in English. The bill is meant to standardize the testing process to improve accuracy among testers. 

Driving tests are currently available in multiple languages to help improve comprehension in non-native speakers. It also makes it safer for them to be on the roads. By providing road regulations in multiple languages, it creates a similar experience on the road for everyone and makes it safer for all drivers.

The bill currently proposes to reduce accessibility for immigrants and refugees to earn their driver’s permits and licenses. If put in place, driving tests will not only be testing a person’s ability to understand road laws and operate vehicles, but also their ability to read and comprehend English.

To learn more about Senate Bill 123, read here.

Republican Senator Aaron Reed introduced Senate Bill 111, which will require each school to develop a “wellness plan” (recess) that incorporates between 15 and 30 minutes of supervised physical activity daily.

Additionally, the bill prohibits the denial of recess, unless there is an immediate concern for physical safety. Instead of denying recess, it allows for ‘appropriate supervised physical exercise’ to be used as a ‘student discipline tool.’

The bill was introduced on Jan. 20 and has not been reviewed since.

Senate Bill 105, proposed on Jan. 16, plans to implement similar provisions to students with dysgraphia that they do with dyslexia.

Dysgraphia is a neurological learning disability that impairs someone’s writing abilities. This impacts their fine motor skills, letter formation, spelling and organization on paper. The symptoms are usually messy handwriting, slow writing speeds, inconsistent spelling and cramped grips.

The bill would amend KRS 158.037 to include dysgraphia, require the annual update of the dyslexia toolkit and include dysgraphia within the kit, require universal screeners to be approved by the department and require school districts to report data on dysgraphia to the Department of Education. It would also allow for dysgraphia students to be eligible for academic help, such as an Individualized Education Program or a 504 plan.

The bill has yet to move from the Senate.

Brought to the Senate on Jan. 27, Senate Bill 2 would amend KRS 157.350 to make school districts ineligible to receive support education excellence funds if they pay their superintendent and/or administrators raises that are more than the teachers that are working in the classroom.

The bill would work on a district by district basis. District superintendents and administrators’ potential raises would be compared to district teachers’ raises. 

The bill is meant to ensure fiscal responsibility, prioritize classroom spending and prevent salary hikes that exceed raises of district teachers. It is also meant to increase spending transparency within school districts.

Senate Bill 2 was sent to the House Committee on Committees on Feb. 10.

Introduced on Jan. 21, Senate Bill 1 plans to restructure governing bodies within school districts that consistently have high amounts of underperforming schools. The bill would “repeal and reenact KRS 160.370, relating to duties of superintendents and local boards of education.”

The bill directly names Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), as the bill was made with the district in mind. JCPS has the most underperforming schools with 41 institutions being classified in the bottom 5% statewide. 

The bill would grant the superintendent more power over the individual school operations. 

The bill moved to the House Committee on Committees on Feb. 3.

House Bill 216 was introduced on Jan. 7, 2026, in the Kentucky House of Representatives. The bill proposes an amendment to Section 145 of the Kentucky Constitution regarding who is able to vote.

If the bill is passed, it would prohibit individuals who are “mentally disabled” from voting. Because the bill is a proposed constitutional amendment, it would not take effect immediately. Instead, the bill would include specific ballot language and be submitted to Kentucky voters for ratification or rejection in a future election. The bill is currently in the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.

House Bill 160, sponsored by Rep. Adrielle Camuel, would fully eliminate public charter schools in Kentucky by amending various statutes and repealing sections of KRS Chapter 160 and KRS 161.141 to remove their framework. 

There are currently no public charter schools in Louisville. Recently, the Kentucky Supreme Court blocked House Bill 9 (2022), which allowed publicly funded charter schools to open in the state. House Bill 160 enforces the court’s decision through removing the legal framework for any such schools to exist. 

A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates outside of the state school system, meaning it is publicly funded but privately operated. They have historically been controversial due to their lack of financial oversight and inequity in the school system.

Currently in the Appropriations and Revenue Committee, Senate Bill 6 seeks to add $150 million to a research fund created under KRS 164.038. 

“Whereas fostering research excellence, attracting renowned faculty, and improving economic opportunities is important for the citizens of the Commonwealth, an emergency is declared to exist,” the bill reads. 

The research fund exists to support five consortium accounts funding research at Kentucky public universities. Research proposals “prioritizing innovations that advance medicine, health, or economic development” are reviewed by a council to decide how the funding is split. One of the five consortiums originally chosen was the Kentucky Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Trust. If passed, the money from Senate Bill 6 will be split between these five consortiums. 

House Bill 141 would create a section in KRS Chapter 158. The bill entails requiring the Kentucky Department of Education to create “educational materials about Type 1 diabetes for parents and guardians of students.”

Furthermore, local boards of education and public charter school board of directors would be responsible for providing the educational materials to parents or guardians of students every year from preschool through twelfth grade. The bill was posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.

Introduced on Jan. 9, House Bill 289 would allow for students to enroll into school part time. 

The student would be required to follow normal school and graduation requirements and would not be able to participate in athletic programs, but the part time enrollment would not impact their attendance. The bill would also prohibit the school from discriminating against part time and nonresidential students or charge them and their families for tuition.

The bill would benefit nonresidential families who aren’t happy with the schooling available in their district and/or can’t make it into the building full time.

The bill is currently in the Primary and Secondary Committee within the House.

On Jan. 8, the Kentucky General Assembly introduced House Bill 257. The bill would encourage school districts to get further involved with their individual schools and student progression through the creation of accountability systems.

The accountability systems would be on an individual basis by students rather than the collective of the school. They would encourage districts to take on local indicators of quality such as community culture as well as focus on student attendance to help indicate school climate.

The bill aims to help promote positive school environments by using stricter processes and making the schools take accountability within their districts.

The bill is currently in the Senate.

On Jan. 8, the Kentucky General Assembly proposed House Bill 253. The bill would prohibit the use of three-cueing to teach students how to read.

Three-cueing is a method of reading based around three different elements of a word: the semantics, the syntax and graphophonics. It requires students to first focus on those parts to help figure out a word before defaulting to using the phonics.

The Kentucky General Assembly expressed their concerns with how the method impacts students in the long-term as well as dyslexic students. In the long-term, people who learned with the three-cueing method couldn’t go beyond a basic understanding of text and struggled when given more complex pieces.

As for dyslexic students, the three-cueing method heavily relies on visuals rather than phonics. This leads to more of a struggle for dyslexic students due to their condition and how it affects the look of words

House Bill 253 is currently in the Senate as of Feb. 13.

Currently both in the House’s Postsecondary Education committee, House Bills 275 and 298 seek to expand Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) requirements regarding private and parochial schools, ACT scores, Advanced Placement (AP) scores and grade point averages. 

The bills outline updated guidelines on reward amounts based on ACT scores, grade point averages and bonus financial rewards for high AP scores.

KEES money can be used for participating Kentucky colleges and secondary education programs. Currently, KEES requirements state that students must have a 2.5 GPA to be eligible, and other testing scores can add additional benefits.

Several firearm-related bills are currently under consideration in the Kentucky House, with House Bill 299 reassigned to the House Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee on Feb. 18, 2026. House Bills 126, 116, 113, 121 and 125 are currently assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 299 would make possession of a machine gun conversion device a Class C felony. The bill would create a new section of KRS Chapter 527 to define “machine gun” in state law and create criminal penalties for possessing any device that allows firearms to fire automatically.

House Bill 126 would “require background checks for private firearm sales and transfers” and “establish a penalty for violations.” 

House Bill 116 would create broader firearm regulations, including defining assault weapons, requiring firearm registration and licensing and mandating safe storage and reporting of firearm thefts. Some of these provisions would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

House Bill 113, known as the “Baby Dre Gun Safety Act,” would prohibit unsafe firearm storage that allows minors access and establish misdemeanor penalties. For example, the crime would be considered a Class B misdemeanor, but if it results in physical injury or death, then it would be considered a Class A misdemeanor.

House Bill 121 would require confiscated firearms to be destroyed instead of resold or redistributed.

House Bill 125 would prohibit firearm possession by individuals convicted of domestic abuse or subject to protective orders and require them to surrender their firearms. 

If these bills are passed, they will introduce new firearm safety requirements, restrictions and criminal penalties across Kentucky.

House Bill 44 was received in the Senate to Committee on Committees on Feb. 12, 2026, after passing in the House 91-0. The bill would create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to create a robotics fund and the Robotics Funding Selection Committee, which would provide competition sponsors from eligible robotics teams with grants from the fund. 

The committee would need to hold its first meeting by Oct. 15, 2026. It would also require the Kentucky Department of Education to create and implement regulations for the grant application process and distribution of awards. 

Currently in the House’s Primary and Secondary Education committee, House Bill 243 would require that organ donation be taught within health classes, or students will not graduate. 

The bill itself would amend KRS 156.160 to require high school students to learn about administrative restrictions on organ donation as part of graduation requirements.

If passed, the bill will expand knowledge of organ donation within the state of Kentucky.

Currently in the House’s Transportation committee, House Bill 223 would restrict public schools from using autonomous vehicles as school buses or main transportation for students.

An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle that uses sensors, cameras, radar or artificial intelligence to navigate, steer or operate without human intervention.

The bill would prohibit any usage of a vehicle as school-affiliated transportation if it isn’t operated by a human with a commercial driver’s license. This would restrict vehicles with automated driving features from being registered as school buses.

Currently in the House’s Banking and Insurance committee, House Bill 21 was would require state mandated insurances, like Medicaid, to provide financial coverage to women at higher risk of postpartum depression and mental health problems.

The bill explains that people at higher risk of mental health issues postpartum, such as dealing with a miscarriage or stillbirth, shall receive coverage on medical visits that seek to prevent those issues from growing. It also outlines that violators may face suspension. Lastly, the bill will amend three previous policies to align with this bill.

This bill helps to reduce postpartum mental health problems, even for those in lower income areas across Kentucky.

Introduced on Jan. 7, House Bill 191 would “require that all public schools in Kentucky devote 1 class or instructional period for the observance of Constitution Day,” among other requirements. Rep. DJ Johnson and six other Republican representatives sponsor the bill, and it is currently in the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee.

Constitution Day, referred to as Constitution and Citizenship Day and celebrated on Sept. 17, was created in 1952 to honor American citizens and the signing of the Constitution. Under U.S. law, local governments are encouraged to “make plans for the proper observance” of this holiday in order for “the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens.” 

House Bill 102, proposed on Jan. 7, aims to enhance protections for students in the public school system. Sponsored by James Tipton, Emily Callaway and Aaron Thompson, the bill would prohibit public schools and public charter schools from “entering into a nondisclosure agreement relating to misconduct involving a minor or student.” 

It would also require school district applicants to reference any violations relating to misconduct in the previous 12 months and mandate schools to provide records relating to alleged abusive conduct.

The bill wants to ensure a safer environment for students and to protect their well-being while under the school’s authority.

Introduced by Lindsey Tichenor (R-6), Senate Bill 26 would ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Kentucky schools if passed. 

The bill would prohibit the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), a school, district or board, from spending any money on DEI, “providing deferential treatment or benefits” to someone based on DEI training, or spreading or profiting from any material “promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion.”

The proposed bill mirrors the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) actions to eliminate DEI in early 2025, which has primarily affected higher education. However, in April 2025, the DOE also sent letters to school boards across the country, including Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), illustrating a “civil rights compliance form.” JCPS declined to sign the letter, citing that the district was in compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

House Bill 55, which Daniel Fister (R–56) sponsored, says that parents have fundamental control over their children’s “care, custody, and control,” along with their access to cell phones. 

Fister, who sponsored a law last year that required a moment of silence every morning in public schools, justifies the bill with parental rights.

“HB 55 was written at the request of several parents who had tried to have parental controls installed on their minor children’s cell phone only to be told that the respective carriers would not do so,” he said in an email. 

This follows other, similar bills, including one last year that made Kentucky among the majority of states to ban cell phones.

Introduced by James Tipton, House Bill 99 would define how exactly to go about making new school districts. If approved, it would include provisions for the petition process for voters, the provisional process to elect new board members, how to transition between the old and new boards of education and the calculation of assets and liabilities. It also establishes a deadline for the end of the negotiation. 

It also requires the continued collection of taxes under the old district until the new district is fully operational and waives student-based decision-making within schools for the first year of operation. The bill aims to create a distinct and structured procedure to create new school districts. It is not planned to be implemented to split up school districts like House Bill 11.

Introduced on Jan. 6, House Bill 19 would prevent the Kentucky Board of Education from approving a working budget or salary schedule for educators. If approved, this would stay in place until the board increases salary for certified and classified employees that would align with the increase outlined by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. This is a measure of the average change of prices paid by urban consumers.

The bill aims to help keep school staff salaries in place with the rising cost of living. The bill doesn’t include any staff benefits such as provided insurance or retirement funds. If the bill is passed, it would declare a state of emergency that goes into effect July 1.

On Jan. 7, the Kentucky General Assembly introduced House Bill 94. The bill would require the Council on Postsecondary Education to develop and implement statewide transfer pathways between public colleges, such as Jefferson Community and Technical College and “baccalaureate programs” or bachelor’s programs. This would mean if a student were to transfer from a public institution to a state college, their credits would move over with them. 

To make sure the credits are transferred, the Council on Postsecondary Education would be required to provide a written notification and stay in contact about credit transfers to the public postsecondary institution.

The bill is meant to simplify the process of transfer for students and potentially reduce the time needed to complete their courses.

Rep. Mark Hart and Rep. Kim Banta sponsor House Bill 104, which would require any organizations containing youth members or involvement to submit a request to the superintendent of a school district to allow said organization to distribute information about youth involvement.

The request submitted to the superintendent must include “information regarding how the organization furthers the educational interests and civic involvement of students consistent with character education.”

House Bill 20, sponsored by Rep. Lindsey Burke, would require state healthcare plans to extend coverage for reproductive healthcare including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination. The bill extends coverages for two cycles and includes all healthcare costs for both cycles. 

In addition to House Bill 20, Burke also sponsored House Bill 22 with Rep. Adrielle Camuel. The bBill would end a ban on insurance covering abortions. In addition, the bill allows Gov. Andy Beshear to suspend abortion related statutes during emergencies, allow school districts to provide abortion counseling through a family resource center, permit financial aid for abortions, among other changes.

Rep. Lindsey Burke and Rep. Adrielle Camuel introduced House Bill 18 on Jan. 6 in order to define “ammunition” and “firearm” as well as to increase firearm safety and establish liability for owners. This bill also would require that owners and sellers of firearms and/or ammunition report any theft that occurred within 24 hours of the event. Anyone who chose not to report the theft or loss of their firearm would take civil liability in any crime committed with said weapon. It also would establish that anyone who provided a firearm to a minor would have civil liability were someone to be injured or killed by the firearm. This means that the owner or provider of the firearm would have a legal obligation to provide compensation for the victim(s) of harm or injury caused by the weapon. 

On Jan. 7, the Kentucky General Assembly put forth House Bill 186. The bill restricts anyone who is not a United States citizen from being a candidate for “county commissioner, city mayor, city legislative body member, board of education member, and soil and water conservation district supervisor.” 

The bill sponsors include Rep. Shane Baker, Rep. John Hodgson and Rep. T.J. Roberts. The changes would affect the current Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Vice Mayor, Dan Wu. On Jan. 8, Baker also filed a bill that would extend the ban to all other non-federal Kentucky offices.

“I hope that our state representatives will focus on the real work of helping Kentuckians with real issues like housing and food insecurity rather than culture war distractions,” Wu said in a statement to the Lexington Herald-Reader.

The Kentucky General Assembly introduced House Bill 23 on Jan. 6. The bill is meant to put protections in place for women from outside of the Commonwealth that are seeking reproductive healthcare as well as anyone assisting them. It would also create civil consequences for violations of the bill, such as state interference with travel or procedures.

If approved, the bill would also waive Kentucky’s sovereign immunity. This would mean that Kentucky would be open to legal action, such as lawsuits, from other legal bodies without Kentucky’s consent. The bill wouldn’t open up abortions within the Commonwealth. The state restrictions on abortion would stay in place under The Human Life Protection Act or House Bill 148.

On Jan. 6, the Kentucky General Assembly introduced House Bill 17, “an act relating to one-time payments to school district employments, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.” The bill would direct local school districts to provide a one-time payment of $2,000 to certified employees and a one-time payment of $1,000 to classified employees in each year of the 2026-2028 biennium. 

The bill is meant to help teachers and other educators in a time of financial uncertainty. The payments would be placed on top of their usual salaries.

The Kentucky General Assembly allotted $153 million from the Budget Reserve Trust Fund to be used towards the bill if approved. The Kentucky Department of Education can also decrease the amount of money included in the payment if the original budget is insufficient.

Rep. Jared Bauman introduced a bill that would give the Louisville Metro Council the power to split JCPS into at least two districts. The split would be done through a public hearing and majority vote within the council before heading to Jefferson County voters. The bill does not specifically name JCPS, but mentions a “persistently underperforming school district” as measured by the Kentucky Department of Education.

Currently, Bauman does not have the support of the House or the Senate on this bill. It is also not known to have any priority within the legislative season. Despite not directly naming the district, the bill is aimed to help deal with the consistent issues that JCPS has seen in the past few years, such as the ongoing budget deficit and spikes in behavioral issues.

“I think that JCPS is in serious need of reform and change,” Bauman said to WHAS 11 news.

At this moment, JCPS is yet to publish a statement on the matter.

The Kentucky State General Assembly adjourned its first day of the 2026 legislative session on Tuesday. The Assembly’s legislative priorities for this 60-day session include economic competitiveness, education and workforce, health care, energy and environment, and infrastructure. 

This year, the assembly is being held in a temporary facility due to ongoing renovations at the state Capitol. The project cost the state $291 million and began in 2022, though the building did not close until August 2025. 

On the session’s first day, legislators introduced a combined 51 bills: 24 in the House of Representatives and 27 in the Senate. Legislators will continue to introduce, amend, pass and fail bills until the session adjourns on April 15.