SENATOR PHILLIP WHEELER’S LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Week 11 of the 2024 Legislative Session
The 11th legislative week of the 2024 Regular Session has come to an end, with the pace of legislative activity increasing dramatically, as the Senate acted on many bills, most notably with the Senate presenting its version of the biennial budget.
Each of the following budget bills passed in the Senate this week and will now be discussed at length in what is called a free conference committee, a small group made up of House and Senate members.
House Bill (HB) 1 focuses on one-time investments in critical areas like infrastructure, economic development, and public safety, with the Senate introducing additional allocations to enhance Kentucky’s future. These include funds for road improvements, biomedical excellence, and support for state employee retirees.
HB 6 reflects a collaborative effort towards a conservative and fiscally responsible state budget. The Senate’s proposal within HB 6 emphasizes increased funding across education, corrections, health care, and veterans’ services, aiming to address key needs and stimulate economic growth while maintaining fiscal prudence.
Additionally, HB 263 appropriates funds for the operations and maintenance of Kentucky’s legislative branch, ensuring the continuity of legislative functions and effective governance within the state. Through strategic budget allocation, the Kentucky General Assembly aims to uphold its responsibilities and sustain operations in governing the commonwealth.
Free conference committee meetings will be live streamed on KET.org/legislature beginning on Monday, March 18.
Key Senate bills passed this week include:
SB 349 is a bill that I personally sponsored, and one of the most consequential pieces of legislation that I feel we passed this session. SB 349 offers a comprehensive solution to Kentucky’s energy needs by establishing the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission. This commission is tasked with evaluating electric generation capabilities, anticipating future energy demands, and overseeing power plant retirements to ensure a reliable energy supply for households and businesses. The bill mandates utilities to notify the commission at least a year in advance before submitting retirement applications to the Public Service Commission (PSC). Additionally, it stipulates that decommissioning of a plant can only proceed once its replacement is operational, guaranteeing uninterrupted energy provision. SB 349 also aims to promote transparency, efficiency, and reliability in Kentucky’s energy sector, fostering economic growth and prosperity.
SB 3 Reorganizes the administrative responsibilities of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the Department of Fish and Wildlife by removing oversight from the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet and redirecting administrative responsibilities to the Department of Agriculture. It also establishes the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the Department of Fish and Wildlife as independent departments of state government attached to the Department of Agriculture for administrative purposes only. The bill carries an emergency designation, meaning it would go into effect immediately upon being filed with the Secretary of State’s office.
HB 5 known as the Safer Kentucky Act, will require judges to accommodate parent’s schedules so they may be present for their children’s hearings. It will prohibit prosecutors from “stacking” similar charges on top of a carjacking charge and will prohibit a criminal defendant who received assistance from a charitable bail organization from getting similar assistance if he or she commits another crime. HB 5 also prohibits the use of deadly force solely to protect property and provides penalties to school personnel who fail to report suspected criminal conduct at school.
SB 128 aims to broaden youth employment opportunities in Kentucky by enabling nonprofit organizations to establish tailored work programs for minors aged twelve or thirteen. These programs emphasize the development of essential life and employment skills, overseen by the Department of Workplace Standards to ensure alignment with educational commitments. The bill also prohibits minors from working during school hours and engaging in activities related to interstate commerce to safeguard their educational commitments.
Senate Joint Resolution 170 directs the Council on Postsecondary Education to study expanding postbaccalaureate programs at Kentucky’s comprehensive universities. It aims to assess capacity, alignment with workforce needs, budget, revenue sources, enrollment, faculty recruitment, and economic impact. Results will be submitted to the Legislative Research Commission for consideration in 2025.
SB 232 introduces key changes to how decisions are made about public school buildings in Kentucky. It mandates that local school boards share their building plans with the state’s education chief, but without the state’s ability to block them. It establishes a clear process for approving property transactions by school districts. The bill also simplifies procedures, grants more financial flexibility, eliminates specific requirements for school librarians, and acknowledges employer contributions to child-care facilities. Emergency teaching certificates can be renewed for the 2024-2025 school year. These changes become effective on July 1, 2024.
SB 317 establishes property rights for individuals in their name, voice, or likeness, outlining protocols for transferring or terminating these rights. Additionally, it addresses liability, enforcement mechanisms, and damages incurred due to violations of these property rights.
SB 319 aims to strengthen support for victims of crime. They allow family members and caregivers to submit claims, revive closed claims with time limits for investigation, expand eligible claims and compensation amounts, remove the need to prove financial hardship, broaden medical service coverage (including for victims of human trafficking), and clarify program definitions and administrative responsibilities.
SB 368 mandates informing the Kentucky Department for Housing, Buildings, and Construction about a property’s use, enabling them to determine if an inspection is necessary to ensure compliance with the Kentucky Building Code. This notification process involves emailing the department when a property or short-term rental is listed on a relevant platform. These regulations specifically apply to R-1 properties, which encompass boarding houses, congregational homes, hotels, and motels.
House bills that received final passage this week include:
HB 5 known as the Safer Kentucky Act, will require judges to accommodate parent’s schedules so they may be present for their children’s hearings. It will prohibit prosecutors from “stacking” similar charges on top of a carjacking charge and will prohibit a criminal defendant who received assistance from a charitable bail organization from getting similar assistance if he or she commits another crime. HB 5 also prohibits the use of deadly force solely to protect property and provides penalties to school personnel who fail to report suspected criminal conduct at school.
HB 15 addresses consumer data privacy in Kentucky and establishes a consumer privacy fund with the Office of the Attorney General with exclusive authority to enforce those rights.
HB 281 adds the Division of Compliance and the Division of Sports Wagering to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, removing compliance from the duties of the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.
HB 447 will permit school districts to use district-owned, leased, or contracted passenger transportation vehicles to transport students to and from school and approved school activities under an alternative cost-efficient transportation.
The Senate Budget contains several important investments in Eastern Kentucky including $16 million for the establishment of a psychological residency program with ARH in Hazard and a $50 million fund for economic development in distressed counties throughout Kentucky. The budget now moves to the “conference” process where the state’s final spending plan will be nailed down. I will continue to fight for the inclusion of additional projects to benefit rural Kentucky in the final budget process.
Find more on these bills online at Legislature.ky.gov and visit KYSenateRepublicans.com for news releases from the Senate Majority Caucus.
Thank you for your continued engagement in the 2024 Regular Session. It is a privilege to represent you in Frankfort.
I’m excited for this session and take my responsibilities representing you seriously, and will continue to ensure that legislation is passed with eastern Kentucky’s best interest in mind. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if I or my staff can assist you by emailing me at Phillip.Wheeler@lrc.ky.gov or call toll-free at 1-800-372-7181.
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Senator Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, represents Kentucky’s 31st Senate District, including Elliott, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin, and Pike Counties. Wheeler is vice chair of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor, and the Senate Judiciary committees. He is also Capital Planning Advisory Board co-chair. Additionally, Wheeler serves as a member of the Senate Transportation, Natural Resources and Energy, State and Local Go
