LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Representative Scott Sharp
Week in Review: Lawmakers pass and consider legislation during the 2025 Regular Session
This week, myself and my fellow legislators remained busy by filing and passing legislation, attending committee meetings, and meeting with constituents.
In particular, I have filed two bills which would introduce a number of proactive measures to ensure the continued safety and security of all Kentuckians:
House Bill 314: HB 314 would protect Kentuckians from a discriminatory financial practice known as a “social credit score.” These scores refer to the collection and use of alternative data such as personal beliefs or business affiliations in order to determine a person’s eligibility for services offered by a financial institution. Under the provisions of this bill, these institutions would be prohibited from using social credit scores to deny or otherwise limit their service offerings to the people of the commonwealth.
House Bill 315: HB 315 would prohibit any foreign entity from purchasing, leasing, or acquiring agricultural land in Kentucky if they are associated with a hostile foreign government identified by the United States. This has been a troubling trend and has alarmed many officials at both the state and federal level. Companies and investors who have strong ties to hostile governments such as China already own upwards of 400,000 acres of agricultural land across the nation, an unsettling amount of which is located directly adjacent key military bases and infrastructure. For example, a Chinese investment group once owned a swath of land located less than a mile from the F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, home to one of the United States’ nuclear missile launch sites. In 2023, the federal government identified their ownership of the land as a threat to national security and forced them to sell the property. This is a story all too common in other states, and many have already enacted similar measures to HB 315 in order to protect their citizens and the nation. Distinctly, HB 315 would only prohibit land purchases from these hostile foreign entities, and would not affect important agricultural business and trade partnerships farmers of the commonwealth have with foreign land holders affiliated with our nation’s allies such as Canada and Italy.
Of these two bills, the latter has been the source of some misinformation. I would encourage anyone who has questions concerning either of these proposed measures, or any others filed during this regular session, to visit our website at legislature.ky.gov. There, you can find the full text of each bill as well as a plethora of other information concerning the legislative process.
Several other pieces of legislation have already passed the House and will now move to the Senate for consideration including:
House Bill 15: HB 15 would allow a person who is at least 15-years-old to apply for a driver’s instruction permit. Currently, Kentucky law allows individuals aged 16 and older to apply for a driver’s instruction permit, which this measure aims to lower to 15. Kentucky’s neighboring states allow teens to apply for instruction permits at 15 or 15 ½. Additionally, this measure would require that an individual be 16 and have held an instruction permit for 180 days before obtaining an intermediate license. They must then hold their intermediate license for 180 days before applying for an operator’s license. Ultimately, this bill would allow an individual to obtain their operator’s license six months earlier, at the age of 16 ½, instead of 17 as allowed under current law. Additionally, the bill would extend the validity of a driver’s instruction permit from three years to four years.
House Bill 44: HB 44, also known as “Landon’s Law”, would address choking incidents in schools by mandating that if a school acquires an anti-choking device, cafeteria staff and other designated users, such as school nurses, must be trained in its proper use. In addition, it would provide civil immunity to any individual who attempts to administer emergency care using an anti-choking device or preforming the Heimlich maneuver. HB 44 applies to both public and private schools across the Commonwealth.
House Bill 45: HB 45 would bring consistency in election laws banning foreign nationals from attempting to influence our elections via donations and political advertising. Foreign nationals are already banned from donating to influence candidate elections, and this law would extend that ban to proposed ballot measures, like the constitutional amendments that were on our November ballot.
House Bill 191: HB 191 would expand interment eligibility in Kentucky state veterans’ cemeteries to include eligible National Guard and Reserve service members and their families.
House Bill 263: HB 263 would clarify residency requirements for eligible student-teachers through the Student Teacher Stipend Program administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority. During the 2024 Regular Session, the General Assembly successfully passed HB 377, which established the Student Teacher Stipend Program and Teacher Recruitment Student Loan Forgiveness Pilot Program. The General Assembly enacted these programs to support future educators’ journey to the classroom. HB 263 clarifies legislation that focuses on the determination of student residency, the distribution of the funds from the stipend program, and criteria for students conducting their student teaching outside of Kentucky.
As the 2025 Regular Session continues, I encourage you to tune in to committee meetings and floor proceedings live on KET.org and follow @KYHouseGOP on social media to keep track of things happening in Frankfort.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Scott.Sharp@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
