| FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 7, 2025) — The 2025 legislative session is winding closer to sine die, and a heap of legislation is stacked up near the goal post after lawmakers worked into the evening this week to count votes and polish up bills for final action in the coming days. Major bills on college sports, campus diversity programs, learner’s permits, government efficiency, freestanding birthing centers and Kentucky’s film industry were all gaining ground throughout the week, along with a late-breaking proposal on cannabis-infused drinks. The beverages bill – Senate Bill 202 – calls for state regulations on intoxicating drinks derived from cannabis that have begun appearing in gas stations and vape shops. It would grant the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control authority over the licensing, distribution, and retail sale of cannabis-infused beverages, using a three-tier system similar to the one for alcohol. The legislation would also limit the amount of intoxicating cannabinoids in such drinks – sometimes referred to as “weed water.” SB 202 cleared a committee vote late Wednesday and passed off the Senate floor Friday after the sponsor removed a moratorium on the sale of such products that had appeared in an earlier version of the bill. Proponents said the products are not approved by the FDA and that additional oversight is needed to protect consumers, particularly children, from exposure to THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis. Critics largely agreed that regulations are needed, but said they would like to take more time to work through the proposal. The bill now heads to the House. Meanwhile, one of the most watched bills from this year’s session – House Bill 4 – has been sent to the Senate. The measure would prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at public postsecondary institutions. Specifically, it would forbid differential treatment in hiring, admissions, scholarships and other areas based on religion, race, sex, color or national origin. Among several other provisions, the bill would also prevent campuses from requiring or incentivizing students to in participate in D.E.I. training, and it would prohibit institutions from using resources on D.E.I. training, offices and initiatives. The legislation cleared the House Committee on Postsecondary Education on Tuesday and advanced off the House floor Wednesday 81-18 following impassioned debate over the impact of D.E.I. initiatives on students and staff. HB 4 has been assigned to the Senate Education Committee for potential action next week. Amid all the debates, two of the Senate’s priority bills have continued to move forward with relative ease. Senate Bill 1 would establish the Kentucky Film Office to administer the state’s film incentive program, help market the state to the film industry and develop workforce training. The bill cleared the Senate on Tuesday with a unanimous vote. Senate Bill 3, which would update Kentucky’s name, image and likeness law for college athletes, also cleared the Senate floor Tuesday without opposition and moved out of the House Committee on Economic Development and Workforce Investment on Thursday. The legislation would align Kentucky’s law – adopted in 2022 – with national standards, particularly in the aftermath of the House v. NCAA court case, which could open the door to universities directly compensating student athletes. In addition, a long-discussed measure on freestanding birthing centers has won renewed support in the House. House Bill 90 would create a legal framework for freestanding birthing centers to operate in Kentucky. The House Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations passed the bill Wednesday, and it cleared the House on Thursday 82-9. The general assembly has debated the issue for years, but the concept appears to be gaining support for a potential breakthrough in 2025, and a similar measure has already passed the Senate. Many other bills were on the move this week. Here’s a look at some of the legislation making headway: Squatting – House Bill 10 seeks to crack down on squatting by providing a more concrete procedure for property owners and law enforcement to quickly remove unauthorized occupants from private property. It would also spell out criminal penalties for squatters who damage property. The House passed the legislation Tuesday. Financial Literacy – House Bill 342 would require high school students to earn one credit in a financial literacy course before graduation. The bill cleared the House on Tuesday. Gift Card Scams – Under Senate Bill 130, individuals who tamper with gift cards with the intention to steal funds could face a class D felony charge. The Senate passed the bill Tuesday. Government Efficiency – Senate Bill 257 would create the Office of Government Efficiency within the state auditor’s office. The agency would evaluate and make recommendations to improve the efficiency and performance of state offices and programs. The bill cleared the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Monday and the Senate floor on Wednesday. Terroristic Threatening – Under House Bill 621, parents could face fines if their children are adjudicated for terroristic threatening and the threat caused law enforcement to incur an excessive cost during the response. The House Primary and Secondary Education Committee passed the measure Wednesday. Learner’s Permits – House Bill 15 would reduce the minimum age for getting a learner’s permit in Kentucky from 16 to 15 years old. The Senate Transportation Committee voted in favor of the bill Wednesday. Chevron Deference – Under Senate Bill 84, courts could no longer defer to a state agency’s interpretation when dealing with ambiguity in statutes, administrative regulations or orders, a practice known as Chevron deference. The bill on Wednesday cleared the House Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations. Cigar Bars – House Bill 211 would create a regulatory framework for cigar bars and allow the establishments to operate in communities that otherwise prohibit public smoking as long as the establishments meet certain conditions in the legislation. The Senate State and Local Government Committee approved HB 211 on Wednesday. Insurance Fraud – Senate Bill 24 would expand the definition of property and casualty insurance fraud to help crack down on unscrupulous contractors and public adjusters who charge unnecessary or fraudulent fees. The House Banking and Insurance Committee passed the bill Wednesday. Personal Image Rights – Senate Bill 7 would create legal protections to ensure that an image of a person’s unclothed body cannot be used for commercial purposes without explicit consent. The Senate passed the measure Wednesday. School Bus Cameras – Senate Bill 38 would allow school districts to install camera systems on school buses to help combat stop-arm violations. A portion of the fines from violations would be transferred to school districts to help cover the cost of the cameras. The bill cleared the Senate floor Wednesday. Childhood Hearing Loss – Senate Bill 93 would require all health benefit plans to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for children with hearing loss. The Senate passed the measure Wednesday. Street Racing – House Bill 465 aims to curb illegal street racing with tougher penalties for offenders. Violations would result in a $1,000 fine for the first offense and a $2,000 fine for subsequent offenses. Violators could also have their car seized, and for a second offense, spend up to 30 days in jail. The House passed the legislation Wednesday. Conversion Therapy – House Bill 495 would nullify an executive order that the governor issued in September regarding conversion therapy. The governor’s order banned the use of any state and federal funds on conversion therapy for minors and called on state officials to report practitioners of conversion therapy to licensing boards for potential discipline. The House voted in support of the bill Wednesday. Concealed Weapons – Senate Bill 75 would lower the age requirement to carry a concealed deadly weapon from 21 to 18. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the measure Thursday. Protective Orders – House Bill 38 would create tougher penalties for people who repeatedly violate protective orders. Offenders would face a class D felony if they violate an order three times within five years and the third violation involves the use or threat of violence. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced HB 38 on Thursday. Drone Surveillance – House Bill 19 aims to protect Kentuckians from unauthorized drone surveillance when they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. It would allow a person who is subjected to unauthorized surveillance to initiate a civil action in court. The bill received a green light from the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Tourism and Labor on Thursday. Kentucky History Month – House Bill 313 would designate June of each year as Kentucky History Month. The Senate Committee on Economic Development, Tourism and Labor passed the measure Thursday. Kentucky DOGE – House Concurrent Resolution 50 would establish the Kentucky Discipline of Government Efficiency Task Force to examine executive branch expenditures, identify opportunities to increase efficiency in government operations, and inform the biennial budget preparation process. The House State Government Committee advanced the bill Thursday. Moments of Silence in Schools – Senate Bill 19 would require public schools to hold a moment of silence and reflection for students at the start of the school day. The bill won support from the House State Government Committee on Thursday. School Panic Alerts – House Bill 14 would allow school districts to implement wearable panic alert systems for teachers, administrators and staff. The systems provide a portable panic button that, when activated, sends a silent distress signal to emergency responders. The House passed the bill Thursday. Teacher and Student Communications – Senate Bill 181 would require Kentucky school districts to implement policies for using only traceable forms of communication between staff, coaches, and volunteers and their students. The Senate Committee on Families and Children passed the legislation Tuesday, and the bill cleared the Senate on Thursday. Disaster Prevention Task Force – Senate Concurrent Resolution 67 would establish the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force to study disaster mitigation, risk assessment, infrastructure resilience, and planning for natural disasters that impact the state. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee passed the bill Monday, and the Senate gave the resolution a green light Thursday. Conscience Objections in Health Care – Senate Bill 132 would prohibit discrimination against health care professionals who decline to perform certain procedures that violate their consciences. The bill includes some exceptions for emergency care and sexual assault examinations. The Senate Health Services Committee advanced the measure Monday, and it passed the Senate on Friday. Sexual Assault Response Training – House Bill 219 would require medical providers in emergency departments to receive sexual assault response training. The bill received approval from the Senate Health Services Committee on Monday and cleared the Senate floor Friday. Sexual Extortion – Senate Bill 73 seeks to clamp down on sexual extortion by creating tougher penalties for offenders and more legal remedies for victims. It also requires schools and colleges to educate students and parents about the issue and display resources for reporting. The bill won support from the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and advanced off the House floor Friday. Interfering with a Legislative Proceeding – House Bill 399 would create criminal penalties, ranging from a class B misdemeanor to the class D felony, for interfering with a legislative proceeding if the intent is to prevent the general assembly from conducting business. The House passed the bill Friday. The general assembly is scheduled to gavel in on Tuesday for day 25 of the 30-day session. If lawmakers want a chance to override potential vetoes from the governor, they will need to finalized legislation by March 14. Kentuckians can 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. | 
