The Commonwealth of Kentucky is 58 days into its legislative session, with 43 to go.
Five bills have the opportunity to be passed through the House and Senate chambers before being signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear — and potentially affecting Murray State students and western Kentuckians.
The following bills are in various stages of the legislative process.
The status of these bills and the language used in their respective documents can be found and viewed on the Kentucky.gov website for the Kentucky General Assembly, or through the bill-tracking website, Legiscan.
House Bill 787
House Bill 787, sponsored by Rep. Kimberly Holloway, R-Paducah, would institute a domestic violence registry in the Commonwealth.
The parameters of this list would be similar to the sex offender registry. “Persistent offenders” would meet the criteria for registration if they are any of the following, as detailed in the bill’s current language.
- “Domestic violence offense” means a crime … when the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim meets the definition of family member or member of an unmarried couple as defined in KRS 403.720;
- any person eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of the offense, or any youthful offender as defined in KRS 15 600.020, who has been:
- 1. Convicted of, pled guilty to, or entered an Alford plea to at least two (2) domestic violence offenses; or
- 2. Placed on pretrial diversion pursuant to KRS 533.250 for at least two (2) domestic violence offenses until the diversionary period is successfully completed.
Offenders have the opportunity to be removed from the system if they meet certain requirements based on their specific convictions.
The passage of HB 787, while it stands only with the House Committee on Committees as of Feb. 26, would be the second instance for a registry of its kind in the United States, after Tennessee.
The Tennessee Legislature passed Tennessee Public Chapter 520, otherwise known as Savannah’s law, earlier this year, and it is operated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. In Kentucky’s case, as it’s detailed in the current text, the registry is to be handled by the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
House Bill 769
Meanwhile, HB 769 would extend KEES scholarship eligibility from five to eight years for students after high school.
If HB 769 passes, graduating high school students would have consistent scholarship funding for 16 semesters of their college career, rather than 10.
The bill would amend previous legislation, KRS. 164.7881 and 164.7884, to update the numeric language, and is currently sponsored by Rep. Pamela Stevenson, D-Louisville, and Rep. Tina Bojanowski, D-Louisville. Its last action was Feb. 26, with the House Committee on Committees.
House Bill 497
Another scholarship bill, HB 497, sponsored by Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorville, and Rep. Joshua Branscum, R-Russell Springs, would waive the tuition of students under 26, whose military spouse or parent was permanently disabled, or those killed in the line of duty as a volunteer or active firefighter, or police officer.
HB 497 would amend KRS 164.515, 164.2841, KRS 164.2842, KRS 164.507 and 164.020 in order to do this, and include female students.
It would also increase the student’s choice of the waiver, spending it already in higher education, such as Murray State, but allowance of using it at community colleges, vocational schools and others.
The bill’s criteria require the disabled or deceased be Kentucky residents, and the student regularly fills out the FAFSA among other criteria, and reasons for expiration should the student meet them like enlisting in the military.
As of Feb. 26, the Senate Committee on Committees passed HB 497 by a 56-36 vote after amendments to the bill.
House Bill 646
Another item of legislation, HB 646, has as many as 17 representatives sponsoring its content. The bill means to classify abortion-inducing medication as a Schedule IV drug.
According to the DEA website, the schedule classification of drugs and medication says schedule IV items have low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence, but are titled as a controlled substance.
For example, Xanax is a controlled substance, but HB 646 would mean to charge persons with first-degree guilt of possession — unless said persons are pregnant women, who are not to be construed with the penalties of this new law.
“(1) A person is guilty of importing an abortion-inducing drug when he or she knowingly and unlawfully transports any quantity of an abortion-inducing drug into the Commonwealth by any means with the intent to sell or distribute the abortion-inducing drug,” Section Four reads,
The alleged would be affected in the following way.
“(2) Importing an abortion-inducing drug is a Class D felony, and the defendant:
- (a) Shall not be eligible for pretrial diversion; and
- (b) Shall not be released on probation, shock probation, conditional discharge, or parole until he or she has served at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the sentence imposed.”
At this time, HB 646 is being reviewed by the House Judiciary Committee.
Senate Bill 156
The only bipartisan bill being legislated is Senate Bill 156, which would effectively end child marriage in Kentucky.
It is being sponsored by Republicans Sen. Julie Raque Adams, Louisville; Sen. Matthew Deneen, Elizabethtown; Sen. Shelley Frommeyer, Alexandria; Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, Smithfield; and Democrat Sen. Casey Chambers Armstrong, Louisville.
SB 156 defines a marriage in Kentucky as prohibited and void under the following conditions.
Marriage is prohibited and void:
- (a) With a person who has been adjudged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction;
- (b) Where the person marrying has not been divorced from a living spouse;
- (c) When not solemnized or contracted in the presence of an authorized person or society;
- (d) Between members of the same sex;
- (e) Between more than two (2) persons; and
- (f) With a person who at the time of marriage is under eighteen (18) years of age.
The bill passed the Senate by a 36-0 vote on March 3.
