This Week at the State Capitol (2-6-26)
Snow continued to cover much of the Capitol campus during the fifth week of the 2026 legislative session. But it didn’t hinder the Kentucky General Assembly from acting on dozens of bills throughout the week. A high-res version can be found here.
FRANKFORT — Education remained in the spotlight during the fifth week of the 2026 legislative session as lawmakers advanced a series of high-profile bills on school governance, administrative salaries, budgeting, literacy, and academic assessments.
The Kentucky General Assembly hit the one-third mark in the 60-day session on Wednesday, and proceedings in the chambers continue to grow longer as more bills are called up for floor votes. The House, for instance, passed 14 bills off the floor this week.
On Monday, the Senate action focused on two bills that the Senate Majority has highlighted as priority education bills for the year.
Senate Bill 1 would effectively revamp the governance structure of Jefferson County Public Schools by creating more specific responsibilities for superintendents and boards of education in large, complex school districts.
The legislation also seeks to lay out a legal justification for why the general assembly has a compelling interest in intervening in large districts like Jefferson County. It follows a similar measure that passed the legislature in 2022, but was later struck down in the courts.
SB 1 cleared the Senate 29-7 and now heads the House.
The chamber was more united on Senate Bill 3, which seeks to enhance financial transparency within school districts. It calls on districts to publish financial documents online and establishes new timelines and procedures for adopting budgets, presenting information at public meetings and reporting on finances.
Lawmakers sent that measure to the House with a 35-1 vote.
The House Primary and Secondary Education Committee took up a major education bill on Wednesday that would end the use of the three-cuing model in Kentucky schools by the 2029-30 academic year.
The three-cueing approach teaches students to read by recognizing whole words and using context clues to decipher language. However, the model has faced growing criticism in recent years. House Bill 253 seeks to replace that model with evidence-based reading approaches that emphasizes techniques like phonetic awareness and phonics.
The committee advanced HB 253 with another bill focused on educational assessments.
House Bill 257 calls for the state’s education accountability standards to focus on student growth. It would also reduce state testing, prioritize attendance and allow districts to adopt locally-defined quality indicators.
Both bills now head to the full House for consideration.
Education emerged again on Thursday when the Senate Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 2. It would prohibit school administrators from receiving a percentage pay increase that is greater than the average percentage pay increase provided to classroom teachers in that district.
The committee also voted in favor of Senate Bill 4 to create a five-year training program that provides leadership development and mentorship opportunities for new school principals in Kentucky. The state would partner with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to provide intensive training during the fourth year of the program.
Both SB 2 and SB 4 now head to the full Senate.
Many other bills are progressing though the legislature, including measures on grooming, fluoride, trauma centers and housing. Here’s a look at some of the bills that moved forward this week.
Hearing Aids – House Bill 164 would increase the coverage amounts that health insurance plans provide for purchasing hearing aids and related services for minors. The House passed the bill Monday.
Cigar Bars – House Bill 194 would create clear guidelines for cigar bars to operate in local communities, including certain requirements related to smoke exposure, age limits and revenue thresholds, among others. The House advanced the legislation Tuesday.
Eating Disorders – House Bill 169 calls on health insurance plans that provide behavioral or mental health care coverage to also provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of feeding or eating disorders. HB 169 won support in the House on Tuesday.
Inmate Reentry – Senate Bill 48 would prohibit repeat violent offenders from qualifying for mandatory reentry supervision, which allows certain inmates to leave prison under community supervision near the end of their sentences. The Senate passed the bill Tuesday.
School Bus Safety – House Bill 7 would allow school districts to install traffic cameras on school buses to help enforce laws against stop-arm violations. The House Transportation Committee gave the bill a green light on Tuesday.
Robotics Education – House Bill 44 would create a state trust fund for promoting robotics education in Kentucky high schools. Grants from the trust fund would also support efforts to create community partnerships and career pathways for students in the field. The House Primary and Secondary Education Committee passed the bill Wednesday.
Grand Jury Confidentiality – House Bill 305 would extend the statute of limitations from one year to 10 years for prosecuting anyone who secretly records grand jury proceedings. It would also extend the statute of limitations for unlawfully sharing grand jury testimony from one year to five years. The House Judiciary Committee approved HB 305 on Wednesday.
Grooming – House Bill 4 would criminalize efforts to manipulate a minor into sexual contact with an adult, a practice known as “grooming.” The House voted for the bill Wednesday.
Geoengineering – House Bill 60 would prohibit the injection of certain chemicals into the atmosphere with the intent to modify the weather. The House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy advanced the bill Thursday.
Trophy Catfish – House Bill 397 seeks to preserve the trophy catfish population in the lower Ohio River by prohibiting commercial fishing and transport of live trophy catfish beginning in 2027. The bill cleared the House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy on Thursday.
School Board Financial Training – Senate Bill 71 would enhance the financial training requirements for local school board members. The Senate Education Committee voted in favor of the bill Thursday.
Fluoride in Drinking Water – House Bill 103 would allow officials at local water systems to opt out of adding fluoride to their water supply. The House passed the measure Thursday.
Backyard Chickens – House Bill 276 would allow residents to keep up to six chickens on their residential property for personal egg production or educational purposes. It would also prevent local governments from outright banning the practice of keeping chickens. HB 276 cleared the House on Thursday.
Locally-Grown Food – Senate Bill 5 would make it easier for Kentucky schools to purchase locally-grown food for student meals. It seeks to lift some procurement requirements and better connect students with the agricultural economy. The bill cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday and advanced off the Senate floor Thursday.
Trauma Centers – Senate Bill 12 seeks to allow more of Kentucky’s hospitals to be designated as Level IV trauma centers, particularly in rural areas of the commonwealth that are facing shortages in health care. Among several changes, the bill would ease some of the staffing standards required in current law. The Senate advanced the bill Thursday.
Veteran PTSD – House Bill 369 would add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of medical conditions that allow veterans to qualify for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The House Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection advanced the bill Tuesday, and the House voted in favor of the measure Friday.
Affordable Housing – House Bill 333 would allow faith-based organizations to build small-scale affordable housing units on property located near religious institutions. The House Local Government Committee passed the bill on Tuesday, and the measure cleared a House vote Friday.
Massage Therapy – Senate Bill 132 would strengthen local oversight of massage businesses while toughening penalties for unlicensed practices in an attempt to combat human trafficking. The bill cleared the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Wednesday and received a favorable vote on the Senate floor Friday.
Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on Monday for day 23 of the session.
Kentuckians are urged to check the general assembly’s calendar for updates. 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.
