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SPOTLIGHT

2023 legislative session enters final weeks

KACo advocacy team
Legislators were in Frankfort this week for days 21-24 of the 2023 regular legislative session. With only four working days remaining before the veto period many bills were on the move this week.

Legislation noteworthy to counties that saw movement this week:

HB 9, sponsored by Rep. Richard Heath, passed the House on Wednesday 98-0. The bill establishes the Government Resources Accelerating Needed Transformation (GRANT) Program to provide support and grant funding to leverage federal funding available to communities impacted by the loss of coal-related jobs in recent years. Eligible grant recipients include local governments and nonprofits engaged in public benefit improvements to priority communities designated by the federal Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. The working group has designated 41 counties in east and west Kentucky. The bill provides $2 million in funding for FY2024 and directs the Department for Local Government to partner with the Kentucky Council of Area Development Districts to administer the program.

HB 164, sponsored by Rep. Samara Heavrin, passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. The bill would allow county jails to hire people who are 18-20 years old to work in areas that do not have inmate contact.

HB 200, sponsored by Rep. Ken Fleming, passed the House on Wednesday 92-1. The bill establishes the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund which will incentivize partnerships between healthcare education/training programs and healthcare providers through scholarships for eligible students. EMS training programs and providers would be eligible for this program.

HB 380, sponsored by Rep. Susan Witten, was reported favorably out of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection. This legislation allows law enforcement agencies to hire individuals at age 20 for the purpose of sending them to basic training if that person will turn 21 by the end of the peace officer training.

HB 507, sponsored by Rep. Josh Bray, passed the House on Tuesday 63-34. The bill places a 2-year moratorium on building, construction, or remodeling projects on county jails that require the issuance of debt financing but includes exceptions for court ordered changes to facilities, repairs or renovations necessary to keep an existing facility in compliance, and replacement or rebuilding of facilities following a catastrophic event. 

HB 522, sponsored by Rep. William Lawrence, passed the House on Thursday 92-4. The bill increases the amount at which advertisement of bids for local government contracts is required from $30,000 to $40,000. 

 


If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Shellie Hampton, Director of Governmental Affairs (shellie.hampton@kaco.org) or Gracie Lagadinos, Associate Director of Governmental Affairs (gracie.lagadinos@kaco.org).

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