(LEX NEWS) — Dozens of new laws passed during the 2026 Kentucky legislative session that will take effect Wednesday, July 15, impacting nearly every aspect of daily life in the state.
The Kentucky General Assembly passed more than 190 bills during this year's 60-day session. More than half of those measures become effective Wednesday. The state constitution specifies that new laws take effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns unless they carry special effective dates, are general appropriation measures, or include emergency clauses. Lawmakers adjourned the 2026 session on April 15, making July 15 the effective date for most bills.
Here is a look at some of the measures now in effect:
Affordable housing
House Bill 333 allows faith-based organizations to build small-scale affordable housing units on property located near religious institutions.
Alternative diplomas
House Bill 562 creates a new alternative diploma option for high school students with intellectual disabilities, allowing those students to be considered graduates rather than dropouts. It also directs the state Department of Workforce Development to create a one-stop shop identifying all Kentucky employers that will recognize the new alternative diploma as a valid high school diploma.
Alternative sentencing
Several provisions of Senate Bill 122 take effect today. Those provisions require Kentucky courts to consider alternative sentences for certain nonviolent felony convictions when the defendant is a primary caretaker of a dependent child. The goal is to keep families intact when a parent is convicted of a felony. Much of the bill will not take effect until later this year.
Campaign finance
House Bill 136 allows the use of campaign funds to pay for the "reasonable costs" of security measures for candidates, officeholders and family members.
Child pornography
House Bill 366 expands child pornography prohibitions to include computer-generated images of a minor. It also requires someone convicted of possessing or viewing child pornography to serve at least 85% of their criminal sentence.
Child welfare
House Bill 778 creates multiple changes to Kentucky law related to child welfare. It seeks to ensure safe and adequate foster care placements and that children in foster care are not placed with someone on the sex offender registry. Under HB 778, child injuries caused by ingestion or inhalation of a controlled substance will be included in the definition of neglect, and neglect will be added to the child abuse statute.
Concealed carry
House Bill 312 allows Kentuckians aged 18 to 20 to obtain a provisional concealed carry permit after undergoing a background check and firearms training.
Crystal Rogers Act
House Bill 305 seeks to preserve the integrity of grand jury proceedings by strengthening penalties for illegally recording or sharing information on a grand jury proceeding.
Death penalty regulations
Senate Bill 251 gives the Kentucky Department of Corrections the option to implement execution protocols and procedures through internal policy, memorandum or similar action. Currently, the department is required to promulgate administrative regulations to prescribe and implement execution protocols. Supporters say the change could help resolve long-term delays surrounding Kentucky's death penalty regulations.
Federal Education Opportunity Program
House Bill 1 clears the way for Kentucky to participate in the new federal educational tax credit program established by Congress in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The program allows taxpayers to contribute up to $1,700 to scholarship organizations that assist K-12 students in public and private schools. Families can use the funds for a wide range of education-related expenses, and taxpayers can receive a matching federal tax credit for contributions.
Food is Medicine initiatives
Senate Joint Resolution 23 declares Kentucky a "Food is Medicine" state and directs state agencies to advance Food is Medicine initiatives.
Fraudulent contractors
Senate Bill 153 helps protect Kentucky homeowners from abusive and fraudulent contractors following severe weather. It clarifies that vandalism committed for the purpose of an insurance claim is fraud. It also creates a post-disaster registry for roofing, siding and tree-removal businesses and prohibits door-to-door solicitations during declared emergencies.
Gaming
House Bill 904 implements broad reform in Kentucky's wagering and gaming laws. Among many provisions, HB 904 increases the age to participate in sports wagering from 18 to 21 and prohibits anyone on the attorney general's child support arrearage list from betting on online platforms. The bill also creates a comprehensive licensing and regulatory framework around fantasy sports and forbids negative outcome bets — also known as "under" bets — on college athletes who play on in-state teams. Another section prevents fantasy operators or betting companies from contracting with a prediction market that operates in Kentucky.
HB 904 also gives racetracks the option to offer fixed-odds wagering to help address public perception around computer-assisted bets that change the odds suddenly before a race. It creates a purse stabilization fund to ensure that any wagers from fixed odds still support the horse industry. Other sections relate to tote system modernization, charitable middlemen restrictions, and charitable gaming governance, fees and caps.
Grooming
House Bill 4 criminalizes efforts to manipulate a minor into sexual contact with an adult, a practice known as "grooming."
Ibogaine research
Senate Bill 77 calls for creation of an ibogaine research and intellectual property fund to be administered by the Department of Agriculture. It allows the department to partner with a drug developer to conduct clinical trials on using ibogaine to treat substance use disorders and other neurological and mental health conditions.
Impaired driving
Under Senate Bill 66, a suspect in an impaired driving case who refuses to submit to a blood test will have their driver's license suspended at the time of arraignment. If the person is convicted, their license will be subsequently suspended by the state Transportation Cabinet. The bill requires the cabinet to maintain records of moving traffic convictions for 10 years. It also adds clonazepam, cyclobenzaprine and fentanyl to the list of drugs that, when detected in a driver's blood, could lead to an impaired driving conviction.
Impeding a first responder
Senate Bill 104 seeks to prevent interference or harassment of first responders. It creates a 25-foot safe zone around police, firefighters and others while they are performing their official duties. Individuals who remain in the zone could face criminal charges if they ignore an initial warning to move back and intend to impede, threaten or harass a first responder.
Interstate compacts
House Bill 36 allows Kentucky to participate in interstate licensure compacts for respiratory therapists, athletic trainers and dieticians. The goal is to make it easier for people in these professions to locate to and practice in Kentucky.
Kentucky-grown agricultural products
Senate Bill 5 makes 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.
Kentucky State Police
Senate Bill 278 directs the commissioner of Kentucky State Police to allow state troopers to participate in approved, off-duty law enforcement work for public entities, entities that receive state funding and certain ticketed events.
License plate readers
House Bill 58 limits the use of license plate readers largely to public safety purposes, such as regulating parking, controlling access to secured areas, deterring crime and conducting criminal investigations. The state Transportation Cabinet may also use readers for toll and revenue collection and certain enforcement needs. HB 58 also requires data captured by automatic license plate readers to be deleted after 90 days, with limited exceptions for criminal investigations and other needs.
Logan's Law
House Bill 422 clarifies the insanity defense in criminal law. It also prevents juries and courts from applying the insanity defense inconsistently when returning verdicts for multiple counts arising from a single course of conduct. In addition, HB 422 makes repeat violent offenders ineligible for mandatory reentry supervision. The bill was filed after Ronald Exantus, the man who killed 6-year-old Logan Tipton in 2015, was released early from prison last year on mandatory reentry supervision.
Medicaid delivery study
Senate Concurrent Resolution 9 calls for a study of accountable care models used for Medicaid programs in other states. The study will also look at opportunities to implement such a model in Kentucky through a pilot program. The effort seeks to control costs and improve health outcomes.
Mental health care
House Bill 178 aims to support the psychiatric collaborative care model, allowing primary care providers, care managers and consulting psychiatrists to work together on a patient's mental health care.
Nuclear energy
Senate Bill 57 creates the Nuclear Reactor Site Readiness Pilot Program to help energy providers obtain licenses and permits related to site work for nuclear power projects. The program provides up to $25 million in grant funding to each of 3 projects in Kentucky.
Organ donors
House Bill 510 aims to protect patients during the organ donation process by requiring additional verification steps before organ procurement can begin. It also clarifies that donor consent must be properly documented and that a patient must be formally declared dead before organs are donated.
Pesticide labeling
Under Senate Bill 199, pesticides that display a warning label approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will have met legal standards concerning the duty to warn consumers about potential health effects. The final version of the bill applies only to products that have an agricultural use label.
Physician shortages
Senate Joint Resolution 116 directs the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University to coordinate a search for actionable solutions to physician shortages and to explore and expand health care opportunities in medically underserved areas.
Prison education programs
House Bill 5 establishes the Kentucky Community and Technical College System Prison Education Program, seeking to reduce recidivism and support workforce development. KCTCS will partner with the state Department of Corrections to build and operate a vocational training campus at Northpoint Training Center.
Provisional physician licenses
Senate Bill 137 allows the state Board of Medical Licensure to issue a provisional license to a physician who completed residency in a foreign country and can meet other requirements. The applicant must provide an offer of employment from a licensed health care provider located in an underserved area.
Real estate fraud
House Bill 264 seeks to combat real estate scams. It creates a legal presumption of fraud when someone advertises residential or commercial property for sale, lease or rent without ownership or authority.
School administrator salaries
Senate Bill 2 prohibits school administrators from receiving a percentage pay increase greater than the percentage pay increase provided to classroom teachers in that district, unless the increase is due to a significant change in job duties. The bill includes a waiver process for certain circumstances. One section related to removing principals has already taken effect.
School bus safety
House Bill 7 allows school districts to install traffic cameras on school buses to help enforce laws against stop-arm traffic violations.
School district governance
Senate Bill 1 effectively revamps 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.
School leadership
Senate Bill 4 creates a new training program that provides leadership development and mentorship opportunities for new school principals in Kentucky. Other portions of the bill have already taken effect, including language that prevents an employee of any Kentucky school district from running for a school board seat in a large school district. Another portion that has already taken effect reduces the number of school board members in Jefferson County from 7 to 5.
Sexual assault nurse examiners
House Bill 134 aims to expand the availability of sexual assault nurse examiners across Kentucky. It calls for a statewide coordinator to recruit nurses, facilitate training and improve collaboration between hospitals, law enforcement and rape crisis centers.
Stalking
House Bill 521 seeks to modernize state stalking laws to align with contemporary legal standards and better address behaviors that occur through electronic communications and social media.
Status offenders
Senate Bill 170 creates a four-year pilot program in up to 10 school districts to help address barriers to school attendance. It also aims to strengthen diversion of status offenders using Responsive Interventions to Support and Empower (RISE) teams and increased family involvement.
Storm shelter rebates
Senate Bill 11 creates a residential safe room rebate pilot program that helps homeowners pay for building emergency storm shelters. The goal is to provide matching grants using money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The rebate fund would not include state appropriations.
Student violence
Senate Bill 101 mandates that school boards expel students in grades 6 through 12 for at least 12 months if the student recklessly, with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or intentionally causes or attempts to cause physical injury to a school district employee on school property or at a school function. The bill includes some exceptions for students with disabilities.
Tax money
Senate Bill 59 prohibits tax dollars from being used to advocate for or against a public question on a ballot. It also establishes criminal and civil penalties for violators.
Veteran post-traumatic stress disorder
House Bill 369 creates provisions in state law that make veterans eligible to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in response to post-traumatic stress disorder.
