The Kentucky General Assembly adjourned its 2024 legislative session on April 15 after a 60-day legislative session. The legislature introduced more than 1,200 bills and approximately 215 were passed by both chambers.
Here is what you may have missed:
Data Privacy
Kentucky became the fifteenth state to enact comprehensive data privacy regulations when the legislature passed HB 15. This bill follows similar provisions first enacted by Virginia and does not impose major requirements on companies that have already taken steps to comply with other states’ enacted privacy laws.
When presenting the bill on the House floor, the prime sponsor, Representative Josh Branscum (R), stated, “I’m proud to work with the multitude of groups across industry sectors; business organizations, retailers, privacy security and tech experts, on a workable solution that accomplishes a primary goal, which would give consumers the right to protect their data. And House Bill 15 provides a much-needed baseline statutory framework.”
Unlike other comprehensive data privacy laws, Kentucky’s bill requires companies to conduct data protection impact assessments for certain higher-risk processing activities and obtain consent before processing consumers’ sensitive data. Many other states sunset their cure provisions after some months with the expectation that businesses should have fully implemented the consumer privacy protections by that time. The Kentucky bill, on the other hand, has a 30-day cure period that is not scheduled to sunset at any time. The bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.
Health
Lawmakers also passed the “momnibus bill,” which was amended into the provisions of SB 74 on the final day of session. The bill is a response to the high maternal death rate in the state. The measure takes a broad approach to keeping moms healthy, both before and after birth. The measure creates a special enrollment period to allow expecting mothers to enroll in health insurance when they become pregnant. Coverage requirements are outlined in the bill. To combat substance-use disorders in new mothers, the bill also increases access to mental health and psychiatric services.
Representative Kim Moser (R) said she was “thrilled” by the House’s passage of the bill and noted, “It’s a great policy for Kentucky, for … moms and babies in Kentucky.” Representative Lindsey Burke (D) called the bill “magnificent” and added, “It is a gift to the families of the commonwealth.”
Budget
State budgets are always significant during a legislative session, and Kentucky was no different. The passage of the two-year state budget, which came primarily in HB 1 and HB 6, consumed much of the legislature’s attention in 2024. After much back and forth, lawmakers settled on a $102 billion spending plan. Some significant appropriations include:
- $217,234,500 in fiscal year 2025 and $868,938,200 in fiscal year 2026 for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program grant;
- $84,481,100 in each of the fiscal years 2025 and 2026 for the Preschool Program; and
- $39,892,300 for fiscal year 2025 and $45,758,500 for fiscal year 2026 to implement a Section 1115 demonstration waiver to provide services to Medicaid-eligible individuals with substance use disorders.
What’s Next
The final day for any legislative action to occur is April 26. This is also the day when Governor Andy Beshear (D) must sign or veto any bills sent to him during the two-day veto period on April 12 and 15. Kentucky’s interim meetings begin in June and run through December. Legislators have already indicated a desire to address issues they weren’t able to finalize during the veto period, including diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives on higher education campuses. The legislature has yet to announce when meetings will occur, but if you would like to stay up to date on all interim meetings, please reach out to Costa Costidis at cec@stateside.com.
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