In just around one hundred days, Kentucky lawmakers will convene the 2026 Regular Session and begin taking official action on dozens of measures aimed at improving the quality of life for our citizens. As you can imagine, the bills and resolutions we will consider and vote on do not appear overnight. In fact, they are the result of months – and sometimes years – of research, consideration, and collaboration.
When asked what will be on the legislative agenda when we meet in January, the House Speaker recently suggested that the answer lies with interim committee and task force meetings. And, I could not agree more. This week, several panels met to hear testimony from colleagues about measures they plan to introduce. While we are far from taking a vote, I do want to share with you what we are seeing and urge you to watch committees online on the legislature’s YouTube channel, @KYLRCCommitteeMeetings or @KYHouseGOP.
Ensuring State Facility is Safe for Young Athletes: Individuals known to pose a risk to children could be prohibited from visiting the Kentucky Horse Park or removed from park facilities under a proposal we will likely see during session. Specifically, this includes those whose participation in sports or activities has been restricted by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, an organization responsible for combatting abuse in sports.
Modernizing the Affordable Housing Trust Fund: Legislators will consider updating the policies that guide the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which was created in 1992 to support housing for Kentuckians who live below 60% of an area’s median income. Funding for the trust fund has not been updated since 2007 and advocates believe modernizing it could help address the state’s housing shortage. A bill was filed during this year’s session, HB 588, that would generate additional funding by increasing fees associated with real estate document recording and indexing.
Streamlining Local Tax Collections: Members of the Interim Joint Committee on Local Government heard testimony from Kentuckians who want to see legislation pass to create a working group aimed at creating a single online portal for the collection of local payroll and net profit taxes. Currently, employers pay these taxes to individual local government entities, often creating a very complicated and expensive burden.
While these three proposals were discussed during the last full week of committee meetings in September, several others have been presented throughout the past four months. Earlier this month, we heard testimony about proposals aimed at making the workplace safer for tow truck drivers, protecting children from grooming, preparing educators, and making our roads and waterways safer. If you would like to learn more about any of the proposals we have talked about this interim, visit the legislature’s website (legislature.ky.gov) and check out committee materials under the “Committee” section.
In addition to the work these committees are engaging in, our budget committees are focused on shaping the state’s budget proposal, ensuring that we pass another responsible budget that meets our state’s needs. This process requires a thorough examination of revenue forecasts, economic projections, and anticipated funding needs. Members are working closely with stakeholders, including state agencies, local governments, and community organizations, to gather input on program performance, funding priorities, and operational challenges. It can be frustrating as state agencies often provide outdated or incomplete information and we are pushing hard to address this at all levels of state government.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at amy.neighbors@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
(HD21 – News From the Office of Rep. Neighbors)