We are headed into the last two weeks of the 2025 Regular Session, so it is time to take stock of where we are with our proactive initiatives and whether the priority bills we have been following are moving in the process. Unless it's sine die adjournment, it is always too early to say a bill is dead, but many may be on life support.
Proactive Issues The good news is that our top priorities for this session are all in play heading into the final two weeks of the session.
BIG I PRIORITY - Used Car Dealer Insurance - Senate Bill 18, which provides surplus lines carrier coverage as an option for used car dealer liability insurance, is expected to be heard in the House Banking & Insurance Committee on Wednesday. Please contact your Representative and ask them to vote YES on Senate Bill 18. BIG I PRIORITY - PIP Reform - House Bill 416 applies the Workers Comp fee schedule to PIP providers except for hospitals. Passed from the House Banking & Insurance Committee last week! The bill is headed to the House floor this week and is facing heavy lobbying from chiropractors and physical therapists. If you want to see PIP Reform, now is the time for you to contact your Representative and ask them to vote YES on House Bill 416.
Bills to Review Below we have provided an assessment of the viability for several priority bills we have been following this session, but we encourage you to review the Big I bill list, which is updated nightly and can be accessed HERE. This is a static link that you can bookmark and review at any time, or you can subscribe to get it emailed to you periodically.
Tier 1 Alive SB 18 - R. Girdler - Surplus lines for auto dealer liability HB 416 - J. Bray - PIP Reform - W/C Fee Schedule
Tier 2 Alive HB 390 - M. Meredith - Adopts the IICMVA real-time insurance verification processes HB 233 - W.Williams - Addresses fraudulent practices of contractors in an insurance claim situation SB 24 - R. Girdler - Expands the definition of insurance fraud to include inflated claims HB 493 - S. Pollock - Regulation of towing companies HB 184 - M. Clines - Extends insurance regulatory sandbox SB 63 - B. Storm - Allows off-highway vehicles access to roads SB 99 - D. Douglas - Hands-Free Legislation
Hasn’t Moved SB 191 - P. Wheeler - Omnibus W/C reform bill HB 413 - K. Moser - Point of Sale Pharmacy Rebates SB 12 - S. Meredith - Point of Sale Pharmacy Rebates HB 502 - M. Whitaker - Exemption from W/C 45-day billing SB 123 - Sen. Adams - Matching - Senate B&I
Week Ahead Senate B&I (Tuesday): HB 390 - Real-Time Insurance - Adopt IICMVA online insurance verification system HB 233 - Contractor Fraud - Addresses fraudulent practices of contractors in an insurance claim situation
House B&I (Wednesday) SB 18 - Car Dealer Surplus Lines SB 24 - Broaden the definition of insurance fraud to include inflated claims
House Floor (Tuesday/Wednesday) HB 416 - PIP Reform to apply workers comp fee schedule
In Other Legislative News- So Many Bills, So Little Time When it adjourned on Friday, February 28, the General Assembly completed Day 20 of the 2025 Session, passing the two-thirds mark of this 30-day session. With the last four legislative days set aside for concurrence and veto override under the current calendar, only six days remain to pass bills. While legislative leadership can (and always does) pass bills until the closing hours of the session, the vast majority of the over 1,000 bills filed this session will simply run out of time in the legislative process.
With these looming deadlines, committees in both Chambers heard and reported many bills during the week, sending them to the Chamber’s floor. Bills taken up in committee were almost, if not totally, limited to bills originating in their Chamber as the Majority Leadership in both chambers tried to get their member’s bills moving.
One trend that we are watching is a move by members and leadership in both chambers to move bills out of the first chamber, still needing amendments or final negotiations with hopes those will be completed in the second chamber. It will be interesting to see if those changes get made, the bills fail to move for lack of finishing touches, or if some imperfect bills end up passing.
Last week, we noted that only 21 bills had passed from their originating chamber to move to the other end of the Capitol. This number has now swelled to 146 (92 by the House and 54 by the Senate). Yet, only two bills, HB 1, to lower the income tax rate, and SB 23, relating to administrative regulation review, have made their way through the entire process and have been signed by Governor Beshear.
In thinking about the final days of a session, it is important to keep in mind that "The game isn't over until the final whistle blows." Bills with sufficient push by Leadership can move through the process quickly with special committee meetings, committee substitutes, and expedited floor readings to pass in the final days and hours of the session.
Legislative Activity on Priority Bills Below we have provided a status update on the priority bills filed this session. Several passed on the floor last week, including HB 2 (gold tax exemption), HB 6 (REINS Act for Regs), HB 10 (squatter removal), and SB 4 (Executive Branch/Election AI Use). Those bills with an apparent green light are moving to the floor for readings or already teed up for floor votes on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
The most significant news on priority bills this week is the decision by President Stivers to forego his Senate Bill 8 to revamp the Public Service Commission for the 2025 session. At a hearing in Senate Natural Resources, President Stivers said the bill would not advance in the legislature this year because he feels more discussion on how to address the state’s long-term energy policy is needed.
One additional note, no appropriations or revenue bills have moved in the process thus far. This has matched the Legislative Leadership’s public statements not wanting to open the budget in this non-budget session. It will be interesting to see if that changes over the session’s final days, as the House & Senate A&R committees are having a joint meeting on Monday, March 3 to discuss state aid for the recent floods.
House HB 1 - Rep. Petrie: Reduce individual income tax rate from 4% to 3.5%. Signed by Governor. HB 2 - Rep. Roberts: Exempt "bullion currency" from sales tax. Senate Committee on Committees. HB 3 - Rep. Neighbors: Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement parity. In House Banking & Insurance. HB 4 - Rep, Decker: Prohibit DEI programs in postsecondary. In House Committee with one reading. HB 5 - Rep. Moser: Prohibit cross-sex procedures & hormone treatment for prisoners. In House Judiciary. HB 6 - Rep. Williams: Restrict executive authority to promulgate regulations. Passed House on 2/28. HB 7 - Rep. Bray: Permit local governments to address housing reforms. In House Local Government. HB 8 - Rep. Petrie: Reform K-5 instructional materials. House K12 Education with one reading. HB 9 - Rep. Bowling: Re-establishes the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board. Posted for passage 3/4. HB 10 - Rep. Procter: Processes for removing “squatters.” Awaiting passage on the House floor. HB 11 - Rep. Miles: Shell bill relating to education. In Primary & Secondary Education. HB 12 - Rep. Lockett: Age verification for social media. In House Small Business & IT with two readings. HB 13 - Rep. Rudy: Shell bill relating to revenue. In House A&R. HB 14 - Rep. Jackson: Establish the Wearable Panic Alert Grant Program. Posted for Passage 3/4. HB 15 - Rep. Rudy: Lower the age for driver learner’s permit from 16 to 15. In Senate Transportation.
Senate SB 1 - Sen. Wheeler: Establish a Kentucky Film Office and Council. Posted for Senate passage on 3/4. SB 2 - Sen. Wilson: Prohibit public funds for gender reassignment surgery for inmates. Passed Senate, SB 3 - Sen. Wise: Name Image and Likeness (NIL) for student-athletes. Posted for Senate action on 3/4. SB 4 - Sen. Bledsoe: Regulation of State Agency use of AI & Election Deepfakes. Passed Senate 2/28. SB 5 - Sen. West: Identify intervention and innovation schools. In Education, with two floor readings. SB 6 - Sen. Givens: Add teacher pension and healthcare expenditures to SEEK. Senate Orders for 3/4. SB 7 - Sen. Bledsoe: Establish individual property rights to images. Posted for Senate passage 3/5. SB 8 - Sen. Stivers: Reorganization of Public Service Commission. Two Readings in Natural Resources. SB 9 - Sen. Higdon: Omnibus changes to KTRS & sick leave benefits. In State & Local Gov, two readings. SB 10 - Sen. Mills: Numerous changes to the County Employees Retirement System. House Local Gov
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Legislative Calendar While it may be changed by leadership, the current Legislative Calendar can be accessed HERE. Key dates remaining include:
March 13 & 14: Concurrence Days March 15-26: Veto Recess March 28: Sine Die Adjournment |