KY HB 185

enacted

AN ACT relating to employment and declaring an emergency.

Kentucky · 2026 Regular Session · lower

Description

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 335B.010 to 335B.070 to require hiring or licensing authorities to establish an application process that gives persons convicted of a crime an opportunity to obtain a determination about whether the crime will disqualify the individual from a position of public employment or occupational license before pursuing employment or training; require hiring or licensing authorities to formulate policies and procedures for the application process by promulgating regulations no later than January 1, 2027; provide an annual report to the Legislative Research Commission by November 1, 2027; provide that certain entities are exempted from the requirements of the application process; amend KRS 335B.020 to add criteria for hiring and licensing authorities to consider when determining if a conviction directly relates to the position of public employment or occupational license sought; amend KRS 335B.030 to require hiring or licensing authorities to evaluate information and provide written findings of fact to the applicant upon determination.

Introduced: 2026-01-07
Status date: —
Latest action: 2026-04-10 — signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 72)
Bill type: bill
Last updated: —

Subjects

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

2026-01-07
introduced in House
introduction
2026-01-07
to Committee on Committees (H)
referral-committee
2026-01-14
to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
referral-committee
2026-02-18
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
committee-passage
2026-02-19
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-02-20
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, February 23 2026
2026-02-23
3rd reading, passed 95-0
passage,reading-3
2026-02-24
received in Senate
2026-02-24
to Committee on Committees (S)
referral-committee
2026-03-13
to Licensing & Occupations (S)
referral-committee
2026-03-17
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
committee-passage
2026-03-18
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-03-19
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 20 2026
2026-03-20
3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
passage,reading-3
2026-03-20
received in House
2026-03-20
to Rules (H)
referral-committee
2026-03-27
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
2026-03-31
House concurred in Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
2026-03-31
passed 91-0
passage
2026-03-31
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
passage
2026-03-31
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
passage
2026-03-31
delivered to Governor
2026-04-10
signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 72)
executive-signature

Versions

IntroducedCompare
Current/FinalCompare
Acts Chapter 72Compare
(document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

Pass
2026-02-23 · pass · 95-0
Member-level votes (101)
- Aull: yes
- Decker: yes
- Hampton: yes
- Marzian: yes
- Roarx: yes
- Baker: yes
- Dietz: yes
- Hancock: yes
- Massaroni: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Banta: yes
- Doan: yes
- Hart: yes
- McCool: yes
- Rudy: yes
- Bauman: yes
- Donworth: yes
- Heavrin: yes
- McPherson: yes
- Sharp: yes
- Bivens: yes
- Dossett: yes
- Hodgson: yes
- Meade: yes
- Smith: yes
- Blanton: yes
- Dotson: yes
- Holloway: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stalker: yes
- Bojanowski: yes
- Duvall: yes
- Huff T: yes
- Miles: yes
- Stevenson P: yes
- Bowling: yes
- Elliott: yes
- Imes: yes
- Moore: yes
- Tate: yes
- Branscum: yes
- Fister: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Moser: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Bratcher S.: yes
- Flannery: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Neighbors: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Bray: yes
- Fleming: yes
- King: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Tipton: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Fugate: yes
- Koch: yes
- Osborne: yes
- Upchurch: yes
- Brown: yes
- Gentry: yes
- Kulkarni: yes
- Payne: yes
- Watkins: yes
- Burke: yes
- Gooch: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Petrie: yes
- Wesley: yes
- Callaway: yes
- Gordon: yes
- Lewis C: yes
- Pollock: yes
- Whitaker: yes
- Calloway: yes
- Griffee: yes
- Lewis D: yes
- Proctor: yes
- White: yes
- Camuel: yes
- Grossberg: yes
- Lewis S: yes
- Rabourn: yes
- Williams: yes
- Chester-Burton: yes
- Grossl: yes
- Lockett: yes
- Raymer: yes
- Willner: yes
- Clines: yes
- Hale: yes
- Maddox: yes
- Riley: yes
- Witten: yes
- Freeland: not voting
- Lawrence: not voting
- Tackett Laferty: not voting
- Truett: not voting
- Wilson: not voting
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY SENATE: not voting
PASS HB 185 w/ SCS 1, SCA 1 (T)
2026-03-20 · pass · 37-0
Member-level votes (38)
- Berg: yes
- Girdler: yes
- Mills: yes
- Storm: yes
- Boswell: yes
- Givens: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Carpenter: yes
- Herron: yes
- Nunn: yes
- Tichenor: yes
- Carroll: yes
- Higdon: yes
- Raque Adams: yes
- Webb: yes
- ChambersArmstrong: yes
- Howell: yes
- Rawlings: yes
- West: yes
- Clemons: yes
- Madon: yes
- Reed: yes
- Wheeler: yes
- Deneen: yes
- Mays Bledsoe: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Williams: yes
- Douglas: yes
- McDaniel: yes
- Smith: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Elkins: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stivers: yes
- Wise: yes
- Funke Frommeyer: yes
- Neal: not voting
Final Passage
2026-03-31 · pass · 91-0
Member-level votes (100)
- Aull: yes
- Dietz: yes
- Hampton: yes
- Marzian: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Baker: yes
- Doan: yes
- Hancock: yes
- Massaroni: yes
- Rudy: yes
- Banta: yes
- Donworth: yes
- Hart: yes
- McPherson: yes
- Sharp: yes
- Bauman: yes
- Dossett: yes
- Heavrin: yes
- Meade: yes
- Smith: yes
- Bivens: yes
- Dotson: yes
- Hodgson: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stalker: yes
- Blanton: yes
- Duvall: yes
- Holloway: yes
- Miles: yes
- Tackett Laferty: yes
- Bojanowski: yes
- Fister: yes
- Huff T: yes
- Moore: yes
- Tate: yes
- Bowling: yes
- Flannery: yes
- Imes: yes
- Moser: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Branscum: yes
- Fleming: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Bratcher S.: yes
- Freeland: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Osborne: yes
- Tipton: yes
- Bray: yes
- Fugate: yes
- King: yes
- Payne: yes
- Upchurch: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Gentry: yes
- Koch: yes
- Petrie: yes
- Wesley: yes
- Brown: yes
- Gooch: yes
- Kulkarni: yes
- Pollock: yes
- Whitaker: yes
- Burke: yes
- Gordon: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Proctor: yes
- White: yes
- Callaway: yes
- Griffee: yes
- Lewis C: yes
- Rabourn: yes
- Williams: yes
- Calloway: yes
- Grossberg: yes
- Lewis D: yes
- Raymer: yes
- Willner: yes
- Camuel: yes
- Grossl: yes
- Lewis S: yes
- Riley: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Chester-Burton: yes
- Hale: yes
- Maddox: yes
- Roarx: yes
- Witten: yes
- Clines: yes
- Decker: not voting
- Lawrence: not voting
- McCool: not voting
- Stevenson P: not voting
- Watkins: not voting
- Elliott: not voting
- Lockett: not voting
- Neighbors: not voting
- Truett: not voting

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb185.html

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:22:24.357326Z

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