KY HB 257

enacted

AN ACT relating to the education assessment and accountability system.

Kentucky · 2026 Regular Session · lower

Description

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; permit local school districts to develop and implement a local accountability system; require data publication on the local accountability system; require the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to provide technical assistance in the development of local accountability; permit KDE to incentivize local accountability; set the time frame for requiring local accountability in all local school districts; authorize the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate necessary administrative regulations; amend KRS 158.6453 to update terminology regarding academic standards; remove specific writing and editing and mechanics as required summative assessments; require KDE to incorporate a writing program into academic standards and professional development; require school-based decision making councils to adopt a writing program policy and publish it on the school's website; remove requirement for KDE to establish recommendations on using preliminary assessment data to identify students for advanced coursework; amend KRS 158.6455 to add individual student growth metric and student engagement as state indicators in the accountability system, remove quality of school climate and safety as state indicator, remove "status" and "change" metrics from state accountability system; amend KRS 158.6459, 164.7874, and 157.069 to conform.

Introduced: 2026-01-08
Status date: —
Latest action: 2026-04-13 — signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 138)
Bill type: bill
Last updated: —

Subjects

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

2026-01-08
introduced in House
introduction
2026-01-08
to Committee on Committees (H)
referral-committee
2026-01-15
to Primary and Secondary Education (H)
referral-committee
2026-02-04
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
committee-passage
2026-02-04
floor amendments (1) and (2) filed to Committee Substitute
amendment-introduction
2026-02-05
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-02-13
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 17 2026
2026-02-17
3rd reading, passed 92-1 with Committee Substitute (1)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-18
received in Senate
2026-02-18
to Committee on Committees (S)
referral-committee
2026-03-18
to Education (S)
referral-committee
2026-03-19
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
committee-passage
2026-03-20
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-03-20
floor amendments (2) and (5) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendments (1-title), (3) and (4) filed to bill
amendment-introduction
2026-03-20
floor amendment (6) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendment (7) filed to bill
amendment-introduction
2026-03-26
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 27 2026
2026-03-27
3rd reading
reading-3
2026-03-27
Floor Amendments (2), (3), (4), (5) and (7) withdrawn
2026-03-27
passed 32-5 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)
passage
2026-03-31
received in House
2026-03-31
to Rules (H)
referral-committee
2026-03-31
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)
2026-03-31
House refused to concur in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)
2026-04-01
received in Senate
2026-04-01
to Rules (S)
referral-committee
2026-04-01
posted for passage for receding from Senate Floor Amendment (6) and Committee Substitute (1)
2026-04-01
Senate refused to recede from Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)
2026-04-01
Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate
2026-04-01
Conference Committee report (1) filed in House and Senate
2026-04-01
Conference Committee report adopted in House and Senate
2026-04-01
Free Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate
2026-04-01
Free Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate
2026-04-01
posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report
2026-04-01
Free Conference Committee report adopted in Senate
2026-04-01
passed 30-6
passage
2026-04-01
received in House
2026-04-01
to Rules (H)
referral-committee
2026-04-01
taken from Rules
2026-04-01
posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report
2026-04-01
Free Conference Committee report adopted in House
2026-04-01
passed 84-2
passage
2026-04-01
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
passage
2026-04-01
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
passage
2026-04-01
delivered to Governor
2026-04-13
signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 138)
executive-signature

Versions

IntroducedCompare
Current/FinalCompare
Acts Chapter 138Compare
(document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

Pass
2026-02-17 · pass · 92-1
Member-level votes (100)
- Aull: yes
- Doan: yes
- Hancock: yes
- McPherson: yes
- Sharp: yes
- Baker: yes
- Donworth: yes
- Hart: yes
- Meade: yes
- Smith: yes
- Banta: yes
- Dossett: yes
- Heavrin: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stalker: yes
- Bauman: yes
- Dotson: yes
- Hodgson: yes
- Moore: yes
- Stevenson P: yes
- Bivens: yes
- Duvall: yes
- Huff T: yes
- Moser: yes
- Tackett Laferty: yes
- Blanton: yes
- Elliott: yes
- Imes: yes
- Neighbors: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Bojanowski: yes
- Fister: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Branscum: yes
- Flannery: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Osborne: yes
- Tipton: yes
- Bratcher S.: yes
- Fleming: yes
- King: yes
- Payne: yes
- Truett: yes
- Bray: yes
- Freeland: yes
- Koch: yes
- Petrie: yes
- Upchurch: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Fugate: yes
- Kulkarni: yes
- Pollock: yes
- Watkins: yes
- Brown: yes
- Gentry: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Proctor: yes
- Wesley: yes
- Burke: yes
- Gooch: yes
- Lewis C: yes
- Rabourn: yes
- Whitaker: yes
- Callaway: yes
- Gordon: yes
- Lewis D: yes
- Raymer: yes
- White: yes
- Camuel: yes
- Griffee: yes
- Lewis S: yes
- Riley: yes
- Williams: yes
- Chester-Burton: yes
- Grossberg: yes
- Lockett: yes
- Roarx: yes
- Willner: yes
- Clines: yes
- Grossl: yes
- Marzian: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Decker: yes
- Hale: yes
- McCool: yes
- Rudy: yes
- Witten: yes
- Dietz: yes
- Hampton: yes
- Massaroni: no
- Bowling: not voting
- Holloway: not voting
- Maddox: not voting
- Miles: not voting
- Tate: not voting
- Calloway: not voting
- Lawrence: not voting
PASS HB 257 w/ SCS 1, SFA 6
2026-03-27 · pass · 32-5
Member-level votes (38)
- Berg: yes
- Elkins: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stivers: yes
- Boswell: yes
- Girdler: yes
- Mills: yes
- Storm: yes
- Carpenter: yes
- Givens: yes
- Neal: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Carroll: yes
- Herron: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Webb: yes
- ChambersArmstrong: yes
- Higdon: yes
- Nunn: yes
- West: yes
- Clemons: yes
- Howell: yes
- Raque Adams: yes
- Wheeler: yes
- Deneen: yes
- Madon: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Douglas: yes
- Mays Bledsoe: yes
- Smith: yes
- Wise: yes
- Funke Frommeyer: no
- Reed: no
- Tichenor: no
- Williams: no
- Rawlings: no
- McDaniel: not voting
FINAL PASSAGE OF HB 257
2026-04-01 · pass · 30-6
Member-level votes (38)
- Boswell: yes
- Higdon: yes
- Nunn: yes
- Storm: yes
- Carpenter: yes
- Howell: yes
- Raque Adams: yes
- Webb: yes
- Deneen: yes
- Madon: yes
- Rawlings: yes
- West: yes
- Douglas: yes
- Mays Bledsoe: yes
- Reed: yes
- Wheeler: yes
- Elkins: yes
- McDaniel: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Williams: yes
- Funke Frommeyer: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Smith: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Girdler: yes
- Mills: yes
- Stivers: yes
- Wise: yes
- Givens: yes
- Nemes: yes
- ChambersArmstrong: no
- Herron: no
- Thomas: no
- Tichenor: no
- Clemons: no
- Neal: no
- Berg: not voting
- Carroll: not voting
Final Passage
2026-04-01 · pass · 84-2
Member-level votes (100)
- Aull: yes
- Dietz: yes
- Hampton: yes
- McPherson: yes
- Stalker: yes
- Baker: yes
- Donworth: yes
- Hancock: yes
- Meade: yes
- Stevenson P: yes
- Banta: yes
- Dossett: yes
- Hart: yes
- Miles: yes
- Tackett Laferty: yes
- Bauman: yes
- Dotson: yes
- Heavrin: yes
- Moore: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Bivens: yes
- Duvall: yes
- Hodgson: yes
- Moser: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Blanton: yes
- Fister: yes
- Huff T: yes
- Neighbors: yes
- Tipton: yes
- Bojanowski: yes
- Flannery: yes
- Imes: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Truett: yes
- Branscum: yes
- Fleming: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Osborne: yes
- Upchurch: yes
- Bratcher S.: yes
- Freeland: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Payne: yes
- Watkins: yes
- Bray: yes
- Fugate: yes
- King: yes
- Pollock: yes
- Wesley: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Gentry: yes
- Koch: yes
- Proctor: yes
- Whitaker: yes
- Brown: yes
- Gooch: yes
- Kulkarni: yes
- Riley: yes
- White: yes
- Burke: yes
- Gordon: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Roarx: yes
- Williams: yes
- Callaway: yes
- Griffee: yes
- Lewis C: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Willner: yes
- Camuel: yes
- Grossberg: yes
- Lewis D: yes
- Rudy: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Clines: yes
- Grossl: yes
- Lewis S: yes
- Sharp: yes
- Witten: yes
- Decker: yes
- Hale: yes
- McCool: yes
- Smith: yes
- Marzian: no
- Massaroni: no
- Bowling: not voting
- Doan: not voting
- Lawrence: not voting
- Meredith: not voting
- Raymer: not voting
- Calloway: not voting
- Elliott: not voting
- Lockett: not voting
- Petrie: not voting
- Tate: not voting
- Chester-Burton: not voting
- Holloway: not voting
- Maddox: not voting
- Rabourn: not voting

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb257.html

Attribution

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

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