KY HB 542
enactedAN ACT relating to eminent domain and declaring an emergency.
Kentucky · 2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did KY HB 542 pass?
Yes. KY HB 542 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-04-13): signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 112)
What is KY HB 542 about?
Amend KRS 382.850 to require a condemnor in an eminent domain action involving property subject to a conservation easement to provide a written report to the court justifying the condemnation due to lack of feasible alternative locations; allow the court to dismiss the condemnation action if the lack of alternative locations is not demonstrated; amend KRS 262.850 to require a condemnor in an eminent domain action involving property located in an agricultural district to provide a written report to the court justifying the condemnation due to lack of feasible alternative locations; allow the court to dismiss the condemnation action if the lack of alternative locations is not demonstrated; amend KRS 416.550 prohibit a condemnor from engaging in false, intimidating, or misleading negotiation tactics; allow a property owner of potentially condemned property to obtain an independent appraisal within 60 days of an initial offer for purchase; reduce the independent appraisal period to 30 days if the property owner refuses the initial offer for purchase; prohibit the filing of a condemnation action within the independent appraisal period; establish a penalty of dismissal of the condemnation action, payment of attorney's fees, and a bar on future condemnation actions for violations; amend KRS 416.560 to specify requirements for contents of notice of entry to owners of property; establish penalty for failure to give notice; require condemnor to give notice of a material change to the project; require condemnor to use only current data for surveys; provide a copy of a survey to the property owner within 15 days of completion; allow the property owner to petition a local legislative body for a public meeting regarding the proposed taking; amend KRS 416.610 to require the condemnor to take measures to ensure access to property during on-site work on a project where only a portion of the property has been condemned; amend KRS 416.660 to include preexisting improvements on property and the value of agricultural improvements in the determination of fair market value of condemned property; amend KRS 416.570, 416.600, 416.630, 416.640, and 416.650 to conform; EMERGENCY.
Who sponsors KY HB 542?
M. Hart, B. Chester-Burton, R. Bivens and 1 others are the primary sponsors of KY HB 542.
Description
Amend KRS 382.850 to require a condemnor in an eminent domain action involving property subject to a conservation easement to provide a written report to the court justifying the condemnation due to lack of feasible alternative locations; allow the court to dismiss the condemnation action if the lack of alternative locations is not demonstrated; amend KRS 262.850 to require a condemnor in an eminent domain action involving property located in an agricultural district to provide a written report to the court justifying the condemnation due to lack of feasible alternative locations; allow the court to dismiss the condemnation action if the lack of alternative locations is not demonstrated; amend KRS 416.550 prohibit a condemnor from engaging in false, intimidating, or misleading negotiation tactics; allow a property owner of potentially condemned property to obtain an independent appraisal within 60 days of an initial offer for purchase; reduce the independent appraisal period to 30 days if the property owner refuses the initial offer for purchase; prohibit the filing of a condemnation action within the independent appraisal period; establish a penalty of dismissal of the condemnation action, payment of attorney's fees, and a bar on future condemnation actions for violations; amend KRS 416.560 to specify requirements for contents of notice of entry to owners of property; establish penalty for failure to give notice; require condemnor to give notice of a material change to the project; require condemnor to use only current data for surveys; provide a copy of a survey to the property owner within 15 days of completion; allow the property owner to petition a local legislative body for a public meeting regarding the proposed taking; amend KRS 416.610 to require the condemnor to take measures to ensure access to property during on-site work on a project where only a portion of the property has been condemned; amend KRS 416.660 to include preexisting improvements on property and the value of agricultural improvements in the determination of fair market value of condemned property; amend KRS 416.570, 416.600, 416.630, 416.640, and 416.650 to conform; EMERGENCY.
- Introduced
- 2026-02-03
- Latest action
- 2026-04-13 — signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 112)
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- M. Hartprimary
- B. Chester-Burtonprimary
- R. Bivensprimary
- M. Dossettprimary
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-04-13
signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 112)
executive-signature
2026-04-01
delivered to Governor
2026-04-01
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
passage
2026-04-01
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
passage
2026-03-31
received in House
2026-03-31
3rd reading, passed 38-0
passage,reading-3
2026-03-26
posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Friday, March 27 2026
2026-03-25
2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill
reading-2
2026-03-24
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar
committee-passage
2026-03-20
to Agriculture (S)
referral-committee
2026-03-09
to Committee on Committees (S)
referral-committee
2026-03-09
received in Senate
2026-03-06
3rd reading, passed 90-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
passage,reading-3
2026-03-05
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 06 2026
2026-03-05
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-03-04
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
committee-passage
2026-02-10
to Judiciary (H)
referral-committee
2026-02-03
to Committee on Committees (H)
referral-committee
2026-02-03
introduced in House
introduction
Versions
Documents
Votes
Pass
2026-03-06 · pass · 90-0
Member-level votes (101)
- Aull: yes
- Decker: yes
- Hale: yes
- Marzian: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Baker: yes
- Dietz: yes
- Hampton: yes
- McCool: yes
- Rudy: yes
- Banta: yes
- Doan: yes
- Hancock: yes
- McPherson: yes
- Sharp: yes
- Bauman: yes
- Donworth: yes
- Hart: yes
- Meade: yes
- Stalker: yes
- Bivens: yes
- Dossett: yes
- Heavrin: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stevenson P: yes
- Bojanowski: yes
- Dotson: yes
- Hodgson: yes
- Miles: yes
- Tackett Laferty: yes
- Bowling: yes
- Duvall: yes
- Holloway: yes
- Moore: yes
- Tate: yes
- Branscum: yes
- Elliott: yes
- Huff T: yes
- Moser: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Bratcher S.: yes
- Fister: yes
- Imes: yes
- Neighbors: yes
- Tipton: yes
- Bray: yes
- Flannery: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Truett: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Fleming: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Osborne: yes
- Watkins: yes
- Brown: yes
- Freeland: yes
- King: yes
- Payne: yes
- Wesley: yes
- Burke: yes
- Fugate: yes
- Koch: yes
- Petrie: yes
- Whitaker: yes
- Callaway: yes
- Gentry: yes
- Kulkarni: yes
- Pollock: yes
- White: yes
- Calloway: yes
- Gordon: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Proctor: yes
- Williams: yes
- Camuel: yes
- Griffee: yes
- Lewis C: yes
- Raymer: yes
- Willner: yes
- Chester-Burton: yes
- Grossberg: yes
- Lewis S: yes
- Riley: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Clines: yes
- Grossl: yes
- Maddox: yes
- Roarx: yes
- Witten: yes
- Blanton: not voting
- Lawrence: not voting
- Lockett: not voting
- Rabourn: not voting
- Thompson: not voting
- Gooch: not voting
- Lewis D: not voting
- Massaroni: not voting
- Smith: not voting
- Upchurch: not voting
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY SENATE: not voting
CONSENT PASSAGE OF HB 542
2026-03-31 · pass · 38-0
Member-level votes (38)
- Berg: yes
- Girdler: yes
- Neal: 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
- Mills: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:22:24.357326Z
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Session-wide evidence can include changes to other bills:
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