KY HB 6

enacted

AN ACT relating to child care and declaring an emergency.

Kentucky · 2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did KY HB 6 pass?

Yes. KY HB 6 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-04-14): became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 146)

What is KY HB 6 about?

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 199 related to the quality-based graduated early care and education rating system program to establish the intent of the General Assembly related to the program; establish processes and procedures for how the program is changed by administrative regulation; require a program modernization plan and final recommendations for modernization to be created and submitted to the Legislative Research Commission; amend KRS 199.891 to define terms; create new requirements for how the Cabinet for Health and Family Services establishes and operates the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program; delete language related to a previous 1 time requirement for the cabinet to submit recommendations and best practices to the Legislative Research Commission; establish a new January 1, 2028 submission deadline for the cabinet to make publicly available a standardized application for certification and instructions for the program; establish new requirements for applications by local governments to participate in the program; require an annual report by the Cabinet for Economic Development regarding the program; amend KRS 199.8983 to increase the membership of the Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council; establish that the council shall additionally advise the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on the operations, funding, and licensing of child-care microcenters; create new sections of KRS Chapter 199 to define terms; establish licensure for child-care microcenters; establish the Kentucky Child-Care Microcenter Program to regulate the standards and operations of child-care microcenters; establish early care and education training requirements for licensed child-care providers and certified family child-care home providers; establish that the Education and Labor Cabinet shall compile, produce, and make publicly available a monthly report providing a comprehensive snapshot of all licensed and certified child care services, Head Start services, child care services regulated by the United States Department of Defense, and state-funded public preschool services operating within the Commonwealth; establish a voluntary designation process through which any licensed or certified child-care provider may identify as a faith-based program; require the Office of State Budget Director to produce a comprehensive annual report outlining all state and federal spending on child care and early childhood education services and submit it annually to the Legislative Research Commission; establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall submit an approval request to the federal Administration for Children and Families to utilize a cost estimation model to inform payment rates beginning with the fiscal year 2028-2030 Child Care and Development Fund state plan; amend KRS 199.882 to change the definitions of "contribution" and "state match" and define "third-party administrator"; amend KRS 199.883 to establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall enter into a contract with a private third-party administrator to administer the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program and establish duties and requirements of the third-party administrator; amend KRS 199.885 to establish the third-party administrator is responsible for issuing state fund matches out of the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership fund; amend KRS 199.886 and 199.887 to specify how employers and employees interact directly with the third-party administrator instead of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Who sponsors KY HB 6?

S. Witten, W. Williams, W. Thomas and 24 others are the primary sponsors of KY HB 6.

Description

Introduced: 2026-02-02
Latest action: 2026-04-14 — became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 146)
Bill type: bill
Last updated: —

Subjects

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

2026-04-14
became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 146)
became-law
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
passed 83-10
passage
2026-03-31
House concurred in Floor Amendments (1) and (2)
2026-03-31
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate floor amendments (1) and (2)
2026-03-31
to Rules (H)
referral-committee
2026-03-31
received in House
2026-03-31
3rd reading, passed 36-1 with Floor Amendments (1) and (2)
passage,reading-3
2026-03-27
passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day
passage
2026-03-26
floor amendment (2) filed
amendment-introduction
2026-03-26
passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day
passage
2026-03-24
floor amendment (1) filed
amendment-introduction
2026-03-24
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 26 2026
2026-03-11
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-03-10
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
committee-passage
2026-03-06
to Families & Children (S)
referral-committee
2026-02-18
to Committee on Committees (S)
referral-committee
2026-02-18
received in Senate
2026-02-17
3rd reading, passed 84-11 with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-13
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 17 2026
2026-02-13
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-02-12
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
committee-passage
2026-02-09
to Families & Children (H)
referral-committee
2026-02-02
to Committee on Committees (H)
referral-committee
2026-02-02
introduced in House
introduction

Versions

IntroducedCompare
Current/FinalCompare
Acts Chapter 146Compare
(document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

Pass
2026-02-17 · pass · 84-11
Member-level votes (100)
- Aull: yes
- Donworth: yes
- Hancock: yes
- Meade: yes
- Stalker: yes
- Banta: yes
- Dossett: yes
- Heavrin: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stevenson P: yes
- Bauman: yes
- Duvall: yes
- Hodgson: yes
- Miles: yes
- Tackett Laferty: yes
- Bivens: yes
- Elliott: yes
- Huff T: yes
- Moore: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Blanton: yes
- Fister: yes
- Imes: yes
- Moser: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Bojanowski: yes
- Flannery: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Neighbors: yes
- Tipton: yes
- Bowling: yes
- Fleming: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Truett: yes
- Branscum: yes
- Freeland: yes
- King: yes
- Osborne: yes
- Upchurch: yes
- Bratcher S.: yes
- Fugate: yes
- Koch: yes
- Payne: yes
- Watkins: yes
- Bray: yes
- Gentry: yes
- Kulkarni: yes
- Petrie: yes
- Wesley: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Gooch: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Pollock: yes
- Whitaker: yes
- Brown: yes
- Gordon: yes
- Lewis C: yes
- Raymer: yes
- White: yes
- Callaway: yes
- Griffee: yes
- Lewis D: yes
- Riley: yes
- Williams: yes
- Camuel: yes
- Grossberg: yes
- Lewis S: yes
- Roarx: yes
- Willner: yes
- Chester-Burton: yes
- Grossl: yes
- Marzian: yes
- Rudy: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Clines: yes
- Hale: yes
- McCool: yes
- Sharp: yes
- Witten: yes
- Dietz: yes
- Hampton: yes
- McPherson: yes
- Smith: yes
- Baker: no
- Doan: no
- Holloway: no
- Massaroni: no
- Rabourn: no
- Burke: no
- Hart: no
- Maddox: no
- Proctor: no
- Roberts: no
- Decker: no
- Dotson: abstain
- Calloway: not voting
- Lawrence: not voting
- Lockett: not voting
- Tate: not voting
PASS HB 6 w/ SFA 2, SFA 1
2026-03-31 · pass · 36-1
Member-level votes (38)
- Berg: yes
- Girdler: yes
- Mills: yes
- Storm: yes
- Boswell: yes
- Givens: yes
- Neal: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Carpenter: yes
- Herron: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Tichenor: yes
- Carroll: yes
- Higdon: yes
- Nunn: yes
- Webb: yes
- ChambersArmstrong: yes
- Howell: yes
- Raque Adams: 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
- Rawlings: no
- Funke Frommeyer: not voting
Final Passage
2026-03-31 · pass · 83-10
Member-level votes (100)
- Aull: yes
- Dietz: yes
- Hampton: yes
- McPherson: yes
- Sharp: yes
- Banta: yes
- Donworth: yes
- Hancock: yes
- Meade: yes
- Smith: yes
- Bauman: yes
- Dossett: yes
- Hart: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stalker: yes
- Bivens: yes
- Dotson: yes
- Heavrin: yes
- Miles: yes
- Stevenson P: yes
- Blanton: yes
- Duvall: yes
- Hodgson: yes
- Moore: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Bojanowski: yes
- Fister: yes
- Huff T: yes
- Moser: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Bowling: yes
- Flannery: yes
- Imes: yes
- Neighbors: yes
- Tipton: yes
- Branscum: yes
- Fleming: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Truett: yes
- Bratcher S.: yes
- Freeland: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Osborne: yes
- Upchurch: yes
- Bray: yes
- Fugate: yes
- King: yes
- Payne: yes
- Wesley: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Gentry: yes
- Kulkarni: yes
- Petrie: yes
- Whitaker: yes
- Brown: yes
- Gooch: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Pollock: yes
- White: yes
- Burke: yes
- Gordon: yes
- Lewis C: yes
- Raymer: yes
- Williams: yes
- Callaway: yes
- Griffee: yes
- Lewis D: yes
- Riley: yes
- Willner: yes
- Camuel: yes
- Grossberg: yes
- Lewis S: yes
- Roarx: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Chester-Burton: yes
- Grossl: yes
- Marzian: yes
- Rudy: yes
- Witten: yes
- Clines: yes
- Hale: yes
- McCool: yes
- Baker: no
- Doan: no
- Lockett: no
- Massaroni: no
- Rabourn: no
- Decker: no
- Holloway: no
- Maddox: no
- Proctor: no
- Roberts: no
- Calloway: not voting
- Koch: not voting
- Tackett Laferty: not voting
- Tate: not voting
- Watkins: not voting
- Elliott: not voting
- Lawrence: not voting

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb6.html

Attribution

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

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