After kicking off part one of the 2025 Legislative Session last week, members have been hard at work in Frankfort filing bills and attending committee meetings in anticipation of the second half, which is scheduled to commence on Tuesday, February 4. The General Assembly will meet for 30 legislative days, before adjourning at the end of March.
This week, Statutory Committees met, allowing lawmakers to review several administrative regulations and government contracts. Statutory Committees play an important role in the legislative process, and are authorized by the Kentucky Revised Statutes or function as subcommittees of the Legislative Research Commission (LRC). They have specialized duties and areas of oversight, and function to examine, shape, and oversee legislation in their jurisdiction.
These meetings are always open to the public and press, and are livestreamed on the LRC’s YouTube channel, @KY LRC Committee Meetings.
Administrative Regulations Review Subcommittee: Members reviewed several administrative regulations pertaining to a variety of topic areas, including but not limited to: education, public pensions, and inmate life. The administrative regulations that received significant discussion included the comprehensive funding model for the allocation of state general fund appropriations to both public universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System institutions, as well as the medical treatment of transgender inmates.
Government Contract Review Committee: Members conducted a thorough review of several contracts, including an Anthem contract for Medicaid run out activities, two telehealth evaluation contracts with the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, and a federally funded increase to New Vista’s substance use disorder services. Additionally, members discussed contracts for the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex for various facility upgrades, and a development contract for state parks infrastructure. Committee members also approved exception requests and emphasized the need for data-driven decisions to address healthcare gaps and infrastructure investment challenges across the state.
In addition, members have filed several key pieces of legislation that will be up for consideration when part two of the legislative session convenes:
House Bill 15: Proposes amendments to existing statute, to allow individuals who are at least 15 years of age to apply for a motor vehicle instruction permit. HB 15 further establishes an extension of the validity of an instruction permit to four years. The passage of this bill would align Kentucky with many of our neighboring states, including West Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois, who all allow individuals to obtain their learner’s permit at 15-years-old.
House Bill 41: Aims to create the Kentucky Emergency Volunteer Corps (KEV Corps) within the Kentucky State Defense Force. The KEV Corps would be a trained group of volunteers, who exist to assist during local disasters or emergencies, and can be utilized by cities or county governments. HB 41 seeks to include the KEV Corps as part of the existing local disaster and emergency service organizations across the state, authorizing local governments to tap into this additional resource in times of need.
House Bill 118: This legislation aims to offer students with more advanced, higher-level academic and professional training at regional universities, both strengthening Kentucky’s higher educational opportunities and creating a wider “grow your own” pipeline for jobs in our state.
House Bill 48: Also known as the Red Tape Reduction Act, this bill seeks to simplify the administrative and professional requirements for Kentucky’s schools and educators. This legislation would increase the amount of time in between mandatory evaluations, for tenured teachers, from every three years to every five years. In addition, this bill will also create a four-year recurring training schedule for required professional development, consolidate various state-mandated training requirements, and remove state mandates for certain improvement plans, overall aiming to reduce the administrative burden on teachers- allowing them to focus their time and energy towards the classroom.
As the General Assembly considers this legislation, and several other bills, our focus remains on addressing the important issues that impact the everyday lives of Kentuckians. These bills reflect our commitment to enhancing educational opportunities, addressing critical workforce shortages, and strengthening our emergency preparedness programs for when we find ourselves in times of need. The legislative session provides us with the perfect opportunity to discuss and collaborate on these issues, and more, for the betterment of the commonwealth.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Samara.Heavrin@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
Rep. Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield
