Kentucky Legislative Session
We are closely watching many of the HUNDREDS of bills filed so far during the 2026 Kentucky legislative session. Be ready to email and call!
Full Bill Track List – Important KY Legislative Session Information
Call to Action: March 4, 2026
Make one call and give the LRC agent your opinions on all these issues. You don’t have to make multiple calls. You will be asked to give your name and address, who you want the message sent to, and the bill number if you have it. The LRC agents are true professionals and will help you through the process.
What: HB 829 (Mandated Release Time for Religious Instruction)
Why: Last year, a bill was passed that allowed school districts to release students for religious instruction during the school day. Most school districts rejected requests from LifeWise, the largest organization pushing for this. So now, the legislators are pushing legislation to mandate cooperation with this controversial organization. LifeWise has a history of lobbying and suing to get access to public school students during the school day. They reject before or after school programming time when offered. LifeWise refers to public schools as their “mission fields” and admit their target is “impressionable” students ages 4-14. As one would imagine, the introduction of this programming creates numerous issues. At a time when the legislators are talking about measures to improve student achievement, they are proposing a measure to give away precious instructional time. This bill solves no problems and creates them instead.
When: March 4 and every day
Who: All KY Senators and Representatives
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all Senate and House members. Tell them “No to HB 829. No to Mandates. No to loss of taxpayer-funded instructional time.”
What: HB 1 (Tax Credits to Private Schools)
Why: Republicans have found a way around the will of Kentuckians and others who have rejected school vouchers and other measures to divert taxpayers’ dollars to private schools. This bill creates a system in which federal and state tax credits for private schools deprive the state general funds for ALL public services. It’s a shell game. And, a slap in the face to Kentuckians who overwhelmingly rejected Amendment 2 last year.
When: Feb 26, 2026 URGENT
Who: All KY Senators and Representatives
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all Senate and House members. Tell them “No to HB 1- no to tax dollars to private schools!”
What: HB 500-KY Biennium Budget Proposal (All legislators are involved in this)
Why: Freezes SEEK funding for schools, fails to fund school transportation, will drastically increase insurance premiums for public employees and retirees. These budget proposals will lead to increased local taxes, public employee shortages, and hits to retirees’ budgets. They are proposing tax cuts for so many areas, have a huge rainy day fund, yet are failing to cover basic needs.
When: Feb 23-24, 2026
Who: All KY Senators and Representatives
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all Senate and House members. Tell them to fully fund public schools and to not cut insurance benefits for public employees and retirees.
What: HB 299 (Criminalize Use of Devices to Convert Semi-Automatic Weapons to Machine Guns)
Why: Kentucky is only one of two states without a law criminalizing conversion devices that can enable semi-automatic weapons to function as a machine gun. Various groups like SandyHook Promise and Whitney Strong lobbied heavily for this bill. This bill is also a priority of law enforcement.
When: March 2, 2026
Who: House Representatives
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all House Representatives. Tell them to “Vote Yes on HB 299. We stand with Whitney and with Sandy Hook victims”
What: SB 104 Harassing First Responders, aka the Halo Bill (Passed the Senate, headed to the House)
Why: Coupled with other bills, this is intended to deter protests. The other bill passed through the Transportation committee along with this bill basically limits our ability to protest. SB 104 uses the term “harass” which is vague. There are already laws that allow law enforcement to handle interference with their work. This bill is designed to chill pushback.
When: Feb 23-25, 2026 (URGENT-Moving Fast)
Who: All KY Representatives
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all House Representatives. Tell them you object to their attempt to chill your constitutional rights and that laws already exist to address police interference. (Basically, you are calling them out and letting them know we see what they are trying to do to protests).
What: SB 152 SBDM Roles and Responsibilities (Passed by the Senate, headed to the House)
Why: The transfer of decision-making is being made back to the principal and superintendent. This bill lessens the ability of teachers and parents to impact decisions made in their respective schools. Any time one or two people alone are allowed to make critical decisions is antithetical to democracy. This is another blow to the reforms made in the late 80s to improve KY’s schools which were rife with nepotism, Napoleon-like governance at the building and district level.
When: Feb 23-25, 2026 (URGENT- Moving Fast)
Who: All Representatives
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all House members. Tell them “No” to SB 152. Destroying teacher and parent voices is not acceptable.
What: Anti-DEI Bill SB 26 (Sent to Committee on Committees. Rumor has it that this bill will move soon. Speakers being lined up to present)
Why: We need to loudly and repeatedly emphasize that this bill solves no real problems in schools. It’s an attempt to create public schools in their image- white, Christian, straight. It sends a loud message that some people aren’t valued.
When: Feb. 23-24, 2026
Who: Committee on Committees Members; Senate and House Education Committee Members
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all Committee on Committee Members, Senate Education Committee Members, and House Education Committee Members. Tell them
What: Release Time For Religious Instruction (KRS 158.200)
Why: We need to pre-empt Senator Tichenor. She will very likely introduce a change to the bill about Release Time for Religious Instruction (aka LifeWise). The law as written allows school boards to choose whether to allow once a week pull out programs during the school day. Tichenor and others want this to be changed; they want it to be mandatory. This takes away local decision-making and introduces numerous issues into the school day and culture. LifeWise, the right’s pet group for RTRI, is tied to the Heritage Foundation, has lied about its data, uses very controversial curriculum materials and training. Although they contend this is legal to do so, this model has not been tested in court.
When: Feb. 23-24, 2026
Who: Committee on Committees Members; Senate and House Education Committee Members
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all Committee on Committee Members, Senate Education Committee Members, and House Education Committee Members. Tell them “No to changing any laws making Release Time for Religious Instruction” mandatory in KY schools”
What: Concealed Weapons expanded to 18 year olds (HB 312)
Why: Obvious. The logic some Rs use? “18 year olds can serve their country- Why can’t they have concealed weapons?” Well, if they to serve the country at 18, they undergo strict weapons training, aren’t allowed to conceal carry on base, and aren’t allowed to keep weapons 24-7.
When: Feb. 23-24, 2026
Who: Committee on Committees Members (They decide if bills die or proceed out to committee)
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to all Committee on Committee Members. Tell them “NO to HB 312- No to 18 years having concealed weapons”.
What: Concealed Weapons in Schools (HB 517)
Why: Obvious- put School Resource Officers in our schools, but then allow this? Absolutely, illogical and dangerous.
When: Feb. 23-24, 2026
Who: House Judiciary Committee members
How: Call the Legislative Research Committee (LRC) at 1-800-372-7181. When asked, tell the agent to send your message to House Judiciary Committee members.Tell them “No to HB 517. This makes schools unsafe!!!”:
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