Dozens of new laws passed by the 2024 General Assembly go into effect today in Kentucky.
Among some of the highest-profile items are measures on crime, education and health care, but the 60-day legislative session also saw the passage of a two-year budget and two bills that put constitutional changes on the November ballot.
These laws – some ignored Governor Andy Beshear’s veto – come into force on July 15, unless they contained an emergency clause, in which case they came into force immediately.
Here’s a look at some of the community’s latest laws:
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House Bill 5, Called the Safer Kentucky Act by supporters, it is a sweeping anti-crime law with tougher penalties for many offenses and an estimated price tag of more than $1 billion over the next decade. Republicans say it is necessary to fight crime, but Democrats have largely opposed many parts of it, including criminal sanctions for public homelessness and much longer sentences for a wide range of crimes without any additional prison time or funding. penitentiary. Beshear vetoed the project about concerns about the component and cost of homelessness. Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said last week that the law will no longer mean arrests of homeless people by its leaders, and the department will continue to make referrals to community partners.
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House Bill 7 legalizes and regulates self-driving cars on Kentucky roads. It was vetoed by Beshear on the grounds that Kentucky did not have enough time to test such vehicles before they were legalized. However, sponsor Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mt. Vernon pointed to other states’ success in legalizing them.
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House Bill 11, aimed at curbing vaping among youth, establishes new rules for companies selling vaping products in Kentucky. Critics expressed dismay that the law – originally a crackdown on youth tobacco and vaping – had become much weaker after lobbying by tobacco companies. The bill received a mixed reception among Republicans and Democrats, but was eventually approved and signed into law by Beshear.
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House Bill 278 requires that websites with content considered “harmful to minors” collect documents proving the user’s majority before allowing access. In response to the measure, Pornhub, the largest porn site in the world, cut off access to users in the community starting July 10, citing the risk to consumer privacy. Subsequently, searches for VPNs — which would allow users to bypass the block — increased in Kentuckyaccording to Google Trends.
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House Bill 622 takes the governor out of the process for replacing a U.S. Senate seat and switches it to a purely special election model, similar to how vacancies for U.S. Congressional seats are filled in Kentucky. The bill easily passed the governor’s veto in both chambers and received significant media attention during a time of transition and health care issues for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
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Senate Bill 2 allows Kentucky schools to hire armed “guardians” other than police officers to protect schools. Many Democrats and gun control advocates spoke out against the measure, but it received strong Republican support in the legislature. Beshear allowed the bill to become law without his signature.
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Senate Bill 74, also called the “momnibus” bill, aims to reduce rising maternal mortality and morbidity rates in Kentucky. Pregnancy is now considered a “qualifying life event” to be covered by Medicaid, and Medicaid is required to cover lactation consultation services, as well as the cost of breastfeeding equipment, maternity and post-natal care telehealth services. childbirth and participation in a home program for substance use disorder treatment.
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Senate Bill 299 reshapes the state’s regulatory landscape for horse racing and gaming by making gubernatorial appointments to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission subject to Senate approval and creating a new public corporation to oversee all gaming. It was vetoed by Beshear, but overruled by both chambers.
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Senate Bill 349 raises regulatory hurdles for utility companies seeking to decommission fossil fuel-powered power plants, a move championed by the state’s rural electric cooperatives and coal industry interests. The commission would likely extend the life of coal plants that are no longer economical for certain companies — a point that the project’s opponents, the president of Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities, have said will be costly for ratepayers and make more the transition to renewable energy is difficult.
