Many thanks to the legislators and county leaders who joined us for the 2026 County Officials Legislative Reception on Wednesday. Your participation helped make the event both meaningful and productive—and an important opportunity to advocate for Kentucky’s counties.
We are nearly halfway through the General Assembly’s 60-day legislative session, and activity continues at a steady pace. Each chamber is primarily advancing its own legislation, while bills from the opposite chamber await consideration.
The budget review subcommittees of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee ramped up meetings this week, hearing from executive branch officials about each cabinet’s budget priorities for the upcoming biennium. Amended House budget bills are not expected until early March.
HB 557 update
KACo’s top-priority jail bill, HB 557, was assigned this week to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee.
Sponsored by Rep. Michael Meredith (R-Edmonson), HB 557 reshapes the shared responsibility of county jails by:
- Incentivizing the use of regional jails
- Clarifying responsibility for pre-trial felony detainees
- Redefining the state inmate housing model
As of Friday morning, 39 legislators have signed on as co-sponsors, and that number continues to grow as county officials engage their lawmakers. Click here to view the current list of co-sponsors.
HB 557 continues to gain momentum in Frankfort, driven by strong member engagement and continued efforts to tell the county story about how escalating jail costs are placing a critical strain on county budgets.
County officials can support HB 557 by:
- Sharing your county story and budget impacts
- Asking your House member to co-sponsor the bill
- Adopting a resolution in support of HB 557
- Staying engaged as the bill moves through the General Assembly
To learn more and access outreach tools, click here.
Bills on the move
HB 432 – Sponsored by Rep. Amy Neighbors (R-Metcalfe), passed on the House floor Wednesday 82-7. Allows counties to purchase used vehicles and equipment without having to advertise, provided the price does not exceed more than 75% of the MSRP for the model year of similar vehicles or equipment.
HB 293 – Sponsored by Rep. Walker Thomas (R-Christian), passed out of committee. Requires iron, steel, or wooden wheels to be equipped with a rubber strip on the portion of the wheel that touches the surface of a road. The bill exempts animal-drawn vehicles weighing one ton or less used solely for transporting people.
SB 9 – Sponsored by Senate Majority Caucus Chair Robby Mills (R-Henderson), passed out of committee. Based on work of the Housing Task Force this bill gives local governments the option to establish a residential infrastructure development district, with infrastructure costs within the district funded by a special assessment on the district’s properties and supported by bonds issued by the local government.
SB 141 – Sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem David Givens (R-Green), passed out of committee. Requires newspapers of record to maintain an office within the publication area. Allows counties without a local paper to use a newspaper from an adjoining county to publish notices. Ensures that public agencies, including local governments, receive the same lower rates offered to commercial customers and a volume discount. Clarifies that for some counties, the effective publication date is the first online posting.
Important legislative dates
Feb. 16 – No session, Presidents Day
March 2 – Last day for new Senate bills
March 4 – Last day for new House bills
April 2-13 – Veto recess
April 14-15 – Final two days of session
For questions or feedback, contact Shellie Hampton or Kayla Smith at shellie.hampton@kaco.org or kayla.smith@kaco.org.
