Legislative Research Commission announces special task forces for interim session

State lawmakers will be busy this summer reviewing a variety of policy issues, including annexation, school security, jails and transportation. The Legislative Research Commission this week announced the formation of seven special committees that will meet during the 2023 interim session:

• Task Force on Local Government Annexation
• Jail & Corrections Reform Task Force
• Certificate of Need Task Force
• Task Force on School & Campus Security
• Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force
• Lottery Trust Fund Task Force
• KY Health & Human Services Delivery System Task Force

Each task force is made up of 10 legislative members from the House and Senate. The House Speaker and Senate President both appointed four members from their party, while the House and Senate minority leaders had one appointment each.

The General Assembly’s interim period begins June 1 and runs through November. A schedule for task force meetings has not yet been finalized.

Task Force on Local Government Annexation

This task force will study the present statutory methods of city annexation, along with the beneficial and deleterious effects of annexation on issues such as taxation, economic development, provision and sustainability of water, gas electric, sewer and other utility services, police protection, fire protection and emergency services from the perspective of local governments and their residents.

• Sen. Robby Mills, Co-Chair (R - Henderson, Hopkins, Union, Webster counties)
• Rep. Jonathan Dixon, Co-Chair (R - Henderson County)
• Sen. Michael J. Nemes (R - Bullitt, Jefferson counties)
• Sen. Robert Stivers (R - Clay, Jackson, Knox, McCreary, Owsley, Whitley counties)
• Sen. Phillip Wheeler (R - Elliott, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin, Pike counties)
• Sen. David Yates (D - Jefferson County)
• Rep. Randy Bridges (R - Livingston, McCracken counties)
• Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton (D - Jefferson County)
• Rep. Michael Meredith (R - Edmonson, Warren counties)
• Rep. Michael Sarge Pollock (R - Marion, Taylor counties)

Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force

This task force was created to study existing jail and correctional facilities; possible realignment and closure of jail and correctional facilities; management of Kentucky's incarcerated population; personnel and other costs associated with jail and correctional facilities; pretrial and post-conviction incarceration data from the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Department of Corrections, and jails; pretrial defendants, including a breakdown by jurisdiction of the financial conditions of release and charged offenses for those defendants; and the number of supervised individuals incarcerated on new charges versus those incarcerated due to revocation.

• Sen. John Schickel, Co-Chair (R - Boone County)
• Rep. Josh Bray, Co-Chair (R - Laurel, Madison, Pulaski, Rockcastle counties)
• Sen. Brandon J. Storm (R - Casey, Laurel, Lincoln, Rockcastle counties)
• Sen. Robin L. Webb (D -  Boyd, Carter, Greenup, Lewis counties)
• Sen. Whitney Westerfield (R -  Caldwell, Christian, Muhlenberg counties)
• Sen. Phillip Wheeler (R -  Elliott, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin, Pike counties)
• Rep. David Hale (R - Bath, Menifee, Montgomery counties)
• Rep. Keturah Herron (D - Jefferson County)
• Rep. Jason Petrie (R - Christian, Logan, Todd counties)
• Rep. Wade Williams (R - Hopkins County)

Certificate of Need Task Force

This task force will review Kentucky’s Certificate of Need (CON) program, including the state health plan and related statutes. Members will review the need for maintaining or modifying CON for each health service currently covered.

• Sen. Donald Douglas, Co-Chair (R -  Fayette, Garrard, Jessamine counties)
• Rep. Russell Webber, Co-Chair (R - Bullitt and Hardin counties)
• Sen. Karen Berg (D - Jefferson County)
• Sen. David P. Givens (R -  Barren, Edmonson, Green, Hart, Warren counties)
• Sen. Steve Meredith (R - Breckinridge, Butler, Grayson, Meade, Ohio counties)
• Sen. John Schickel (R - Boone County)
• Rep. Lindsey Burke (D - Fayette County)
• Rep. Daniel Elliott (R - Boyle, Casey counties)
• Rep. Marianne Proctor (R - Boone County)
• Rep. Susan Witten (R - Jefferson County)

Task Force on School and Campus Security

This task force will study and review the implementation of Senate Bill 1 from the 2019 Regular Session. The committee will review access to mental health services provided within school districts and determine if any federal funds are available for those services.

• Sen. Max Wise, Co-Chair (R - Adair, Allen, Metcalfe, Monroe, Taylor, Warren counties)
• Rep. Scott Lewis, Co-Chair (R - Daviess, Hancock, Ohio counties)
• Sen. Matthew Deneen (R - Hardin, Jefferson counties)
• Sen. Michael J. Nemes (R - Bullitt, Jefferson counties)
• Sen. Reginald Thomas (D - Fayette County)
• Sen. Stephen West (R - Bourbon, Fayette, Fleming, Harrison, Mason, Nicholas, Robertson, Rowan counties)
• Rep. Savannah Maddox (R - Boone, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton counties)
• Rep. Scott Sharp (R - Boyd, Lawrence counties)
• Rep. James Tipton (R - Anderson, Spencer counties)
• Rep. Lisa Willner (D - Jefferson County)

Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force 

Members of this task force will study and make recommendations regarding ports, freight and air terminals to review, correct, secure and expand economic development opportunities. The committee will review the state of the current freight transportation system and funding opportunities. 

• Sen. Jason Howell, Co-Chair (R - Calloway, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Lyon, Trigg counties)
• Rep. Suzanne Miles, Co-Chair (R - Daviess County)
• Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong (D - Jefferson County)
• Sen. Jimmy Higdon (R - Larue, Marion, Nelson, Spencer, Washington counties)
• Sen. Brandon J. Storm (R - Casey, Laurel, Lincoln, Rockcastle counties)
• Sen. Johnnie Turner (R - Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Letcher counties)
• Rep. John Blanton (R - Knott, Magoffin, Pike counties)
• Rep. Chris Freeland (R - Lyon, Marshall, McCracken counties)
• Rep. Tom Smith (R - Knox, Laurel counties)
• Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty (D - Floyd, Pike counties)

Lottery Trust Fund Task Force

This task force will review the recent budgetary trends and the various uses of the lottery trust fund. Members will evaluate the performance of scholarship and grant programs funded by the lottery trust fund and compare the current system with other states.

• Sen. Matthew Deneen, Co-Chair (R - Hardin, Jefferson counties)
• Rep. Bobby McCool, Co-Chair (R - Johnson, Martin, Pike counties)
• Sen. Gary Boswell (R – Daviess, Hancock, McLean counties)
• Sen. Gerald A. Neal (D – Jefferson County)
• Sen. Lindsey Tichenor (R – Jefferson, Oldham, Trimble counties)
• Sen. Mike Wilson (R – Logan, Simpson, Todd, Warren counties)
• Rep. Daniel Grossberg (D – Jefferson County)
• Rep. Steve Rawlings (R – Boone County)
• Rep. Steve Riley (R – Barren County)
• Rep. Killian Timoney (R – Fayette, Jessamine counties)

Kentucky Health and Human Services Delivery System Task Force 

The purpose of this task force is to continue studying the organizational structure, operations and administration of programs, policies and procedures within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS). The task force will determine if or how services can be delivered more effectively and efficiently. Additionally, task force members will examine Kentucky’s benefits cliff and continue the work of the prior benefits cliff task force.

• Sen. Steve Meredith, Co-Chair (R - Breckinridge, Butler, Grayson, Meade, Ohio counties)
• Rep. David Meade, Co-Chair (R - Garrard, Lincoln, Pulaski counties)
• Sen. Julie Raque Adams (R - Jefferson County)
• Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer (R - Bracken, Campbell, Kenton, Pendleton counties)
• Sen. Denise Harper Angel (D - Jefferson County)
• Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R - Boyle, Fayette, Mercer, Woodford counties)
• Rep. Samara Heavrin (R - Grayson, Hardin counties)
• Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser (R - Kenton County)
• Rep. Amy Neighbors (R - Adair, Cumberland, Metcalfe, Monroe counties)
• Rep. Sarah Stalker (D - Jefferson County)