The Kentucky Senate passed its version of the executive branch budget, HB 500, on Wednesday, setting the stage for negotiations with the House. The bill now returns to the House, where a conference committee will be appointed to reconcile differences.
Both the House and Senate proposals include across-the-board spending reductions, though most county programs are exempt from these cuts in both versions. The Senate proposal increases funding for several mandated county services, including jails, court security and 911.
Click here to view the Senate proposal.
Increased funding for jails
The Senate budget adds support for housing state inmates in county jails, including:
- $3 million annually for state inmate medical costs
- $13 million annually for a $4 supplemental per diem for housing state inmates
The proposal also requires the Department of Corrections to work with counties on a plan for a voluntary regional jail model. The plan must address operational efficiency, distribution of inmate populations, staffing, and inmate care and support standards. DOC is required to submit the plan to lawmakers by Oct. 1, 2027.
Reshaping the shared responsibility of county jails remains KACo’s top priority this session. The Senate budget proposal is an important first step as negotiations begin, with KACo continuing to advocate for key components of HB 557 being included the final budget.
Court security and 911
The Senate proposal also increases reimbursement for court security officers to reflect actual deputy wages, plus a 25% administrative premium. The total reimbursement rate is capped at $25 per hour.
Additionally, the Division of Local Government Services would be required to maintain detailed reimbursement records and submit an annual report to the Legislative Research Commission by Oct. 1 on court security services and reimbursement rates.
The budget proposal also includes $5 million each year to complete the statewide rollout of Next Generation 911 services.
Shared provisions in House and Senate budget
Both the House and Senate budget proposals include:
- $10 million each year in grants for law enforcement and first responders for equipment such as body armor, duty weapons, ammunition, electronic control devices, and body-worn cameras
- A 2% salary increase for state employees in each year
However, the House and Senate differ on salary increases for certain county officials. The House extends the 2% increase to county and commonwealth’s attorneys, while the Senate version excludes those officials and their staff.
