Crossover of proposed legislation is in full swing in the Capitol Annex, and more than half the session is complete. The General Assembly is moving into its most consequential stretch. Senate bills are being considered in the House of Representatives, House bills are advancing in the Senate and the policy debates that define this session are sharpening.
This week, the General Assembly advanced one of the session’s most significant education measures, House Bill 1, allowing Kentucky to opt in to the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program created by Congress in 2025. Beginning in tax year 2027, the program offers a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to certified scholarship granting organizations that fund K-12 educational expenses. States must formally opt in for students to benefit, and more than two dozen have already done so.
Eligible students must come from households earning up to 300 percent of the area median income, making most Kentucky working- and middle-class families eligible. Scholarships, distributed by certified nonprofits that must direct at least 90 percent of contributions to students, may be used for tuition, tutoring, special needs services, instructional materials, technology, transportation and other approved expenses. Public school students are not excluded and may use funds for qualifying educational support.
HB 1 does not create a new state program, raise taxes or reduce SEEK funding. The federal tax credit can be claimed regardless of Kentucky’s decision; the question is whether those contributions support students here or flow to other states. By opting in, Kentucky keeps those federal dollars in-state and expands educational opportunity without increasing state spending.
State budget update
As noted in prior updates, the top priority during a 60-day legislative session is the constitutional responsibility to enact a new two-year state budget. We’ve heard from many regarding the initial version of the House’s budget proposal, HB 500. Legislative budget proposals traditionally start in the House. I want to update you that, as has been said, understood by many, but deliberately misconstrued by some, HB 500 was a ‘bare bones’ starting point as the legislature sought—and continues to seek—critical budget information from the executive branch. This week, the House held a committee meeting where significant modifications were made to HB 500. With the Senate officially in receipt of the House’s proposal, next week is when our deliberate and meticulous work really begins.
I presented Senate Joint Resolution 23, declaring Kentucky a Food is Medicine state. With representatives from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Hospital Association, I successfully testified before the House Health Services Committee. This nationally recognized, groundbreaking legislation declares Kentucky’s commitment to a “Food Is Medicine” strategy that strengthens both patient health and rural economies. While other states have pursued program-specific legislation focused largely on Medicaid waivers, Kentucky’s approach is a statewide declaration aligning policy, education and innovation around the role of nutrition and local agriculture in improving health outcomes. I anticipate even greater appetite in the full House later on in the session and for the resolution to be signed into law. It’s yet another element of the wellness revolution moving across Kentucky.
The Senate passed HB 314, mirror legislation to SB 64, modernizing oversight of KentuckyWired by transferring operational control to the Commonwealth Office of Technology.
Several measures were approved in the Senate this week and were either delivered to the Governor’s desk or sent to the state House for consideration.
Senate Bill 52, which I co-sponsored, establishes a 30-day deadline for state agencies to approve or deny permit and license applications when no other timeline is specified. If an agency fails to act within that timeframe, the application is deemed approved unless incomplete. It shifts the burden of proof to agencies in administrative hearings, expands judicial review and allows courts to consider additional evidence when appropriate. A public agency may receive an additional 30-day extension if it demonstrates a substantial and legitimate interest in protecting public health, safety or welfare. The bill does not eliminate permits or override federal requirements, but seeks to ensure permitting decisions are timely, transparent and grounded in clearly defined legal standards. If passed by the House, the measure would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Senate Bill 101, another bill I co-sponsored, strengthens protections for teachers and school staff by requiring local school boards to adopt policies mandating a minimum 12-month expulsion for students in grades 6–12 who physically assault, batter, or abuse school personnel without just cause or provocation. The bill also requires school employees to immediately report intentional assaults or attempted assaults against school staff to law enforcement. According to the Kentucky Education Association, there were over 25,000 reports of assault on teachers since 2021, and the belief is that it is underreported.
SB 33 strengthens oversight of recovery residences by closing certification loopholes and requiring the state to notify local officials when a residence seeks certification, is certified, or faces discipline.
SB 37 designates the treeing Walker coonhound as Kentucky’s official state dog in recognition of its historic ties to the commonwealth’s hunting heritage.
SB 52 requires state agencies to clearly define permitting standards in law, act within 30 days or grant automatic approval, shift the burden of proof to the agency, and expand judicial review to ensure fairness and accountability.
SB 56 ensures Medicaid patients have access to non-opioid pain treatments by prohibiting coverage policies that favor opioids and directing necessary program updates and federal approvals.
SB 98 requires contractors on specified public projects to follow American Welding Society standards and have welds inspected by a qualified professional.
SB 122 allows courts to consider a non-violent defendant’s role as a primary caretaker during sentencing to reduce unnecessary family separation.
SB 124 permits school districts to offer educators payment for a portion of unused sick leave while preserving the option to retain leave for emergencies or retirement.
SB 129 reduces employer contribution rates to the Unemployment Insurance Service Capacity Upgrade Fund and strengthens Kentucky’s unemployment system.
SB 157 clarifies mortgage loan calculations, exempts certain low-fee loans from limits, and aligns Kentucky law with federal standards for consistency.
SB 162 streamlines Kentucky’s juvenile diversion process by removing barriers and promoting collaboration among court workers, schools, and families.
SB 170 establishes a four-year SOAR Program in at least 10 districts to address habitual truancy through early intervention and coordinated school, court, and community support teams.
SB 214 authorizes the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to accept and manage non-federal funds and clarifies its authority to use funds from all levels of government.
Senate Joint Resolution 54 directs the Department for Libraries and Archives and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to collaborate on expanding enrollment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide.
I deeply value representing my communities throughout Bracken, Campbell, Kenton and Pendleton counties and strive to do my best to help Kentuckians. Please let me know how I can better serve your community by contacting my office at 502-564-8100 or by email at shelley.funkefrommeyer@kylegislature.gov.
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Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, represents the 24th Senate District, including Bracken, Campbell and Pendleton Counties and part of Kenton County. She serves as co-chair of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary and the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee. Frommeyer is the vice-chair of the Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee. In addition, she is a member of the Public Pension Oversight Board and the Agriculture and Families & Children’s Committees. Frommeyer is also a member of the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Commission. In 2025, she co-chaired the Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force, which examined strategies to improve Kentucky’s health through nutrition and food as medicine. In addition, she formed the Aeronautics and Aviation Economic Development Task Force.
Visit https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators%20Full%20Res%20Images/senate124.jpg for a high-resolution .jpeg of Funke Frommeyer.