This week was important for the future of college athletics in Kentucky. Joined by University of Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart and University of Louisville Athletics Director Josh Heird, I presented Senate Bill (SB) 3 to the Senate Education Committee to ensure our universities remain competitive as the landscape of name, image, and likeness (NIL). This bill is about positioning Kentucky at the forefront of NIL changes to protect our student-athletes and secure the future of the programs that mean so much to our commonwealth.
When I stood before the committee this week, I had my parents and my daughter, McLean, by my side. My parents instilled a love for sports in me. As a father, I see firsthand the impact athletics can have on young people—whether it’s teaching discipline, teamwork, or the value of hard work. I am grateful that my mother Donna was the women’s basketball coach at Campbellsville University, the all-time winningest coach, and an inductee into the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
SB 3 reflects that same commitment to opportunity and fairness. It aligns our state laws with national standards, ensures our universities can directly support student-athletes, and provides the protections they need as they navigate NIL agreements. This is about more than just policy—it’s about keeping Kentucky competitive, giving our student-athletes every chance to succeed, and preserving the integrity of the programs we all take pride in. I’m grateful for the overwhelming support from our university leaders, my colleagues in the Senate, and the people of Kentucky who recognize what’s at stake.
Several bills cleared the Senate in week five.
SB 4 establishes comprehensive policies for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) within Kentucky’s government. It defines key AI-related terms, tasks the Commonwealth Office of Technology with setting policy standards. It creates an Artificial Intelligence Governance Committee to ensure AI use remains ethical, transparent, and accountable. The legislation also prioritizes public disclosure, employee training, and data privacy protections. Additionally, it addresses the role of AI in elections by defining terms related to synthetic media and electioneering communications, creating legal protections against deceptive AI-generated content in political messaging. The bill includes an emergency clause for immediate implementation upon passage.
SB 25 updates Kentucky’s land use laws to improve development, zoning, and planning. It expands the types of projects that qualify for funding, including new housing developments and public facilities. The bill also changes how people can challenge zoning decisions so only property owners directly affected by changes can file appeals. These updates aim to make the land use process more efficient and fair.
SB 27 proposes the creation of a state Parkinson’s Disease Research Registry to be managed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This registry would collect essential data to support research, enhance treatment options, and help identify factors contributing to the disease. With over 548 Kentuckians lost to Parkinson’s in 2022, the bill aims to advance understanding of the disease, improve patient outcomes, and address its growing impact on public health. Similar registries in other states have helped identify at-risk populations, track disease patterns, and investigate links to environmental and genetic factors, offering hope for more effective interventions.
SB 50 allows two or more counties to create a multi-county taxing district by following existing procedures outlined in Kentucky law. This change gives counties more flexibility in forming special districts to address shared needs, such as public services, infrastructure, or other regional projects.
SB 19 requires all public schools to observe a one- to two-minute moment of silence at the start of each school day. Students must remain seated and silent, free to pray, meditate, or reflect without instruction from school staff. The bill also requires parental notification.
SB 22 updates licensing and enforcement standards for cosmetologists and estheticians to improve access to the profession while strengthening oversight. The bill expands testing opportunities for individuals seeking licensure and allows professionals from U.S. territories to obtain reciprocal licenses in Kentucky. It also enhances enforcement by permitting penalties beyond warnings for businesses that knowingly employ unlicensed nail technicians. Additionally, it removes the requirement that the Board of Cosmetology’s executive director be a licensed cosmetologist which broadens the pool of qualified candidates for the role.
SB 57 targets excessive speeding while funding key health care initiatives. It defines “super speeders” as drivers exceeding the speed limit by 25 mph on any highway. Offenders face a $200 fine, with revenues allocated to trauma care (40 percent), rural hospital preservation (20 percent), EMS education (30 percent), and school AEDs (10 percent). Unpaid fines will result in license suspension. These measures aim to improve road safety and support critical health care services statewide.
SB 60 protects religious freedom by prohibiting government actions substantially burdening an individual’s religious exercise. It defines substantial burdens, including withholding benefits, imposing penalties, or restricting access to programs or facilities. Exceptions are allowed only if the government proves a compelling interest and uses the least restrictive means. Individuals with violated religious rights can seek relief, including damages and legal fees. The bill applies to all government actions, past and future, and waives governmental immunity for violations. A severability clause ensures the law remains effective even if parts are invalidated.
SB 65 nullifies two administrative regulations related to Medicaid services that were found deficient during the 2024 legislative interim. The bill ensures that unapproved or problematic policies are ineffective by voiding these regulations. The bill also includes an emergency clause to make it effective immediately upon passage and prevent regulatory uncertainty or disruptions in Medicaid services.
SB 83 ensures KEES eligibility for homeschool graduates by allowing a mechanism for ACT scores to determine GPA and align them with graduates of certified schools who qualify based on GPA and ACT performance. Currently, homeschooled students receive only ACT-based awards, which limits their scholarship potential. This update recognizes their academic achievements and provides equal access to KEES funds so all students, regardless of educational path, have the same opportunities for postsecondary support.
SB 71 grants county judge/executives, with fiscal court approval, the authority to appoint public library board members and fill vacancies without input from unelected boards or state agencies to increase local control and accountability.
SB 100 requires tobacco and vape retailers to obtain a state license, with annual fees and escalating fines for underage sales up to license revocation after four violations. Distributors cannot supply revoked retailers; half of fines fund youth vaping education. The Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) will enforce the law with unannounced inspections, and citations must be tied to the retail location. The bill prohibits licensed tobacco, nicotine, and vape retailers from selling nitrous oxide bans to individuals, especially those under 21, and implements penalties for violations. It also repeals outdated enforcement provisions. If it becomes law, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
SB 121 strengthens Kentucky’s process for handling stray equines by improving documentation and owner identification. It requires the county judge/executive to verify that a taker-up has not altered an equine’s markings and to contract a veterinarian to document identifying features, perform a microchip scan, and check for lip tattoos or freeze brands. These records must be maintained in both electronic and paper formats and submitted to the state veterinarian’s office, which will post the equine’s details online. The bill allows county judge/executives to contract an animal sheltering service for these duties and grants them immunity from liability. If an owner is identified, reasonable efforts must be made to notify them, and they must reimburse veterinary costs. The taker-up is also entitled to reimbursement for care expenses. Ownership disputes can be resolved in court, which would pause the holding period. Stray equines may only be sterilized after 15 days and resolution of any legal claims.
SB 120 aims to protect student-athletes by requiring them to sign consent forms that include detailed information on abuse reporting. This initiative seeks to empower students with the knowledge and resources necessary to identify and report abusive behavior and foster a safer environment in educational athletics.
SB 129 streamlines the purchase of blighted, vacant, and abandoned properties to encourage redevelopment, restore productive use, and generate tax revenue. It authorizes certain state and local government agencies, quasi-governmental entities, and qualified nonprofit organizations to acquire these properties through a defined purchasing process. The bill also establishes oversight by the Department of Revenue to ensure compliance with applicable requirements.
SB 145 relates to Kentucky’s retail installment contract laws, particularly for motor vehicle and other financed purchases. It adjusts the maximum delinquency and collection charge for non-motor vehicle retail installment contracts and increases the cap from $10 to $15 to align with motor vehicle financing rules. The bill also shortens the waiting period for charging delinquency fees on motor vehicle installment contracts with payment periods under 28 days and allows fees to be applied after three days instead of 10. These changes ensure consistency across financing agreements while maintaining consumer protections.
SB 169 strengthens law enforcement’s ability to investigate child exploitation, harassment, and stalking in the digital age by modernizing administrative subpoena authority. The bill expands the attorney general’s and Kentucky State Police commissioner’s ability to issue administrative subpoenas for digital records in cases involving these crimes and allow access to certain records from internet providers, social networks, mobile payment services, and cloud storage providers to help identify offenders. However, it maintains due process protections by requiring a warrant for more sensitive data, such as emails, passwords, and account content. The legislation also grants individuals the right to challenge subpoenas in district court to ensure legal oversight while requiring the confidentiality of obtained records and mandating their destruction if no legal case follows within a reasonable timeframe.
SB 174 updates Kentucky’s campaign finance laws to improve clarity and protect donor privacy. It replaces full contributor addresses with only city and state in publicly available records for General Assembly and statewide candidates, reducing the risk of doxxing while maintaining transparency.
SB 176 reforms the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee, a 16-member investigative body in the General Assembly. The committee has the authority to review state agencies and programs, to verify funds are used appropriately, operations run efficiently, and government reorganizations are effective. It can investigate matters within its own jurisdiction and those of other legislative committees. The bill requires statutory committee membership appointments to be made in January of each odd-numbered year, vacancies to be filled within 30 days, and the president of the Senate and speaker of the House to appoint co-chairs.
SB 178 reorganizes the Education and Labor Cabinet to enhance vocational rehabilitation, apprenticeship services, and workforce talent recruitment and retention in the commonwealth. It codifies the transfer of the Division of Program Policy and Support from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the Education and Labor Cabinet within the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Additionally, it renames the Office of Employer and Apprentice Services to the Office of Industry and Apprenticeship Services. It places the Division of Apprenticeship and the Division of Workforce Talent within this newly named office.
SB 201 modifies the appointment process for administrative law judges within the Department of Workers’ Claims and Workers’ Compensation Board members for greater stability and security for appointees as they transition into their roles. By providing safeguards for these positions, the bill strengthens the system and expands the pool of qualified candidates, improving the department’s overall effectiveness.
SB 245 strengthens legislative oversight of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission by requiring any commissioner whose reappointment is rejected by the Senate to vacate their seat upon the adjournment of a legislative session. Under current law, unconfirmed commissioners can continue serving for months or even up to a year if no successor is appointed. This reform ensures that Senate confirmation is a binding requirement and prevents unconfirmed members from exercising regulatory authority over sportsmen beyond the oversight body’s approval.
Senate Joint Resolution 28 seeks to remove the reformulated gasoline (RFG) requirement in Jefferson, Oldham, and Bullitt Counties to provide relief at the pump, support consumers and businesses, and ensure Kentucky’s fuel policies align with economic and environmental needs. It requests the Governor to petition the EPA to remove the RFG requirements in these counties. It directs the Energy and Environment Cabinet to revise the state air quality implementation plan accordingly so the revisions meet specified requirements. The Cabinet must report on the status of these revisions to the Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Energy by October 31.
SJR 55 directs Kentucky’s public postsecondary institutions to take action against rising antisemitism on campuses. By Jan. 1, 2026, institutions must adopt policies to combat antisemitism within their institution—with respect to the First Amendment—and use as guidance the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, with implementation required at least through June 30, 2028. Policies must include student notifications about their civil rights and legal protections, recognition of Jewish student organizations as community resources, defunding of student groups that support terrorist organizations, and data collection on antisemitism-related reports, investigations, and legal actions. Institutions must report this data annually to the Council on Postsecondary Education, which will publish and submit findings to the legislature. The resolution ensures ongoing accountability by requiring reports until July 1, 2028, and mandates the resolution’s distribution to key state educational leaders.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 61 establishes the Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force, aligning with President Donald Trump’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement to improve health outcomes in Kentucky. The resolution addresses rising rates of chronic diseases and obesity by promoting better nutrition, increased physical activity, and public health initiatives. The task force will encourage healthier lifestyles, expand public nutrition awareness, reduce environmental health risks, and enhance public input on state health policies. Composed of elected members of the Kentucky General Assembly, the task force will meet monthly during the 2025 Interim and submit recommendations to the Governor and other policymakers by December 1.
The highlight of the week in Frankfort was Military Kids Day on Tuesday when more than 160 military children joined us at the Capitol for a day of activities and engagement in the legislative process. The day began with a warm welcome at the Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee meeting, where each child had the chance to introduce themselves, share where they were from, and recognize the branch of the armed forces their parent serves in.
From there, the kids explored the state Capitol, participated in a scavenger hunt, played on a static display provided by the Kentucky National Guard, and tested their skills on flight simulators courtesy of the Kentucky Aviation Museum. After enjoying lunch, they were welcomed into the Senate chamber, where they assisted with the final filing of legislation and experienced floor proceedings firsthand.
Military Kids Day is always a special occasion which offers these remarkable young people well-deserved recognition for their sacrifices as part of military families. We hope they leave Frankfort knowing their contributions are valued and, perhaps, that some of them may one day return—not as guests, but as state lawmakers, championing this event for the next generation of military families.
Thank you for allowing me to serve you in the Kentucky Senate. Please get in touch with my office at 502-564-2450 or Max.Wise@kylegislature.gov if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas.
(Dustin R. Isaacs – Office of Senate Majority Floor Leader Max Wise)