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We are officially over a quarter of the way through this long session! Bill filings have continued to roll in and many of the legislature鈥檚 priority bills have begun to move. Here are some of the highlights from last week:

KEES Money Expands Coverage

Last week the Senate passed , expanding Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) access to children in Kentucky who are homeschooled. KEES is a dedicated scholarship fund for Kentucky high school graduates entering into college that gives money based on academic metrics in high school, like GPA and ACT scores. The measure would allow homeschooled students to have access to scholarship funds based on predetermined metrics and expanded KEES funding to apply to scores of the Classic Learning Test (CLT). Without this legislation, home schooled students are only eligible for up to $500 dollars in KEES money based on their ACT score. This bill passed 33-4 and will be heard in the House in the coming weeks.

Limiting Liability for Businesses

Rep. Elliott filed last week which would limit employer liability under the statute of limitations relating to wage and hour violations. Currently, the statute of limitations for wage and hour violations is much longer than the national average, leaving Kentucky businesses open to liability longer. This bill would move the statute of limitation to three years for willful violations and two years for all other causes of action.

Louisville Specific Legislation

Rep. Jason Nemes filed based on the recommendations of the Louisville Metro Comprehensive Review Commission, which was formed in 2022 after the passage of to examine Louisville鈥檚 annexation and incorporation laws. HB 388 includes a number Louisville- focused policies, including nonpartisan city elections and the distribution of city road aid money, among others.

School Choice

, filed by Rep. Miles, is a constitutional amendment to authorize the General Assembly to provide financial support for the education of students outside of the public school system. The bill鈥檚 language looks similar to previous school choice bills that have passed in recent years but is structured to change the Kentucky Constitution to overcome previous constitutionality disputes in the court system.

Bill Status Updates:

• : Passed House
• : On the House Orders of the Day 1/29/24
• : Passed House
• Passed Senate

In Other News:

Tax Foundation Report

GLI along with Kentucky Chamber, Commerce Lexington Inc., and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce sponsored a report by the Tax Foundation called 鈥淜entucky Tax Modernization: Keeping the Sales Tax on Sales, Not Production.鈥� The report focuses on recent improvements to the Kentucky tax code and offers guidance for increasing the state鈥檚 competitiveness.聽 Read more about this new report here.