Where high-profile bills stand with one legislative day remaining

Shortly after the 2016 General Assembly began in January, Sen. Dan Seum told reporters he was filing Senate Bill 75 to freeze state university tuition at its current level for the next four years. Seum, a Louisville Republican, complained that his own granddaughter carried $40,000 in student loan debt when she graduated from Western Kentucky University.

“It borders on criminal what these universities are doing to kids,” Seum said. “These universities see these students as nothing more than a cash cow.”

But Seum’s bill, assigned to the Senate Education Committee, was never heard from again.

That’s how it usually works at the Capitol. Few proposals survive the constitutionally required trip through the Democratic-led House and the Republican-led Senate and land on the governor’s desk. Only 13 percent of the 941 bills lawmakers filed this year have been approved so far by both chambers. The rest either fell short or, like Seum’s SB 75, didn’t move at all.

Now lawmakers are preparing to return Tuesday for the 60th and final day of their session. Although approving a two-year state budget remains the top priority of lawmakers, lots of other high-profile legislation begs for their attention Tuesday. Here’s where some of their more significant bills stood when they left on Day 59:

Made it to governor

Senate Bill 4, to require women getting abortions to receive “informed consent” counseling either in person or by live video feed. The House and Senate sent it to the governor, who signed it into law Feb. 4.

Senate Bill 56, to expand from five years to 10 years the “look-back window” for prior drunken-driving convictions, which can bring stiffer penalties in subsequent cases. The House and Senate sent it to the governor on March 29.

Senate Bill 60, to make it easier to prosecute people for “offenses against a vulnerable victim,” such as children or the elderly, by allowing them to be charged with a continuous course of conduct rather than requiring specific dates as evidence. The House and Senate sent it to the governor March 29.

Senate Bill 63, to set tighter deadlines for law-enforcement agencies to submit and analyze rape-evidence kits. The House and Senate sent it to the governor on March 29.

Senate Bill 216, to establish a new marriage license in Kentucky that would not require the county clerk’s signature and that would allow applicants to identify themselves as “bride,” “groom” or “spouse.” The House and Senate sent it to the governor on April 1.

House Bill 40, to allow Kentuckians to expunge from their public records certain non-violent felonies after a five-year waiting period. The House and Senate sent it to the governor on April 1.

House Bill 309, known as “the P3 bill,” would create a framework for governments and private entities to enter partnerships as an alternative financing method for public projects. The House and Senate sent it to the governor on March 28.

House Bill 428, to make it a felony to possess, breed, sell or otherwise handle dogs for the purpose of dog fighting. (Dog fighting itself already is a felony in Kentucky.) The House and Senate sent it to the governor on March 28.

Might make it Tuesday

Senate Bill 2, to require greater transparency in business practices for the state’s pension systems — including the one for legislators, which would have to begin posting information online. The Senate passed it Feb. 2; the House State Government Committee passed it March 17. It’s posted for action on the House floor.

Senate Bill 45, to require the disclosure of legislators’ public pensions under the Kentucky Open Records Act. The Senate passed it Jan. 19; the House State Government Committee passed it March 23. It’s posted for action on the House floor.

Senate Bill 175, known as “Marsy’s Law,” to add a crime victim’s bill of rights to the state constitution. The Senate passed it March 1; the House Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs passed it March 3. It’s posted for action on the House floor.

Senate Bill 224, to abolish mandatory state safety training of coal mine foremen and allow companies the option of using their own certified trainers. The Senate passed it March 17; the House Natural Resources Committee passed it March 24. It’s posted for action on the House floor.

House Bill 80, to broaden the Kentucky Open Records Act to cover private companies that are hired by governments to run utilities or other public services. The House passed it Feb. 1; the Senate State and Local Government Committee approved it March 22. It awaits further action in the Senate.

House Bill 147, to boost the sums of money that people and corporations can give to state politicians and state political parties. The House passed it Feb. 8. It awaits action in the Senate State and Local Government Committee, but it has received the Senate floor readings necessary for a quick final passage vote on Tuesday.

House Bill 626, known as “Work Ready,” to pay tuition for many community college students after existing state scholarship aid programs have been used. The House passed it March 17. It awaits action in the Senate budget committee, but it has received the Senate floor readings necessary for a quick final passage vote on Tuesday. Also, House leaders have attempted to add language to the state budget that matches the intent of HB 626.

Not likely to make it

Senate Bill 1, a Republican plan to overhaul the state’s education assessment standards. The Senate passed it Feb. 17, but the House Education Committee did not touch it.

Senate Bill 7, to prohibit public funds from going to an organization that provides abortions or counseling or referrals for abortion. The Senate passed it Feb. 2, but the House budget committee ignored it. However, Senate leaders have attempted to add language to the state budget that matches the intent of SB 7.

Senate Bill 9, to repeal the state’s higher “prevailing wage” on public construction projects at schools or universities. The Senate passed it Jan. 14, but the House Labor and Industry Committee voted it down Feb. 4. Senate leaders have attempted to add language to the state budget that is similar to the intent of SB 9.

Senate Bill 50, to give public school districts an incentive to start their calendar years in late August. The Senate passed it March 8, but the House Education Committee did not act on it.

Senate Bill 150, to require DNA collection from felony suspects at arrest rather than waiting until after conviction. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed it March 10, but it stalled in the full Senate.

Senate Bill 152, to require women seeking an abortion to first undergo an ultrasound exam, with a doctor describing the image to them. The Senate passed it Feb. 29, but it stopped in the House Health and Welfare Committee.

Senate Bill 180, to legally protect businesses that don’t want to serve gay, lesbian or transgender customers because of the owners’ religious objections. The Senate passed it March 15, but the House Judiciary Committee ignored it.

Senate Bill 200, to reorganize the Kentucky Horse Park Commission effective immediately. The Senate passed it Feb. 29; the House State Government Committee did not act on it.

Senate Bill 212, to toughen the regulatory standards for abortion clinics, such as requiring them to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers, making it necessary for them to upgrade their facilities. The Senate passed it March 9, but it languished in the House Health and Welfare Committee.

Senate Bill 297, to eliminate state safety inspections of coal mines. The Senate passed it March 17, but the House Labor and Industry Committee did not act on it. However, in the state budget, House leaders have attempted to add language that would reduce the number of mandatory mine inspections the state must perform every year from six to four.

House Bill 94, known as “Tim’s Law,” to let some mentally ill Kentuckians be ordered by judges into outpatient medical treatment, a step shy of institutionalization. The House passed it March 10, but the Senate budget committee ignored it.

House Bill 155, to provide statewide civil rights protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Kentuckians. It was given a hearing Feb. 17 by the House Judiciary Committee, but no vote was taken.

House Bill 278, to raise the state’s minimum hourly wage from $7.25 to $8.20. It was passed by two House committees, most recently the House budget committee on March 8, but it did not get a House floor vote.

House Bill 342, to reform the state tax code and raise $570 million a year in additional revenue. It was filed Feb. 5 and referred to the House budget committee, where it came to rest.

House Bill 387, to require best-practice standards for police departments working with crime witnesses in order to prevent the wrong people from being arrested. The House Judiciary Committee passed it March 18, but it stalled on the House floor.

House Bill 408, to clarify that life insurance companies must attempt to reach beneficiaries on policies issued before 2012. This was the subject of a lawsuit before the Kentucky Supreme Court that Gov. Matt Bevin dropped. The House passed it Feb. 26, but the Senate Judiciary Committee did not pick it up.

House Bill 441, to let the city of Lexington raise its hotel room tax by 2.5 percent to help pay for the proposed expansion of the Lexington Convention Center. The House passed it March 3. It awaits action in the Senate budget committee, but Senate leaders oppose it. For good measure, the Senate removed $60 million in bond funds from the state budget intended for this project.

House Bill 576, to limit the state’s farmland preservation tax break to documented working farms. This was filed March 1 in response to a series of stories in the Herald-Leader. It went to the House budget committee, which took no action on it.

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Where high-profile bills stand with one legislative day remaining."