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Legislative Updates

The 2020 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly convened on January 7, 2020.  During legislative sessions, Kentucky Retirement Systems tracks proposed legislation of importance to the Systems and its members as the legislation moves through the process.

2020 Regular Session Daily Summary- Legislative Day 51 (Wednesday, April 1)     END OF WEEK 13

As of the end of Week 13 of the 2020 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, KRS continues to track 46 bills or resolutions on the Daily list and 45 bills on the Other Retirement-Related Legislation list.

The Kentucky General Assembly only met one day this past week (Wednesday, April 1) but several bills on our tracking lists saw movement again, including the State Executive Branch Budget bill (House Bill 352) which was delivered to the Governor yesterday.  We are currently reviewing the budget bill and will provide information to our participating agencies and members when the bill is finalized.

Other action on the Daily List includes:

  1. Senate Bill 249 (Reset amortization period to a new 30-year period: EMERGENCY) saw House Floor Amendments (3) and (4- title) adopted.  This means the bill, among other things, now amends KRS 61.522 to delay the one-time window where quasi-governmental agencies may voluntarily cease participation in the Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) from June 30, 2020, to June 30, 2021.  The bill was sent to the Governor for his consideration; and
  2. House Bill 271 (Line of duty benefits: EMERGENCY) was signed by the Governor on March 27.  Because the bill has an Emergency clause it became effective upon the Governor's signature.

 

On the Other Retirement-Related Legislation tracking list, House Bill 353, House Bill 355, House Bill 356, and House Bill 479 all saw action.

 

10-DAY VETO RECESS BEGINS:

The General Assembly adjourned yesterday and will not convene again until Tuesday, April 14, following the end of the Veto Recess.  The Veto Recess is a 10-day period, excluding Sundays, when the Governor has the opportunity to review legislation that has made it through the process and landed on his desk.  Section 88 of the Kentucky Constitution describes the Veto process.

There are three Veto actions that a Governor can take during the recess:

  1. He can sign a bill to show his approval.  If a bill has an "Emergency" clause it becomes effective immediately, or at a date specified in the bill: otherwise, it becomes effective 90 days after the Session adjourns Sine Die.
  1. He can allow a bill to become law without a signature, or 
  1. He can Veto (Latin for "I forbid") the bill.  This is the Governor's formal rejection of a bill proposed by the General Assembly.  The Governor has line-item veto power over appropriations bills (such as the State Executive Branch Budget bill), but for all other legislation it's an "all or nothing" proposition: all provisions of the bill must be vetoed.

 

This is the last legislative update for now… we will restart our legislative tracking when the General Assembly returns to Frankfort in mid-April.

 

Please click on the hyperlinks below to read today's tracking lists:   

Daily Update 4-1-20.pdf

Legislation Status Chart 4-1-20.pdf

Other Retirement-Related Legislation 4-1-20.pdf

 

WHAT ARE THE TRACKING LISTS?

On days when the General Assembly is in regular session, Kentucky Retirement Systems creates three documents that monitor legislation of particular importance to the Systems. 

  1. The first document is called the "Daily Legislative Update" that lists bills with a direct potential impact on the Systems.
  1. The second document is called the "Legislation Status Chart."  This chart is designed to give an overall view of a particular Daily Legislative Update Tracking List bill's progress, but will not contain the specific details of the other document.  For most people, this chart will give you all you need to keep abreast of significant developments.
  1. The third document is called "Other Retirement-Related Legislation" that highlights legislation that may have an indirect effect on the Systems. 

When a bill has seen action during the day, the action will be highlighted on the list with bold red font.  Also, you can click on the bill number in the document and it will link you to the LRC website where you can read the bill in its entirety.

 

Please be advised that these legislative summaries are intended for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice regarding the legislative meaning, purpose, intent, application or administration of a particular statutory change.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the impact of a particular piece of legislation, please contact the Legislative Research Commission or a qualified attorney. If you have questions regarding your Kentucky Retirement Systems benefits, please contact the Retirement Systems through our webpage at kyret.ky.gov or by telephone at (800) 928-4646.

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