Legislative Summaries
2018 Pension Reform Summary
House Bill 185 Summary
On June 20, 2018 Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled Senate Bill 151, the pension reform bill, unenforceable because the legislative process violated certain provisions of the Kentucky Constitution. The ruling has been appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court. The judge’s ruling does not affect other bills related to KRS that were enacted during the 2018 legislative session.
Senate Bill 151 Summary
Legislative Update: KRS-Related Actions of the 2018 Kentucky General Assembly
The Veto period for all bills that were passed on the last day of the 2018 Regular Session ended on April 26, 2018. The KRS Legislative Tracking lists have been updated to reflect the final actions of the General Assembly, and are posted below for your convenience.
Here are the main KRS-related Bills and Resolutions that passed the General Assembly this Session.
DAILY TRACKING LIST
The following bills all had Emergency clauses, which means they became law as soon as the Governor signed them:
House Bill 185 (Death in Line of Duty – EMERGENCY). View HB185 Summary
House Bill 265 (HB 200 State Executive Branch Budget "Cleanup" bill – EMERGENCY). The Governor did not actually sign this bill, but it became law without his signature.
House Bill 362 (Voluntary cessation of participating agencies – EMERGENCY). The General Assembly voted to override the Governor's veto of this bill, and it became law on April 14, 2018.
House Bill 366 (Revenue bill – EMERGENCY). The General Assembly also voted to override the Governor's veto of this bill, and it became law on April 14, 2018.
The following bills will take effect on Saturday, July 14, 2018, per Office of the Attorney General Opinion OAG 18-007 unless the bill contains language that specifies another effective date.
Senate Bill 88 (City mandates).
Senate Bill 151 (Pension reform bill). Portions of this bill become effective on specific dates. Please refer to the SB 151 summary for more information.
House Bill 200 (State Executive Branch Budget bill, covering Fiscal Years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020). The General Assembly voted to override the Governor's veto of this bill on April 14, 2018.
House Bill 487 (HB 362 cleanup bill). The Governor did not actually sign this bill, but it will become law without his signature.
Due to legislative changes from the 2017 Session, Gubernatorial appointees to the KRS Board of Trustees now require Senate confirmation. The following Senate Resolutions were all passed on March 20, 2018:
Senate Resolution 280 confirmed the appointment of Patrick Kelly Downard to the KRS Board of Trustees.
Senate Resolution 281 confirmed the appointment of David Michael Gallagher to the KRS Board of Trustees.
Senate Resolution 282 confirmed the appointment of Matthew L. Monteiro to the KRS Board of Trustees.
Senate Resolution 283 confirmed the appointment of James Fulkerson to the KRS Board of Trustees.
Senate Resolution 284 confirmed the appointment of Wilburn Joe Brothers to the KRS Board of Trustees.
OTHER RETIREMENT-RELATED LEGISLATION TRACKING LIST
The following bills were passed by the General Assembly and will become law: Senate Bill 86, House Bill 11, House Bill 158, House Bill 204, and House Bill 476. In addition, House Resolution 11 was adopted on April 14, 2018.
House Bill 130 was vetoed on April 26, 2018, so it will not become law. House Bill 201 contains line-item vetoes, which means some specific portions of the bill have been removed but the remaining parts will become law. You can read the Governor's veto message for this bill here: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/18RS/HB201/veto.pdf
Future Actions
Over the next several weeks, Kentucky Retirement Systems will continue to analyze the recently-passed legislation and create educational materials to explain the impact it may have on your benefits. We will post information to our website and social media outlets as soon as it becomes available.
Tracking Lists
Senate Bill 151 Information
On June 20, 2018 Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled Senate Bill 151, the pension reform bill, unenforceable because the legislative process violated certain provisions of the Kentucky Constitution. The ruling has been appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court. The judge’s ruling does not affect other bills related to KRS that were enacted during the 2018 legislative session.
SB151 HCS 1
Actuarial Analysis for Nonhazardous
Actuarial Analysis for Hazardous
Senate Bill 151 Summary
Board of Trustees Annual Board Meeting 4/19/18
Legislative Update Presentation
Historical Pension Bill Information (ARCHIVE)
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.