Kentucky 2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 3 R · 1 D cosponsors

HB 588 — AN ACT relating to the abolition of the death penalty.

Last action — to Judiciary (H)

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 06, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 38% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 4 sponsors

    4 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (3 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 532 to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment without parole for inmates presently sentenced to death; amend KRS 532.030, relating to authorized dispositions for felony offenses, to remove the death penalty; amend KRS 533.010, relating to probation, to prohibit probation for a person sentenced to life without parole or life without parole for 25 years; amend KRS 640.010 to define terms; amend KRS 640.040, relating to penalties for juveniles convicted of felony offenses, to prohibit life imprisonment without benefit of parole for a capital offense; amend KRS 422.285, 532.050, and 532.100 to conform; repeal KRS 431.213, 431.2135, 431.218, 431.220, 431.223, 431.224, 431.240, 431.250, 431.260, 431.270, 507A.060, 532.025, 532.075, 532.130, 532.135, 532.140, 532.300, 532.305, and 532.309.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

3 changes Share ↗

Compared against the Kentucky Revised Statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill abolishes the death penalty and makes corresponding changes to the DNA testing provisions for individuals previously sentenced to death.

  • KRS 422.285

    designated a violent offense → that would classify a person as a violent offender

    This change expands the eligibility for DNA testing requests to include individuals convicted of offenses that categorize them as violent offenders under KRS 439.3401.

  • KRS 422.285

    a petitioner sentenced to death → a petitioner sentenced to death prior to the effective date of this Act

    This change specifies that the provisions for court ordering DNA testing are applicable only to those sentenced to death before the bill's effective date.

  • KRS 422.285

    a petitioner sentenced to death → except for a petitioner sentenced to death prior to the effective date of this Act

    This modification clarifies that the court's considerations for DNA analysis exclude those who were sentenced to death before the bill's enactment.

Action History

  1. to Judiciary (H)

  2. to Committee on Committees (H)

  3. introduced in House

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

4 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 134 not signed on

Sponsors (4)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (134)

134 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 134 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 588 do?
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 532 to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment without parole for inmates presently sentenced to death; amend KRS 532.030, relating to authorized dispositions for felony offenses, to remove the death penalty; amend KRS 533.010, relating to probation, to prohibit probation for a person sentenced to life without parole or life without parole for 25 years; amend KRS 640.010 to define terms; amend KRS 640.040, relating to penalties for juveniles convicted of felony offenses, to prohibit life imprisonment without benefit of parole for a capital offense; amend KRS 422.285, 532.050, and 532.100 to conform; repeal KRS 431.213, 431.2135, 431.218, 431.220, 431.223, 431.224, 431.240, 431.250, 431.260, 431.270, 507A.060, 532.025, 532.075, 532.130, 532.135, 532.140, 532.300, 532.305, and 532.309.
Who sponsors HB 588?
HB 588 is sponsored by Scott Sharp (Republican), Mark Hart (Republican), Anne Gay Donworth (Democrat), and James Tipton (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 588?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 06, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 588?
Track HB 588 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB 588

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HB 588

Last checked for changes 2 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →