Kentucky 2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee 2 D cosponsors

HB 738 — AN ACT relating to unemployment insurance.

Last action — to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)

  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 25, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

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

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 18% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    2 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 D).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Amend KRS 341.350, relating to unemployment insurance, to lengthen the verified definite return-to-work or recall-to-work period from 16 weeks to 12 months and add protections for employees whose place of employment can reasonably be expected to resume operations within 12 months following a natural disaster.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

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

The bill modifies the conditions for disqualification from unemployment benefits by updating timeframes and adding provisions for individuals affected by natural disasters.

  • KRS 341.350(7)(b)

    sixteen (16) weeks → twelve (12) months

    Changes the timeframe for workers with return-to-work prospects from sixteen weeks to twelve months.

  • KRS 341.350(7)(c)

    If his or her place of employment becomes nonoperational due to a natural disaster and can reasonably be expected to resume operations within twelve (12) months from the date of the natural disaster.

    Introduces a new provision that protects workers from being denied benefits if their employment is affected by a natural disaster.

Action History

  1. to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)

  2. to Committee on Committees (H)

  3. introduced in House

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

2 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 136 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (136)

136 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 136 →

"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 labor
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 738 do?
Amend KRS 341.350, relating to unemployment insurance, to lengthen the verified definite return-to-work or recall-to-work period from 16 weeks to 12 months and add protections for employees whose place of employment can reasonably be expected to resume operations within 12 months following a natural disaster.
Who sponsors HB 738?
HB 738 is sponsored by Beverly Chester-Burton (Democrat) and Al Gentry (Democrat).
What is the current status of HB 738?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 25, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 738?
Track HB 738 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB 738

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 738

Last checked for changes about 2 months ago · updated continuously

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

Track this bill →