SB 124 — AN ACT relating to sick leave for school district personnel.
Last action — recommitted to Appropriations & Revenue (H)
-
✓Introduced
-
✓In Committee
-
3Passed Senate
-
4Passed House
-
5To Executive
-
6Enacted
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 27, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
ModerateHow often bills like it became law.
-
Passed Senate
Current position in the legislative process.
-
6 sponsors
6 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
-
Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (6 R).
-
Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 1 recorded vote so far.
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
Amend KRS 161.155 to allow school district employees to use sick leave for observance of religious holidays not otherwise included on the school's calendar if the employee submits a personal statement verifying the observance and gives advance notice to the district; permit local school districts to compensate teachers and employees prior to retirement for accrued accumulated sick leave above 15 days at up to 30% of the teacher's or employee's daily wage; provide that compensation for sick leave compensated prior to retirement shall not impact retirement benefits or contributions to the Teachers' Retirement System or County Employees Retirement System and shall be considered as payment for services rendered; require the Kentucky Department of Education to annually report to the Legislative Research Commission on school districts who have established a program to compensate unused sick leave prior to retirement; amend KRS 78.616 and 161.220 to conform and to make technical amendments.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
50 added · 50 removed50 line(s) added, 50 removed.
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA AN ACT relating to sick leave for school district personnel.
Sick leave shall be granted to a teacher or employee if he or she presents a personal statement or a certificate of a physician stating that the teacher or employee was ill, that the teacher or employee was absent for the purpose of attending to a member of his or her immediate family who was Page 1 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA ill, or for the purpose of mourning a member of his or her immediate family.
(b) The district shall pay, for up to one (1) year from the time of the assault, the difference between the salary of the teacher or employee and any workers' compensation income benefits received by the teacher or employee resulting Page 2 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA from the assault.
Any district board of education may, in its discretion, allow employees or teachers in its common school system sick leave in excess of the Page 3 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA number of days prescribed in this section and may allow school district employees and teachers to use up to three (3) days' sick leave per school year for emergency leave pursuant to KRS 161.152(3).
The compensation for unused sick leave days established by this paragraph shall not be considered compensation or creditable Page 4 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA compensation for purposes of any contributions payable to or for computation of benefits payable by the Teachers' Retirement System under KRS 161.220 to 161.716 or the County Employees Retirement System under KRS 78.510 to 78.852.
The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to sick leave days compensated pursuant to Page 5 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA subsection (4)(b) of this section.
The teacher or employee suffers from a catastrophic loss to his or her personal or real property, due to either a natural disaster or fire, that either has caused or will likely cause the employee to be Page 6 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA absent for at least ten (10) consecutive working days;
This paragraph shall not limit a school Page 7 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA district's authority to establish additional paid maternity benefits or to provide paid parental leave benefits.
(d) For a teacher or employee who begins employment with a local school district on or after July 1, 2008, the maximum amount of unused sick leave days a district board of education may recognize in calculating the payment of Page 8 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA compensation to the teacher or employee under this subsection shall not exceed three hundred (300) days.
(f) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and each fiscal year thereafter, each Page 9 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA school district shall annually report to the Teachers' Retirement System the sick leave balances for each teacher and employee who is a member of the Teachers' Retirement System.
(11) Any statute to the contrary notwithstanding, employees and teachers who transferred from the Department of Education to a school district, from a school Page 10 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA district to the Department of Education, or from one (1) school district to another school district after July 15, 1981, shall receive credit for any unused sick leave to which the employee or teacher was entitled on the date of transfer.
Accumulated sick-leave in excess of six (6) months shall Page 11 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA be added to the member's service credit if the member or employer pays to the retirement system the value of the additional service credit based on the formula adopted by the board, subject to the restrictions provided by paragraph (d) of this subsection.
The cost of the service provided by this paragraph shall be paid by the Page 12 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA employer.
For an employee who begins participating on or after September 1, 2008, but prior to January 1, 2014, the number of months added to the employee's total service credit under this paragraph shall not exceed Page 13 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA twelve (12) months, and the additional service shall not be used to determine whether a member is eligible to receive a retirement allowance under KRS 78.510 to 78.852.
(4) "Member" means the commissioner of education, deputy commissioners, associate commissioners, and all division directors in the State Department of Education, employees participating in the system pursuant to KRS 196.167(3)(b)1., and any full-time teacher or professional occupying a position requiring certification or Page 14 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA graduation from a four (4) year college or university, as a condition of employment, and who is employed by public boards, institutions, or agencies as follows:
The state shall Page 15 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA make no contributions on account of these employees, either full-time or part- time.
Page 16 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA (n) Effective January 1, 1998, employees of state community colleges who are transferred to the Kentucky Community and Technical College System shall continue to participate in federal old age, survivors, disability, and hospital insurance, and a retirement plan other than the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System offered by Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
(r) Employees of the Office of Adult Education within the Department of Page 17 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA Workforce Development in the Education and Labor Cabinet who were employees of the Council on Postsecondary Education, Kentucky Adult Education Program and who were members of the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System at the time the Program was transferred to the cabinet pursuant to Executive Orders 2019-0026 and 2019-0027;
(9) "Final average salary" means the average of the five (5) highest annual salaries Page 18 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA which the member has received for service in a covered position and on which the member has made contributions, or on which the public board, institution, or agency has picked-up member contributions pursuant to KRS 161.540(2), or the average of the five (5) years of highest salaries as defined in KRS 61.680(2)(a), which shall include picked-up member contributions.
The board of trustees may promulgate an administrative regulation in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A to establish a methodology for measuring the limitation so that the combined increases in salary for each of the last three (3) Page 19 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA full years of salary prior to retirement shall not exceed the total permissible percentage increase received by other members of the employer for the same three (3) year period.
In the event that Page 20 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA federal law requires that a member continue membership in the retirement system even though the member is on assignment to an organization or agency that is not a public board, institution, or agency listed in subsection (4) of this section, the member's annual compensation for retirement purposes shall be deemed to be the annual compensation, as limited by subsection (9) of this section, last earned by the member while still employed solely by and providing services directly to a public board, institution, or agency listed in subsection (4) of this section.
(b) For an individual who becomes a member on or after July 1, 2008, but prior to January 1, 2022, interest at two and one-half percent (2.5%) per annum for purposes of crediting interest to the teacher savings account or any other Page 21 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA contributions made by the employee that are refundable to the employee upon termination of employment;
(18) "Public schools" means the schools and other institutions mentioned in subsection Page 22 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA (4) of this section;
(23) "Last annual compensation" means the annual compensation, as defined by subsection (10) of this section and as limited by subsection (9) of this section, earned by the member during the most recent period of contributing service, either consecutive or nonconsecutive, that is sufficient to provide the member with one (1) full year of service credit in the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System, and which Page 23 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA compensation is used in calculating the member's initial retirement allowance, excluding bonuses, retirement incentives, payments for accumulated sick leave, annual, personal, and compensatory leave, and any other lump-sum payment.
Page 24 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 1151124/GA (a) For members who began participating in the system prior to January 1, 2022, the member's accumulated contributions;
Page 25 of 25 BR115100.100SB012410.100 - 1151 - XXXX 2/23/2026 5:095:10 PM JacketedGA
Compared against the Kentucky Revised Statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.
The bill expands sick leave provisions for school district personnel by allowing the use of accumulated sick leave for religious holidays and establishing a sick leave donation program.
-
KRS 161.155
Teachers and employees of the school district may also use accumulated sick leave for the observance of religious holidays not otherwise included in the school calendar if the teacher or employee submits a personal statement verifying the observance of the religious holiday and provides sufficient advance notice as determined by the school district.
Employees can use sick leave for religious holidays.
-
KRS 161.155
A district board of education shall establish a sick leave donation program to permit teachers or employees to voluntarily contribute sick leave to teachers or employees in the same school district who are in need of an extended absence from school. A teacher or employee who has accrued more than fifteen (15) days' sick leave may request the board of education to transfer a designated amount of sick leave to another teacher or employee who is authorized to receive the sick leave donated.
Establishes a sick leave donation program for employees in need.
-
KRS 161.155
A teacher or employee may receive donations of sick leave if: 1. a. The teacher or employee or a member of his or her immediate family suffers from a medically certified illness, injury, impairment, or physical condition that requires an extended absence.
Defines eligibility criteria for receiving donated sick leave.
-
KRS 161.155
A teacher or employee may not request an amount of sick leave be donated that reduces his or her sick leave balance to less than fifteen (15) days.
Sets a limit on the amount of sick leave that can be donated.
-
KRS 161.155
Days contributed will be deducted from the days available to the contributing teacher or employee.
Clarifies that donated leave days are deducted from the donor's balance.
Action History
-
recommitted to Appropriations & Revenue (H)
-
taken from the Orders of the Day
-
floor amendments (5) and (6-title) filed
-
floor amendment (4) filed
-
floor amendments (2) and (3-title) filed
-
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026
-
floor amendment (1) filed
-
2nd reading, to Rules
-
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
-
to Primary and Secondary Education (H)
-
to Committee on Committees (H)
-
received in House
-
3rd reading, passed 35-0
-
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, February 23 2026
-
2nd reading, to Rules
-
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
-
to Education (S)
-
to Committee on Committees (S)
-
introduced in Senate
Sponsors
- Gex Williams · Primary
- Lindsey Tichenor · Primary
- Aaron Reed · Primary
- Donald Douglas · Primary
- Jimmy Higdon · Primary
- Matt Nunn · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →6 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 132 not signed on
Sponsors (6)
- Gex Williams Republican
- Lindsey Tichenor Republican
- Aaron Reed Republican
- Donald Douglas Republican
- Jimmy Higdon Republican
- Matt Nunn Republican
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (132)
132 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 132 →"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.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 31 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 35 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| % of votes cast | 92% | 0% | 0% | 8% |
How each member voted (38)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Cassie Chambers Armstrong | Democrat | Yea |
| Gary Clemons | Democrat | Yea |
| Gerald A. Neal | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Karen Berg | Democrat | Yea |
| Keturah J. Herron | Democrat | Yea |
| Aaron Reed | Republican | Yea |
| Amanda Mays Bledsoe | Republican | Yea |
| Brandon J. Storm | Republican | Yea |
| Christian McDaniel | Republican | Yea |
| Craig Richardson | Republican | Yea |
| Danny Carroll | Republican | Yea |
| David P. Givens | Republican | Yea |
| Donald Douglas | Republican | Yea |
| Gary Boswell | Republican | Yea |
| Greg Elkins | Republican | Yea |
| Jared Carpenter | Republican | Yea |
| Jason Howell | Republican | Yea |
| Jason Nemes | Republican | Yea |
| Jimmy Higdon | Republican | Yea |
| Julie Raque Adams | Republican | Yea |
| Lindsey Tichenor | Republican | Yea |
| Matt Nunn | Republican | Yea |
| Matthew Deneen | Republican | Yea |
| Max Wise | Republican | Yea |
| Michael Meredith | Republican | Yea |
| Nick Wilson | Republican | Yea |
| Phillip Wheeler | Republican | Not Voting |
| Rick Girdler | Republican | Not Voting |
| Robby Mills | Republican | Yea |
| Robert Stivers | Republican | Yea |
| Robin L. Webb | Republican | Yea |
| Scott Madon | Republican | Yea |
| Shelley Funke Frommeyer | Republican | Yea |
| Stephen West | Republican | Yea |
| Steve Rawlings | Republican | Yea |
| Tom Smith | Republican | Yea |
| Wade Williams | Republican | Yea |
| Walker Thomas | Republican | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 124 do?
- Amend KRS 161.155 to allow school district employees to use sick leave for observance of religious holidays not otherwise included on the school's calendar if the employee submits a personal statement verifying the observance and gives advance notice to the district; permit local school districts to compensate teachers and employees prior to retirement for accrued accumulated sick leave above 15 days at up to 30% of the teacher's or employee's daily wage; provide that compensation for sick leave compensated prior to retirement shall not impact retirement benefits or contributions to the Teachers' Retirement System or County Employees Retirement System and shall be considered as payment for services rendered; require the Kentucky Department of Education to annually report to the Legislative Research Commission on school districts who have established a program to compensate unused sick leave prior to retirement; amend KRS 78.616 and 161.220 to conform and to make technical amendments.
- Who sponsors SB 124?
- SB 124 is sponsored by Gex Williams (Republican), Lindsey Tichenor (Republican), Aaron Reed (Republican), Donald Douglas (Republican), Jimmy Higdon (Republican), and Matt Nunn (Republican).
- What is the current status of SB 124?
- This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 27, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
- Where can I track SB 124?
- Track SB 124 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
Make your voice heard on SB 124
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.
Stay ahead of SB 124
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 →