HB 139 — AN ACT relating to elections and declaring an emergency.

Summary

AN ACT relating to elections and declaring an emergency.

Bill Text

Action History

1. Senate Committee Substitute 1

2. Local Mandate to Senate Committee Substitute 1

3. Retain original provisions, except remove language in Section 1 providing that the State Board of Elections can enter into intergovernmental agreements with other governmental agencies to exchange data to assist in investigating violations of election offenses; remove Section 11 allowing withdrawal as a reason to fill a vacancy in a nomination of candidacy and removing severe disabling condition as a reason to fill a vacancy in candidacy; amend KRS 27A.070 to require the Administrative Office of the Courts to send the State Board of Elections an all-time list of persons convicted of a felony, including those whose case is currently on appeal, by July 1, 2026; require the State Board of Elections to remove any person identified through the list as ineligible to vote from the voter registration records by August 1, 2026; amend KRS 83A.040 to require a special election if more than the majority of the membership of a legislative body is vacated because of an election error due to no fault of any candidate or fraud; establish that members of the legislative body whose term expires shall remain in office until the contest and any appeals of the regular election are complete and final; create a new section of KRS Chapter 116 to allow the State Board of Elections to enter into agreements with agencies of the federal government for the purpose of identifying and removing individuals who are deceased or who are not citizens of the United States from the voter registration records; identify procedures for identifying and removing unauthorized voters; amend KRS 116.113 to specify that the Administrative Office of the Courts shall include persons convicted of a felony whose case is on appeal in the lists they send to the State Board of Elections for removal from the voter registration records; amend KRS 117.155 and 117.205 to conform; amend KRS 117.383 to require that the ballot scanner and race selected for a hand-to-eye recount by the Secretary of State shall have at least 10 votes cast; amend KRS 118.176 to establish that a person who successfully challenges the bona fides of a candidate may recover certain costs; create a new chapter of KRS Chapter 118A to establish that judicial candidates may disclose their political party, state current and past voter registration status, and communicate political values or viewpoints consistent with that party affiliation; establish that judicial candidates shall not claim to be the official nominee of a political party, use language or materials that imply nomination, designation, or endorsement by a political party, or use party symbols, slogans, or imagery in a manner that would lead someone to believe they are running in a partisan election; amend KRS 120.165 to require the county clerk and local board of elections to call a special election if a majority of the offices of a legislative body are deemed vacant; establish that a person bringing a successful election contest may recover certain costs; amend KRS 121.015 to define "executive committee of a political party"; change the definition of "contributing organization" to require that contributions in excess of $200 shall be reported to the registry rather than $100; change the definition of "contribution" to include goods, advertising, or services with a value of more than $200 rather than $100; establish that certain fees are not included in the definition of "contribution"; amend KRS 121.065, relating to limits on political advertising rates, to include digital media platforms; amend KRS 121.110 to require that any vacancy on the registry be filled within 30 days; establish that members of the registry shall be reimbursed for necessary travel and expenses in the same manner as state employees; amend KRS 121.120, 121.160, and 121.220 to require certain information from contributors that contribute more than $200 rather than $100; amend KRS 121.140 to establish that certain penalties shall not accrue or be assessed until 5 business days after the registry has provided notice to the candidate or campaign treasurer of the delinquency; amend KRS 121.150 to allow a state or county executive committee of a political party to make contributions to certain civic organizations; allow federal candidates to contribute to a party executive committee if the amount of the contribution is within contribution limits and if the contribution is not earmarked for any particular candidate or slate of candidates; specify that a qualified political party committee, including a state or county executive committee, may endorse, support, oppose, and make contributions or expenditures to nonpartisan candidates; increase campaign finance contribution limits; amend KRS 121.180 to require that reports to the registry be received within 7 business days after the date the reporting period ends rather than 2; require certain information from contributors that contribute more than $200; allow any member of the General Assembly who has a remaining balance in his or her campaign account to transfer those funds to a campaign account to seek election to statewide constitutional office; amend KRS 121.190, relating to identification of contributors and advertisers, to include digital media; amend KRS 117.228 to remove Social Security cards and public benefits cards, which do not include a person's photograph, from the available list of additional documents that may be offered to establish identity when a person seeking to cast a ballot in an election cannot provide proof of identification as required in KRS 117.225; remove language allowing an election officer to execute an election officer affirmation if a voter is personally known to the election officer; amend KRS 116.114 to allow the State Board of Elections to enter into agreements or contracts for the purpose of exchanging data to remove ineligible voters; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2028; EMERGENCY, in part.

4. Campaign Finance - Advertisements, rate protections, digital media Campaign Finance - Contribution, processing fees, limits Campaign Finance - Contributions, limits, increasing Campaign Finance - Contributions, political party committee, nonpartisan candidates Campaign Finance - Executive committee of a political party, definition Campaign Finance - Executive committee, civic organization, donation Campaign Finance - Federal candidates, contribution, party executive committee Campaign Finance - Fees, accrual, procedure Campaign Finance - General Assembly, member, use of campaign funds, candidacy for constitutional office Campaign Finance - Reporting, requirements, deadline Cities - Legislative body, vacancy, special election County Clerks - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure County Clerks - Election officer, affirmation, prohibition County Clerks - Eligibility to vote, proof of identification, alternative documents Court Of Appeals - Bona fides, challenge, costs, recovery Court Of Appeals - Election contest, costs, recovery Courts - Felony conviction, voting, reporting requirements Courts - Judicial candidates, political affiliation, conduct Courts, Circuit - Bona fides, challenge, costs, recovery Effective Dates, Delayed - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure Elections And Voting - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure Elections And Voting - Election officer, affirmation, prohibition Elections And Voting - Eligibility to vote, proof of identification, alternative documents Elections And Voting - General Assembly, member, use of campaign funds, candidacy for constitutional office Elections And Voting - Hand-to-eye recount, random selection, requirements Elections And Voting - Judicial candidates, political affiliation, conduct Fees - Bona fides, challenge, costs, recovery General Assembly - Member, use of campaign funds, candidacy for constitutional office Immigration - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure Local Government - Legislative body, vacancy, special election Secretary Of State - Eligibility to vote, proof of identification, alternative documents Secretary Of State - Hand-to-eye recount, random selection, requirements State Agencies - Board of Elections, federal agreements, voter registration, list maintenance State Agencies - Board of elections, voter registration, list maintenance State Agencies - Registry of Election Finance, campaign contributions, limits State Agencies - Registry of Election Finance, reporting, deadline State Agencies - Registry of Election Finance, vacancy, requirements United States - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure Local Mandate - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure

Sponsors

• J. Decker, N. Wilson, G. Brown Jr., D. Grossberg, J. Hodgson, DJ Johnson, T. Roberts · Primary

Votes

Subjects