Kentucky 2025 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate

SB 85 — AN ACT relating to offices within the Auditor of Public Accounts and declaring an emergency.

Last action — recommitted to Appropriations & Revenue (H)

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

This bill died with 2025 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Amend KRS 43.010 to define "deputy auditor" and "ombudsman"; amend KRS 43.030 to replace references to "assistant auditor" with "deputy auditor"; amend KRS 43.035 to require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide information on contacting the Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman at all Department for Community Based Services offices; require ombudsman to maintain confidentiality; authorize the ombudsman to promulgate administrative regulations; establish that expenses incurred by ombudsman shall be charged to the entity that is the subject of the ombudsman's work; amend KRS 43.040 to replace references to "assistant auditor" with "deputy auditor"; amend KRS 43.080 to make technical correction; require all state agencies to provide the Auditor of Public Accounts with access software; amend KRS 43.090 to establish ombudsman's reporting and recommendation requirements, require the Auditor to maintain confidentiality; amend KRS 43.990 to make technical corrections; create new sections of KRS Chapter 43 to establish the organizational structure of the Auditor's office; require employees and contract staff of the Auditor to submit to state and federal criminal background checks; permit the Auditor to enroll employees and contract staff in the rap back system; create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to require the cabinet to provide contact information of the ombudsman on its website; require the cabinet to provide the ombudsman with read-only access to group email inboxes; amend KRS 620.050 to authorize the ombudsman to receive reports of suspected child abuse, neglect, or dependency from the cabinet; permit disclosure of files, reports, and other documents used by a children's advocacy center to the ombudsman; permit the ombudsman to report de-identified data otherwise required to be made confidential; require the cabinet to transfer control of a specific phone number to the ombudsman and to bear all costs associated with the transfer; EMERGENCY.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB 85 on the official Kentucky source →

Action History

  1. recommitted to Appropriations & Revenue (H)

  2. taken from the Orders of the Day

  3. floor amendment (3) filed

  4. posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 05, 2025

  5. floor amendments (1) and (2) filed

  6. 2nd reading, to Rules

  7. reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar

  8. to Families & Children (H)

  9. to Committee on Committees (H)

  10. received in House

  11. 3rd reading, passed 33-4

  12. posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, February 13, 2025

  13. 2nd reading, to Rules

  14. reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar

  15. to Families & Children (S)

  16. to Committee on Committees (S)

  17. introduced in Senate

Sponsorship breakdown

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0 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 138 not signed on · 2 voted No

Sponsors (0)

None.

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (138)

138 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 138 →

"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

Votes

PASS SB 85

Passed 33 Yea · 4 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 32000
Democrat 1201
Unaffiliated 0200
Total 33401
% of votes cast 87%11%0%3%
How each member voted (38)
Member Party Vote
ChambersArmstrong — Nay
Yates — Nay
Gerald A. Neal Democrat Nay
Karen Berg Democrat Not Voting
Keturah J. Herron Democrat Yea
Reginald L. Thomas Democrat Nay
Aaron Reed Republican Yea
Amanda Mays Bledsoe Republican Yea
Brandon J. Storm Republican Yea
Brandon Smith 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
Gex Williams Republican Yea
Greg Elkins Republican Yea
Jared Carpenter Republican Yea
Jason Howell 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 J. Nemes Republican Yea
Mike Wilson Republican Yea
Phillip Wheeler Republican Yea
Rick Girdler Republican Yea
Robby Mills Republican Yea
Robert Stivers Republican Yea
Robin L. Webb Republican Yea
Scott Madon Republican Yea
Shelley Funke Frommeyer Republican Yea
Stephen Meredith Republican Yea
Stephen West Republican Yea
Steve Rawlings Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

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 SB 85 do?
Amend KRS 43.010 to define "deputy auditor" and "ombudsman"; amend KRS 43.030 to replace references to "assistant auditor" with "deputy auditor"; amend KRS 43.035 to require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide information on contacting the Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman at all Department for Community Based Services offices; require ombudsman to maintain confidentiality; authorize the ombudsman to promulgate administrative regulations; establish that expenses incurred by ombudsman shall be charged to the entity that is the subject of the ombudsman's work; amend KRS 43.040 to replace references to "assistant auditor" with "deputy auditor"; amend KRS 43.080 to make technical correction; require all state agencies to provide the Auditor of Public Accounts with access software; amend KRS 43.090 to establish ombudsman's reporting and recommendation requirements, require the Auditor to maintain confidentiality; amend KRS 43.990 to make technical corrections; create new sections of KRS Chapter 43 to establish the organizational structure of the Auditor's office; require employees and contract staff of the Auditor to submit to state and federal criminal background checks; permit the Auditor to enroll employees and contract staff in the rap back system; create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to require the cabinet to provide contact information of the ombudsman on its website; require the cabinet to provide the ombudsman with read-only access to group email inboxes; amend KRS 620.050 to authorize the ombudsman to receive reports of suspected child abuse, neglect, or dependency from the cabinet; permit disclosure of files, reports, and other documents used by a children's advocacy center to the ombudsman; permit the ombudsman to report de-identified data otherwise required to be made confidential; require the cabinet to transfer control of a specific phone number to the ombudsman and to bear all costs associated with the transfer; EMERGENCY.
What is the current status of SB 85?
This bill died with 2025 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 85?
Track SB 85 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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