HB139Introduced in the House
AN ACT relating to elections and declaring an emergency.
Introduced by Jennifer Henson Decker, District 58
What does this bill do?
Plain-English breakdown
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Official description
Amend KRS 116.112 to allow the State Board of Elections to enter into intergovernmental agreements with other governmental agencies to exchange data to assist in investigating violations of election offenses; amend KRS 117.125 to require voting systems and equipment meet or exceed a standard approved by the Election Assistance Commission; amend KRS 117.145 to require that county clerks provide voting equipment with the necessary supplies for write-in votes on the day before any in-person voting occurs; amend KRS 117.265 to change the date a person running for President or Vice President must file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate to the same deadline as the certification of candidates; amend KRS 117.355 to require county boards of elections to deliver signature rosters and precinct results to the State Board of Elections within 10 days after any primary or general election; amend KRS 117.379 to require voting systems meet a previously established Election Assistance Commission standard; amend KRS 117.389 to require county clerks to test automatic tabulating equipment after any petitions for local option elections have been filed; amend KRS 118.015 to change the definition of "political party"; amend KRS 118.125 to require that the notification and declaration be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.129 to allow a contraction as an acceptable form of a candidate's name; amend KRS 118.165 to require that candidates for Commonwealth's Attorney file nomination papers with the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.315 to require that the form of petition be prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.367 to specify that candidates for a special election or election for an unexpired term shall not be required to file a statement-of-candidacy form; require that the statement-of-candidacy form be prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118A.060 to require that the petition for nomination be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 119.015 to remove the term "falsely"; amend KRS 119.165, relating to the penalty of a Class B misdemeanor regarding voters who vote at a regular or special election before being a citizen; make technical corrections; amend KRS 132.017 to require that questions as to whether the property tax rate shall be levied shall be submitted to voters in a common school election not less than 50 days nor more than 60 days from the date the signatures are validated; require the school district holding the election to post bond with the Circuit Court to cover the costs of the election within 5 days after the petition is found to be sufficient; amend KRS 160.210 to prohibit changes in the boundary of any division after June 1 in the year in which a school board member is to be elected; amend various statutes to conform; repeal KRS 118.551, relating to the definition of political party; EMERGENCY.
Where it stands
delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 175)
April 14, 2026
How did lawmakers vote?
House votes
3 recorded votes · each counted separately
Senate votes
2 recorded votes · each counted separately
SenateStage: Senate: Veto Override RSN# 4165 · April 14, 2026
32
Yes
6
No
0
Absent or Not Voting
38 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.
See how each senator voted
| Senator | District | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Howell | 1 | Yes |
| Danny Carroll | 2 | Yes |
| Craig Richardson | 3 | Yes |
| Robert Mills | 4 | Yes |
| Stephen Meredith | 5 | Yes |
| Lindsey Tichenor | 6 | Yes |
| Aaron Reed | 7 | Yes |
| Gary Boswell | 8 | Yes |
| David Givens | 9 | Yes |
| Matthew Deneen | 10 | Yes |
Bill history
introduced in House
to Committee on Committees (H)
to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
2nd reading, to Rules
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 10 2026
floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
3rd reading, passed 92-1 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)
received in Senate
to Committee on Committees (S)
to State & Local Government (S)
taken from State & Local Government (S)
1st reading
returned to State & Local Government (S)
reported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1)
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 26 2026
3rd reading, passed 31-6 with Committee Substitute (1)
received in House
to Rules (H)
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
House concurred in Committee Substitute (1)
passed 76-17
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
delivered to Governor
Vetoed
received in House
to Rules (H)
taken from Rules
posted for consideration of Governor's veto
veto overridden
passed 80-20
received in Senate
to Rules (S)
posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto
veto overridden
passed 32-6
received in House
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 175)
Verify the information
- Official page on the Kentucky Legislature website
- House Committee Substitute (amendment)
- House Floor Amendment (amendment)
- Senate Committee Substitute (amendment)
- Senate Committee Substitute (amendment)
- Local Mandate Fiscal Impact (supplement)
- Vote History (supplement)
- Local Mandate Fiscal Impact (supplement)
- Introduced (text)
- Engrossed (text)
- Enrolled (text)
- Chaptered (text)
- Chaptered (text)
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