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HB139Introduced in the House

AN ACT relating to elections and declaring an emergency.

Passed

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

Bill history

  1. introduced in House

  2. to Committee on Committees (H)

  3. to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)

  4. reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)

  5. 2nd reading, to Rules

  6. posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 10 2026

  7. floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute

  8. 3rd reading, passed 92-1 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)

  9. received in Senate

  10. to Committee on Committees (S)

  11. to State & Local Government (S)

  12. taken from State & Local Government (S)

  13. 1st reading

  14. returned to State & Local Government (S)

  15. reported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1)

  16. posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 26 2026

  17. 3rd reading, passed 31-6 with Committee Substitute (1)

  18. received in House

  19. to Rules (H)

  20. posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)

  21. House concurred in Committee Substitute (1)

  22. passed 76-17

  23. enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House

  24. enrolled, signed by President of the Senate

  25. delivered to Governor

  26. Vetoed

  27. received in House

  28. to Rules (H)

  29. taken from Rules

  30. posted for consideration of Governor's veto

  31. veto overridden

  32. passed 80-20

  33. received in Senate

  34. to Rules (S)

  35. posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto

  36. veto overridden

  37. passed 32-6

  38. received in House

  39. enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House

  40. enrolled, signed by President of the Senate

  41. delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 175)

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