The People's Ledger
← All Kentucky bills

HB257Introduced in the House

AN ACT relating to the education assessment and accountability system.

Passed

Introduced by J.T. Payne, District 11

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

Writing a plain-English summary of this bill… this can take a few seconds the first time.

Official description

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; permit local school districts to develop and implement a local accountability system; require data publication on the local accountability system; require the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to provide technical assistance in the development of local accountability; permit KDE to incentivize local accountability; set the time frame for requiring local accountability in all local school districts; authorize the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate necessary administrative regulations; amend KRS 158.6453 to update terminology regarding academic standards; remove specific writing and editing and mechanics as required summative assessments; require KDE to incorporate a writing program into academic standards and professional development; require school-based decision making councils to adopt a writing program policy and publish it on the school's website; remove requirement for KDE to establish recommendations on using preliminary assessment data to identify students for advanced coursework; amend KRS 158.6455 to add individual student growth metric and student engagement as state indicators in the accountability system, remove quality of school climate and safety as state indicator, remove "status" and "change" metrics from state accountability system; amend KRS 158.6459, 164.7874, and 157.069 to conform.

Where it stands

signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 138)

April 13, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House votes

2 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

2 recorded votes · each counted separately

HouseStage: House: Veto Override RCS# 444 · April 1, 2026

84

Yes

2

No

14

Absent or Not Voting

100 representatives recorded in this House vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

See how each representative voted

RepresentativeDistrictVote
Steven Rudy1Yes
Kimberly Holloway2Absent
Randy Bridges3Yes
Wade Williams4Yes
Mary Imes5Yes
Chris Freeland6Yes
Suzanne Miles7Yes
Walker Thomas8Yes
Myron Dossett9Yes
Josh Calloway10Absent

Bill history

  1. introduced in House

  2. to Committee on Committees (H)

  3. to Primary and Secondary Education (H)

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

  5. floor amendments (1) and (2) filed to Committee Substitute

  6. 2nd reading, to Rules

  7. posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 17 2026

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

  9. received in Senate

  10. to Committee on Committees (S)

  11. to Education (S)

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

  13. 2nd reading, to Rules

  14. floor amendments (2) and (5) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendments (1-title), (3) and (4) filed to bill

  15. floor amendment (6) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendment (7) filed to bill

  16. posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 27 2026

  17. 3rd reading

  18. Floor Amendments (2), (3), (4), (5) and (7) withdrawn

  19. passed 32-5 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)

  20. received in House

  21. to Rules (H)

  22. posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)

  23. House refused to concur in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)

  24. received in Senate

  25. to Rules (S)

  26. posted for passage for receding from Senate Floor Amendment (6) and Committee Substitute (1)

  27. Senate refused to recede from Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (6)

  28. Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate

  29. Conference Committee report (1) filed in House and Senate

  30. Conference Committee report adopted in House and Senate

  31. Free Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate

  32. Free Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate

  33. posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report

  34. Free Conference Committee report adopted in Senate

  35. passed 30-6

  36. received in House

  37. to Rules (H)

  38. taken from Rules

  39. posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report

  40. Free Conference Committee report adopted in House

  41. passed 84-2

  42. enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House

  43. enrolled, signed by President of the Senate

  44. delivered to Governor

  45. signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 138)

Verify the information

Our commitment to neutrality

We provide factual information only. We never tell you which politicians or bills to support, and we do not rank, score, or endorse anyone.