LobbyComply Blog

The 2024 regular session of the General Assembly adjourned sine die on March 28, marking the last official action inside the Capitol for the next few years during a restoration project. Lawmakers will convene in a temporary structure on the Capitol campus during the project. Passed bills include House Bill 45, prohibiting foreign nationals from making campaign contributions; establishing reporting requirements for political issues committees and independent expenditures; and requiring a “paid for by” disclosure for ballot measure advertisements. Lawmakers also passed Senate Bill 4, creating standards and guidelines for using artificial intelligence in state government and elections and requiring any electioneering communication using synthetic media to include a conspicuous disclosure.

KENTUCKY: Lawmakers passed a bill amending campaign finance law which prohibits a foreign national from making contributions or expenditures in support of or opposition to a ballot measure. House Bill 45, effective June 26,2025, defines foreign national as any individual who is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States: a government, political subdivision, or municipality of a foreign country; a foreign political party; any entity, organized under the laws of or has its principal place of business in a foreign country; or any entity in the United States that is wholly or majority owned by any foreign national. The bill also establishes reporting and record retention requirements for political issues committees and persons making independent expenditures. The bill also expands the definition of independent expenditure to include expenditures in support of or opposition to a ballot measure.

The Kentucky Registry of Election Finance published the new contribution limits effective January 1 on its website. Contribution limits for individuals and PACs increased from $2,100 to $2,200 to candidates per election and to PACs and contributing organizations per year. The $2,200 contribution limit is not applicable to political issues committees.

The 2024 regular session of the General Assembly adjourned sine die on April 15.

Lawmakers passed and Gov. Beshear signed a law amending requirements for independent expenditure committees and political advertising disclaimers.

House Bill 595 requires federally registered political committees to register in Kentucky if they make an independent expenditure in support of or in opposition to a Kentucky candidate or a slate of candidates.

The bill requires disclaimers on political advertising to appear and be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner to give the reader or observer adequate notice of the identity of the purchaser of the communication.

The bill also increases the penalty for campaign finance violations from $100 per day to $200 per day.

Lawmakers overrode vetoes on two dozen measures to pass everything vetoed by Beshear, including House Bill 622 requiring special elections for vacancies in the U. S. Senate.

Previously, the governor filled vacancies by appointment.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won re-election to a second term over challenger, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who prevailed in a crowded primary in May.

Beshear became governor in 2019, winning by a narrow margin in a historically conservative state.

As of this morning, Beshear won with 53% of the vote and Cameron received 47%.

The 2023 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly adjourned sine die on March 30.

A procurement bill and a bill requiring special elections for Louisville passed.

House Bill 0522 increases the small purchase amounts for public agencies from $30,000 to $40,000 before requiring a newspaper advertisement seeking bids.

House Bill 0191 requires a special election must be held 60 days after the declaration of vacancy, to fill an open Louisville Metro Council seat if the vacancy occurs over three months before a regular election.

Several Campaign finance bills did not pass, including:

• A bill requiring campaign consultants to register
• A bill permitting paper filings
• A bill prohibiting candidates, committees, and contributing organizations from making an expenditure to an intermediary.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced a special election on February 21, 2023, to fill the vacancy in Senate District 19 created by the resignation of Senator Morgan McGarvey.

Under state law, when a legislator vacancy occurs while lawmakers are not in session, the Governor may call the special election.

McGarvey is resigning from the position because he was elected U.S. representative for Kentucky’s 3rd congressional district.

A new city ordinance passed by Louisville, Kentucky Metro Council creates registration and disclosure requirements for lobbying.

Beginning in May 2023, Ordinance 058-22 will require lobbyists and employers engaging a city official to influence executive agency decisions or legislation to register with the Ethics Commission within seven days of the communication.

In addition to registration, each lobbyist and employer will be required to disclose expenditures on lobbying.

The final version of the ordinance is expected to be published soon.

Kentucky Voters defeated constitutional amendment 1, which would have permitted the Senate President and House Speaker to jointly call special sessions of the legislature lasting up to 12 days annually.

Only the Governor can call a special session.

The amendment would have also removed specific legislative session end dates from the constitution and instead limit sessions to 30 legislative days in odd-numbered years and 60 legislative days in even-numbered years.

Lawmakers ended a three-day special session by passing a $213 million package for flood recovery and a plan to help schools in eastern Kentucky.

Signed into law by Gov. Beshear on Friday, the law establishes the East Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies (EKSAFE), to assist counties named in the federal declaration.

Legislators emphasized this is the first step and they expect additional legislation next year when lawmakers meet in regular session.

The General Assembly is scheduled to convene for the 2023 regular session on Jan 3.

Gov. Andy Beshear called a special session of the Kentucky General Assembly to begin today, August 24 at noon to establish funding and administration of the Eastern Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies (EKSAFE) and amend the statute relating to the West Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies (WKSAFE) and provide relief to Eastern Kentucky school districts impacted by the flooding emergency.

The 2022 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly adjourned sine die on April 14.

A campaign finance and an ethics bill passed with a veto override.

House Bill 740 reduces transparency in campaign finance by removing the requirement that candidates report the name and employer of the spouse of the donor for donations over $100 and permitting candidates for legislative office to file annual instead of quarterly campaign finance reports in years they are not running for reelection.

The bill also removes references to paper filing and defines form as an online web page or an electronic document.

House Bill 334 reorganizes the Executive Branch Ethics Commission and requires it to make a finding for each complaint filed, as to whether they are grounded in fact, warranted by law, and filed in good faith.

Both bills are effective July 13.

A new city ordinance proposed by Louisville Councilmember Bill Hollander would create registration and disclosure requirements for lobbying.

The measure defines a lobbyist as any person engaged to influence executive agency decisions or to promote, advocate, or oppose the passage, modification, defeat, or executive approval or veto of any legislation by direct communication with any metro officer or any member of the staff of a metro officer.

This includes individuals employed or engaged by associations, coalitions, or public interest entities to spend a portion of their time influencing the decisions of metro officers.

Lobbyists and employers would be required to register with the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Ethics Commission within seven days of engagement.

In addition to the initial registration statement, each lobbyist and employer would have to file an updated quarterly registration statement with the Ethics Commission on the 15th day of April, July, October, and January of each year.

The required disclosures include expenditures on lobbying, as well as any financial transactions with or for the benefit of any metro officer or any member of the staff of any metro officer.

The measure also prohibits metro officers and other officials from serving as lobbyists for at least two years after leaving their position.

Kentucky State Sen. Stephen Meredith introduced a bill that would prohibit awarding, extending, or renewing state contracts with a bidder or contractor if the company had used a lobbyist to win an earlier version of the contract and the lobbyist was convicted of a related crime within the last five years.

The bill would apply retroactively to state contracts entered into since January 1, 2017.