Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB5: AN ACT relating to prison educational programs.
Status: Signed into law, April 9, 2026
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 197 to establish the Kentucky Community and Technical College System Prison Education Program within the Department of Corrections in partnership with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) to provide inmates with job training; require KCTCS to construct a facility to house the program at Northpoint Training Center; establish convictions that preclude participation in the program; require the parties to enter into a memorandum of agreement establishing the responsibilities of each party; amend KRS 196.281 to establish entitlement to a certificate of employability upon successful completion of the program and require reporting by the department; amend KRS 335B.020 to establish that a person shall not be disqualified from public employment or obtaining an occupational license solely because of previous criminal conviction and obtaining a certificate of employment from the department shall constitute rebuttable evidence of rehabilitation and fitness for the occupation; amend KRS 355B.030 to remove a conviction of a Class A felony, Class B felony, or any other felony offense other than a conviction that would qualify the individual as a registrant as defined in KRS 17.500 as supportive of a rebuttable presumption of a connection between that conviction and a license issuance request.
What the bill says
An act relating to prison educational programs.
From the committee substitute text:
AN ACT relating to prison educational programs. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 197 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: (1) The Kentucky Community and Technical College System Prison Education Program, or KCTCS Prison Education Program, is hereby established within the department to provide inmates with intensive, hands-on job training in highdemand workforce sectors. (2) The department shall enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) as defined in KRS 164.001 in accordance with Section 2 of this Act to provide academic instruction for the program. (3) (a) The program established in subsection (1) of this section shall be located on the grounds of the Northpoint Training Center. (b) The department shall: 1. Manage facility operations, including operations related to safety and security; 2. Be responsible for all maintenance and repair of the facility, utilities, and facility supplies; and 3. Provide inmate transportation to the facility, inmate meals and food services, and inmate housing that is segregated from the general prison population. (4) The program shall not be available to an inmate serving a (b) For escape or attempted escape; or (c) For a sex crime as defined in KRS 17.500. (5) (a) The department shall be responsible for …
Sponsors
- Jennifer Decker (R, HD-058) · primary sponsor
- David Osborne (R, HD-059)
- Chad Aull (D, HD-079)
- Shane Baker (R, HD-085)
- Jared Bauman (R, HD-028)
- Ryan Bivens (R, HD-024)
- John Blanton (R, HD-092)
- Steve Bratcher (R, HD-025)
- Randy Bridges (R, HD-003)
- George Brown (D, HD-077)
- Lindsey Burke (D, HD-075)
- Emily Callaway (R, HD-037)
Latest actions
- : signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 64)
- : delivered to Governor
- : enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- : enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- : received in House
- : 3rd reading, passed 38-0
- : posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Friday, March 27 2026
- : taken from the Orders of the Day
- : 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill
- : reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar
Votes
- Senate: Floor Vote RSN# 4040 (March 31, 2026): 38 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House: Pass RCS# 192 (March 4, 2026): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: State Agencies, Reports Mandated, Occupations And Professions, Corrections And Correctional Facilities, State, Universities And Colleges, Education, Vocational, Licensing, Boards And Commissions
Common questions
- What is HB5?
- HB5 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to prison educational programs.
- What does HB5 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to prison educational programs.
- What is the status of HB5?
- Signed into law as of April 9, 2026. Latest action: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 64) (April 9, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB5?
- Jennifer Decker (R, HD-058), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB5?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb5.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.