Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB34: AN ACT relating to death benefits.
Status: In committee, January 28, 2026
Amend KRS 61.315 to include additional cancers which, when they are the cause of death of a firefighter, would make the firefighter eligible for death benefits; make a technical correction.
What the bill says
An act relating to death benefits.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to death benefits. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Section 1. KRS 61.315 is amended to read as follows: (1) As used in this section: (a) "Police officer" means every paid police officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff, corrections employee with the power of a peace officer pursuant to KRS 196.037, any metropolitan or urban-county correctional officer with the power of a peace officer pursuant to KRS 446.010, any jailer or deputy jailer, any auxiliary police officer appointed pursuant to KRS 95.445, any police officer of a public institution of postsecondary education appointed pursuant to KRS 164.950, any school resource officer as defined in KRS 158.441, or any citation or safety officer appointed pursuant to KRS 83A.087 and 83A.088, elected to office, or employed by any county, airport board created pursuant to KRS Chapter 183, city, local board of education, or by the state; (b) "Firefighter" means every paid firefighter or volunteer firefighter who is employed by or volunteers his or her services to the state, airport board created pursuant to KRS Chapter 183, any county, city, fire district, or any other organized fire department recognized, pursuant to KRS 95A.262, as a fire department operated and maintained on a nonprofit basis in the interest of the health and safety of the inhabitants …
Sponsors
- Kimberly Banta (R, HD-063) · primary sponsor
- Chad Aull (D, HD-079)
- Tina Bojanowski (D, HD-032)
- Steve Bratcher (R, HD-025)
- Lindsey Burke (D, HD-075)
- Emily Callaway (R, HD-037)
- Adrielle Camuel (D, HD-093)
- Beverly Chester-Burton (D, HD-044)
- Daniel Elliott (R, HD-054)
- Patrick Flannery (R, HD-096)
- Alan Gentry (D, HD-046)
- Gordon, Deanna (R, HD-081)
Latest actions
- : to Committee on Committees (S)
- : received in Senate
- : 3rd reading, passed 92-0
- : posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, January 22, 2026
- : 2nd reading, to Rules
- : reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
- : reassigned to Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (H)
- : to Local Government (H)
- : to Committee on Committees (H)
- : introduced in House
Votes
- House: Pass RCS# 25 (January 27, 2026): 92 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Deaths, Diseases, Firefighters And Fire Departments, Occupational Safety And Health
Common questions
- What is HB34?
- HB34 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to death benefits.
- What does HB34 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to death benefits.
- What is the status of HB34?
- In committee as of January 28, 2026. Latest action: to Committee on Committees (S) (January 28, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB34?
- Kimberly Banta (R, HD-063), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB34?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb34.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.