Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB612: AN ACT relating to regulated substances and declaring an emergency.
Status: In committee, February 18, 2026
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 138 to define terms; impose a 4% state retail regulatory license fee on all alcoholic beverage sales to consumers by alcoholic beverage retailers; establish procedures and duties of retailers; establish KRS Chapter 243A and create new sections thereof to impose state wholesale regulatory license fees on alcoholic beverages, state retail regulatory license fees on kratom, hemp-derived, and cannabinoid products, and penalties for violations; set out regulatory license fee rates, deductions for timely filing and payment, and licensee duties; amend KRS 211.285 to fund the alcohol wellness and responsibility education fund with 0.5% of the collected state retail regulatory license fees; amend KRS 241.010 to define "state or national conference" and redefine "alcoholic beverages"; amend KRS 241.069 to delete outdated language; amend various sections of KRS Chapter 243 to establish state license fees for new and existing license types; limit licensee discipline to only the specific license in question; establish a souvenir package license for distillers; authorize distillers, small farm wineries, and microbreweries to allow leashed dogs on their premises; allow caterers and special temporary auction licensees at state and national conferences; modify the privileges for various licensees, including a limited golf course, wholesaler, Class B distiller, and special agent or solicitor; allow a qualified historic site to sell alcoholic beverages by the package under a limited nonquota package license; add references to the new tax structure and statutes; modify requirements for public notice of a license application; sunset existing excise, wholesale, and other taxes on July 1, 2027, as they relate to alcoholic beverages; repeal and reenact KRS 243.075, relating to local regulatory license fees, to allow any moist or wet city or county to impose the fee; authorize audits of each city's or county's regulatory license fee fund by the Auditor of
What the bill says
An act relating to regulated substances and declaring an emergency.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to regulated substances and declaring an emergency. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 138 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: (1) As used in this section: (a) "Alcoholic beverage" has the same meaning as in Section 6 of this Act: (b) "Alcoholic beverage retailer" or "retailer" means a person who sells any alcoholic beverage to a consumer in Kentucky for any purpose, 2. At premises as defined in Section 6 of this Act in Kentucky; 3. To a consumer at a Kentucky address by a direct shipper; 4. By any other direct-to-consumer seller; or 5. To a consumer through any other approved location or method authorized by law; (c) "Direct shipper" means a direct shipper licensed in KRS 243.027; (d) "Gross receipts": 1. Means the total amount or consideration, including cash, credit, property, and services, for which alcoholic beverages are sold, valued in money, whether received in money or otherwise, without any deduction for any of the b. Charges by the retailer for any services necessary to complete the sale; and c. Delivery charges by the retailer for the preparation and delivery to a location designated by the purchaser, including transportation, shipping, postage, handling, crating, and packing; and XXXX 2/9/2026 2:54 PM Jacketed …
Sponsors
- Matthew Koch (R, HD-072) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
- : to Committee on Committees (H)
- : introduced in House
Subjects: Wine And Wineries, Funds, Effective Dates, Emergency, Sunset Legislation, Malt Beverages, Fees, Drugs And Medicines, Trade Practices And Retailing
Common questions
- What is HB612?
- HB612 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to regulated substances and declaring an emergency.
- What does HB612 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to regulated substances and declaring an emergency.
- What is the status of HB612?
- In committee as of February 18, 2026. Latest action: to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (February 18, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB612?
- Matthew Koch (R, HD-072).
- Where is the official record for HB612?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb612.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.