Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB136: AN ACT relating to campaign finance.
Status: Signed into law, April 3, 2026
Amend KRS 121.175 to allow the use of campaign funds to pay for the reasonable costs of security measures for a state candidate, officeholder, member of his or her family, and employees of the candidate's campaign or the officeholder's office as long as the amount does not exceed $15,000 per fiscal year; define "security measure" and "usual and normal charge."
What the bill says
An act relating to campaign finance.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT relating to campaign finance. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Section 1. KRS 121.175 is amended to read as follows: (1) (a) No candidate, committee, or contributing organization shall permit funds in a campaign account to be expended for any purpose other than for allowable campaign expenditures. (b) As used in this section, "allowable campaign expenditures": 1. Means expenditures including reimbursement for actual expenses, made directly and primarily in support of or opposition to a candidate, constitutional amendment, or public question which will appear on the ballot and includes, but is not limited to, expenditures for staff salaries, gifts and meals for volunteer campaign workers and fundraisers, food and beverages provided at a campaign rally, advertising, office space, necessary travel if reported, campaign paraphernalia, purchases of advertisements in athletic and scholastic publications, communications with constituents or prospective voters, polling and consulting, printing, graphic arts, or advertising services, postage, office supplies, stationery, newsletters, and equipment which is used primarily for the administration of the campaign, or for fees incurred from legal services while defending a matter before the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission in which the final adjudication is rendered in favor of the candidate; and[.] 2. ["Allowable campaign expenditures" ]Does not include necessary travel unless reported, expenditures of funds in a campaign account …
Sponsors
- Wade Williams (R, HD-004) · primary sponsor
- Josh Branscum (R, HD-083)
- Beverly Chester-Burton (D, HD-044)
Latest actions
- : signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 25)
- : 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
- : passed over and retained in the Consent Orders of the Day
- : posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026
- : 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill
- : reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar
Votes
- Senate: Floor Vote RSN# 3992 (March 25, 2026): 38 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House: Pass RCS# 101 (February 17, 2026): 97 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: State Agencies, Elections And Voting, Safety, Campaign Finance
Common questions
- What is HB136?
- HB136 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to campaign finance.
- What does HB136 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to campaign finance.
- What is the status of HB136?
- Signed into law as of April 3, 2026. Latest action: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 25) (April 3, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB136?
- Wade Williams (R, HD-004), with 2 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB136?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb136.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.