A new year is expected to bring new challenges and new laws to consider for the Kentucky General Assembly.
Laws which went into effect on Jan. 1 include the following:
SB 118 expanding prescription eye drop refill rules; HB 5 which requires public agencies and non-affiliated third parties to notify all appropriate agencies within 72 hours of any security breaches relating to personal information in their possession.
HB 126 requires all insurance companies in Kentucky to conduct “Own Risk and Solvency Assessments” (ORSA), annually and at any other time there are significant changes to the risk profile of the insurer or insurance group, and to submit a summary report to the Commissioner of Insurance upon request, and prohibits health benefit plans from “... requiring a higher co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible for patient-administered anticancer medications than are required for anticancer medications injected or intravenously administered by a health care provider.”
HB 133 creating KRS Chapter 190A to regulate business transactions between recreational vehicle dealers and recreational vehicle manufacturers and the registration and regulation of business activities of recreational vehicle dealers.
HB 322 establishes a special military service academy license plate available to current attendees or graduates of the United States service academies.
HB 331 redefines municipal classification of six classifications of and replaces them with two classes based on city government model type.
More legislation is on the horizon, officials said.
“There are already several pre-filed bills, and I also intend to file a bill of my own, related to the heroin problem,” said State Rep. Mike Denham.
Heroin issues have been featured in 2014 across the state, but more needs to be done to “stop this heroin situation,” Denham said.
In July 2014, several laws went into effect, including, easier access to concealed weapons for victims of domestic violence, creation of a registry to identify adult abuse offenders, broader prescription writing authority for some nurses, and a variety of awareness campaigns, including making October Bullying Awareness month.
Even though it is a short session, Denham expects a lot of work to be done in the allotted time, he said.
According to Denham, General Assembly Ethics Committee meets Jan. 6-9, then reconvenes for the remainder of the 30 days, beginning Feb. 3, with final adjournment scheduled for March 24.
During the main session legislators will also be discussing everything from right-to-farm and taxpayer confidentiality, to energy options and availability, educational dual credits, mental illness, and access for veterans to health care.
The veto recess, a period when lawmakers often return to home districts while the governor considers possible vetoes, begins on March 10. They reconvene on March 23 and 24 for the final two days of the session.
The 2015 session calendar can be viewed online at: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/sch_vist/15RS_calendar.pdf
The Ledger Independent is online at: http://www.maysville-online.com