HB 657 Kentucky 2026RS session
AN ACT relating to professional licensing background checks.
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 319, 319A, 334A, 335.010 to 335.160, and 335.500 to 335.599, relating to psychologists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists, social workers, and professional counselors, to require a national and state background check for applicants seeking an initial license, reinstatement of a license, or authorization to practice in another state in accordance with a compact; provide that the results of a national and state criminal background check shall not be distributed by the board except to any applicant upon request or as evidence in a legal proceeding; provide that the fee charged by the Department of Kentucky State Police shall be an amount no greater than the actual cost of processing the request and conducting the background check; require the boards to review criminal background checks for every Kentucky licensee seeking to practice in another state before the board makes a determination on whether the person is eligible to apply for compact privileges; provide that boards shall not require a criminal background check solely for the purpose of renewing a license; and require boards to promulgate administrative regulations to implement this Act.
Status
- Introduced
- Committee
- Floor vote
- Passed
- Enacted
Enacted — last recorded action March 27, 2026
signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 6)
Recorded votes
Passage likelihood
Not enough recorded signal to estimate this bill's chances.
State-level impact
State-level impact data is not available for this bill. The source text does not contain a per-state funding formula or scored breakdown, so no figures are shown.
Official actions
- signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 6)
- delivered to Governor
- enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- received in House
- 3rd reading, passed 36-1
- posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026
- 2nd reading, to Rules
- reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
- to Licensing & Occupations (S)
- to Committee on Committees (S)
- received in Senate
- 3rd reading, passed 91-0
- posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 06 2026
- 2nd reading, to Rules
- reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
- to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
- to Committee on Committees (H)
- introduced in House