# Kentucky HB 185: AN ACT relating to employment and declaring an emergency. Kentucky HB 185, AN ACT relating to employment and declaring an emergency., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Emily Callaway (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-10 (signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 72)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB185-2026RS - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Kentucky HB 185 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to employment and declaring an emergency. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-07 - Last action: 2026-04-10, signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 72) - Sponsor: Emily Callaway (Republican) - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: Administrative Regulations And Proceedings, Background Checks, Crimes And Punishments, Licensing, Occupations And Professions, Personnel And Employment, State Agencies, State Employees, Workforce - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (223 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Fair-chance rules for jobs and licenses: mixed, medium. The law limits denial of public jobs or licenses based only on a past conviction unless the crime directly relates to the role. Agencies must consider your age at the time, how serious it was, how long ago it was, how it ties to the job, bonding needs, and proof of rehabilitation. You can request a… - Stronger protections for tipped workers: mixed, low. An employee counts as a tipped worker if they usually get over $30 in tips per month and do service work or directly support it in view of customers. Managers, supervisors, and salaried employees cannot be in tip pools. Employers may include tipped workers in required tip pools and may hold pooled… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Emily Callaway (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jared Bauman (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matthew Koch (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Robert Duvall (Republican), House - Cosponsor: T.J. Roberts (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Walker Thomas (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-31 | House | passed | pass | 91 | 0 | | | 2026-03-20 | Senate | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 37 | 0 | | | 2026-02-23 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 95 | 0 | | ## Actions (23) - 2026-04-10: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 72) - 2026-03-31: delivered to Governor - 2026-03-31: enrolled, signed by President of the Senate (House) - 2026-03-31: enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-03-31: passed 91-0 (House) - 2026-03-31: House concurred in Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (House) - 2026-03-27: posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2026-03-20: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-03-20: received in House (House) - 2026-03-20: 3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2026-03-19: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 20 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-18: 2nd reading, to Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-17: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2026-03-13: to Licensing & Occupations (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-24: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-24: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-23: 3rd reading, passed 95-0 (House) - 2026-02-20: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, February 23 2026 (House) - 2026-02-19: 2nd reading, to Rules (House) - 2026-02-18: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar (House) - 2026-01-14: to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (House) - 2026-01-07: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2026-01-07: introduced in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-03-31: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb185/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-02-23: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb185/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 197: AN ACT providing funding and establishing conditions for state government agencies and institutions, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergen… (became law) - SB 133: AN ACT relating to the fiscal reporting of local entities. (signed) - HB 869: AN ACT relating to fiscal matters and declaring an emergency. (signed) - SB 324: AN ACT relating to the entertainment industry. (signed) - SB 66: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle. (signed) - HB 826: AN ACT relating to education. (signed) ## Sources - [Current (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb185/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb185/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related - [SB 197: AN ACT providing funding and establishing conditions for state government agenc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB197-2026RS) - [SB 133: AN ACT relating to the fiscal reporting of local entities.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB133-2026RS) - [HB 869: AN ACT relating to fiscal matters and declaring an emergency.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB869-2026RS) - [SB 324: AN ACT relating to the entertainment industry.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB324-2026RS) - [SB 66: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB66-2026RS) - [HB 826: AN ACT relating to education.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB826-2026RS) - [Kentucky bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/kentucky/bills) - [Kentucky state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/kentucky) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB185-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).