# Kentucky HB 253: AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency. Kentucky HB 253, AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by James Tipton (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-10 (signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 74)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB253-2026RS - 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 253 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-08 - Last action: 2026-04-10, signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 74) - Sponsor: James Tipton (Republican) - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: Administrative Regulations And Proceedings, Boards And Commissions, Education, Elementary And Secondary, Education, Higher, State Agencies, Teachers, Universities And Colleges - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (225 yes, 2 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 18 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Dyslexia support in schools and training: benefit, medium. KDE must provide a dyslexia toolkit with guidance, help, and training. Each local board must adopt a policy to find and help K–3 students with dyslexia. By the 2027–2028 year, teacher‑prep programs must teach dyslexia identification and evidence‑based supports. By June 30, 2028, and each year for f… - Legal protections and lower fees for guardians: benefit, medium. Guardians have the same legal immunities and defenses as police and sheriffs for acts done while working. Local school boards are immune from claims that arise from a guardian’s actions. The Kentucky Law Enforcement Council cannot charge guardians higher testing or training fees than it charges oth… - Required safety trainings for school staff: benefit, medium. By August 1, 2025, KDE sets a four‑year repeating training schedule. All certified district and public charter staff must complete four one‑hour trainings within 12 months of hire and at least every four years: active shooter response, child abuse prevention/recognition/reporting, evidence‑based su… - Stronger K–5 reading and teacher training: benefit, medium. The law bans the three‑cueing system and requires schools to use evidence‑based reading programs. KDE must keep an approved list of high‑quality reading curricula and interventions. By June 30, 2029, all K–5 educators must finish KDE‑approved science‑of‑reading training, and newly certified K–5 tea… - More PD options for grades 7–12 staff: benefit, low. State professional development funds support training that matches school improvement plans and teachers’ growth plans. Schools can use these funds year-round for all staff and for parents on councils. For counselors in grades 7–12, four hours of the new training count toward the 21-hour yearly PD… - Construction trades training for counselors: benefit, low. KDE can partner with building trades to train school counselors on trade careers. The program must cover pay, benefits, jobs, pre‑apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and career paths. Participating trade groups must offer ample annual training opportunities and pay the training costs. If the program… - More professional development help for educators: benefit, low. KDE runs an online bulletin board to compare PD programs and posts its own offerings. Each district must appoint a certified PD coordinator to share information and give help. When planning four PD days, districts focus on curriculum and instruction, and may use up to one day for district‑wide or m… - New lessons and testing rules for students: benefit, low. Middle and high schools must teach about the Holocaust and other genocides confirmed by a court. Starting in 2025–2026, all elementary schools must teach cursive so students are proficient by the end of grade five. Minimum graduation rules cannot require a readiness indicator or a minimum statewide… - Reading programs must drop three-cueing: benefit, low. The law bans the three-cueing system in reading. Starting in the 2029–2030 school year, districts cannot use any reading curriculum or intervention that uses three-cueing. State and local providers also may not offer professional development that teaches three-cueing. - Safer hiring and open records in schools: benefit, low. The superintendent must remind staff each year to self‑report felony charges and substantiated child abuse or neglect findings. Districts cannot use nondisclosure agreements to hide misconduct involving students. Certain health and safety rules now apply to public charter schools too. The child abu… - Guardians pay their own training costs: cost, low. School safety guardians are responsible for their certification, exams, training, and annual requirements. A local board may agree to pay instead, but the default is the guardian pays. - Certified private schools: safety and transparency rules: mixed, medium. Private, parochial, and church schools may choose to meet state curriculum, certification, textbook, and employment standards and apply to be certified. Certified nonpublic schools cannot use NDAs to hide misconduct involving minors. These schools cannot hire people with certain violent or felony s… - Off-site moral instruction: rules and credit: mixed, medium. Moral instruction must be off school property and provided at no cost to the district beyond minimal admin work. Student participation must be voluntary, with no pressure, and districts cannot treat students differently for joining or not. People with certain violent, sex, or child‑abuse records ca… - Optional school guardians: who can serve: mixed, medium. Local boards may choose to hire guardians for school safety, and must pay the costs if they do. A guardian must be certified by the Center for School Safety and meet strict requirements, including a current concealed‑carry license, clean background checks, medical and drug screens, KLEC background/… - Off-site moral instruction option with safeguards: mixed, low. Local boards may approve off‑site moral instruction. With parent consent, a student is excused for up to one hour on one day each week, including travel. Students who do not attend must stay in school for supervised activities. Providers must submit a signed application, safety transport plan, proo… - Private schools tighten background checks: mixed, low. Certified nonpublic schools must run FBI and state checks plus a clear CHFS CA/N check for new certified hires and student teachers, with rechecks allowed every five years. Applications must clearly disclose that checks and a CHFS letter may be required. Schools may use probationary status to fill… - Statewide student ID tied to Social Security: mixed, low. The state creates a student ID system based on Social Security numbers. If a student has no SSN or a parent does not want to provide it, the student gets a different unique ID. This improves record tracking but uses SSNs unless families opt out. - Tougher school hiring, reporting, and records: mixed, low. District job applications must warn about required KSP/FBI checks and a CHFS CA/N letter, and ask for residency history with dates and photo ID. Employees must report any felony charge within 7 days and must report any substantiated CHFS abuse/neglect finding; pay stays the same if reassigned durin… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: James Tipton (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Beverly Chester-Burton (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Daniel Grossberg (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Kevin Jackson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Pamela Stevenson (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Tina Bojanowski (Democrat), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-31 | House | passed | pass | 93 | 1 | | | 2026-03-25 | Senate | passed | pass | 38 | 0 | | | 2026-02-12 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 94 | 1 | | ## Actions (27) - 2026-04-10: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 74) - 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 93-1 (House) - 2026-03-31: House concurred in Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (2) and Floor Amendment (3-title) (House) - 2026-03-27: posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Floor Amendments (2) and (3-title) and Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-26: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-03-26: received in House (House) - 2026-03-25: passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (2) and Floor Amendment (3-title) (Senate) - 2026-03-25: floor amendment (1) withdrawn (Senate) - 2026-03-25: 3rd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-24: passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2026-03-20: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-20: floor amendments (1) and (2) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendment (3-title) filed to bill (Senate) - 2026-03-20: 2nd reading, to Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-19: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2026-03-11: to Education (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-12: 3rd reading, passed 94-1 with Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-02-10: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, February 11 2026 (House) - 2026-02-05: 2nd reading, to Rules (House) - 2026-02-04: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-01-15: to Primary and Secondary Education (H) (House) - 2026-01-08: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2026-01-08: introduced in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-03-31: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb253/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-01-07: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb253/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) - HB 727: AN ACT relating to education 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) ## Sources - [Current (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb253/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb253/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) - [HB 727: AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB727-2026RS) - [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) - [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-HB253-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).