All Roll Calls
Yes: 303 • No: 66
KentuckyHB 42025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
AN ACT relating to initiatives regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Sponsored By: Jennifer Decker (Republican)
Became Law
TreasurerEducation, FinanceEducation, HigherEducation, VocationalPublic Officers and EmployeesPublic SalariesState AgenciesState EmployeesUniversities and CollegesAttorney GeneralCivil ActionsCivil RightsClaimsReports Mandated
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
12 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 7 mixed.
Public colleges must end diversity programs
Kentucky public colleges and the Council on Postsecondary Education had to end covered diversity offices, initiatives, training, and officer jobs by June 30, 2025. They cannot spend resources to maintain those activities or hire diversity officers as employees or contractors. Colleges also cannot require students or employees to attend covered training or offer incentives to attend. Exceptions preserve activities their legal counsel finds required by law, court order, or binding contracts made before the law took effect. Colleges also retain listed academic activities, resource-center services, and other protected activities.
Work licenses cannot require diversity training
State and local licensing authorities cannot require diversity, equity, and inclusion training for initial or renewed occupational licenses. They cannot discipline someone or deny, suspend, revoke, or restrict a license because the person lacks that training. Earlier enforced training requirements are void.
College boards must meet minority-representation minimums
The governor's appointments to specified public college boards must at least match Kentucky's minority racial share. This covers comprehensive university boards, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System board, and the University of Louisville board. Calculations use the latest Census Bureau census or estimate, rounding any fractional minority-member count up to the next whole number.
Colleges must protect students' political viewpoints
Kentucky public college boards had to adopt viewpoint-neutral policies by June 30, 2025, banning political or social viewpoint discrimination. Policies must promote intellectual diversity and appear in student and faculty handbooks and prominently on public websites. Colleges cannot require endorsement or rejection of an ideology or viewpoint for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, promotion, admission, or graduation. Students cannot be required to take courses whose main purpose is to indoctrinate participants with a discriminatory concept.
College equal-opportunity approval rule is void
The law voids Kentucky regulation 13 KAR 002:060, covering degree-program approval and equal opportunity goals, effective when the act takes effect. The Council on Postsecondary Education cannot issue an identical or substantially similar regulation.
Colleges face audits and funding penalties
Beginning July 1, 2026, each Kentucky public college must annually certify that prior-year spending followed the law's diversity spending restrictions. The president or chief financial officer must sign, and the state auditor must check compliance at least every four years. Colleges have 180 days after notice to fix violations or lose eligibility for formula funding increases the following fiscal year. They can request Attorney General review of disputed findings within 30 days. Through June 30, 2031, unless extended, a government-mandate defense in specified Attorney General cases requires clear, accurate disclosure before the events in the latest annual report or a same-location website addendum.
Campus bias cases require legal approval
Kentucky public colleges need their general counsel's authorization and written certification before investigating a bias incident. Taking the allegations as true, the conduct must potentially be student-on-student harassment, or law must require investigation. Bias-related hearings and disciplinary proceedings also need counsel's authorization. After reviewing all relevant evidence, counsel must certify that the proceeding is necessary to comply with state or federal law.
College applicants face new statement rules
Kentucky public colleges cannot request or consider applicant pledges or statements about views or experiences involving religion, race, sex, color, or national origin. This covers jobs, promotions, contracts and renewals, admission, housing, financial aid, and scholarships. Admissions and scholarship staff can consider unsolicited life-experience statements, but cannot award different treatment based on those traits. Colleges can request biological sex for separate single-sex housing. The Council on Postsecondary Education also cannot request or consider job applicants' statements about the listed traits.
College vendors face new preference limits
Kentucky public colleges cannot favor vendors, contracts, or transactions based on owners', managers', or staff members' religion, race, sex, color, or national origin. This covers businesses and nonprofit groups. Colleges can still favor businesses owned by residents of Kentucky and the United States.
Public college scholarship preferences face limits
Kentucky public colleges cannot base scholarship eligibility or different treatment on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin. They also cannot create or renew binding restrictions requiring consideration of those traits. Qualifying private scholarship endowments existing before the law took effect can keep their restrictions until their principal funds run out.
Public colleges face new equal-treatment rules
Kentucky public colleges cannot give different treatment or benefits based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin. This covers admissions, employment, promotions, contracts, and contract renewals. The Council on Postsecondary Education had to stop such treatment by June 30, 2025. Exceptions cover legal duties, court orders, and qualifying binding contracts made before the law took effect. Colleges also retain specified exceptions for bona fide qualifications involving biological sex or national origin tied to visa eligibility.
Public colleges limit trait-based housing assignments
Kentucky public colleges cannot assign student housing based on religion, sex, race, color, or national origin. They can maintain separate living facilities for members of one biological sex when necessary. Need-based housing during school breaks remains allowed, without discrimination or segregation by religion, race, color, or national origin.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Jennifer Decker
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Bill Wesley
Republican • House
Chris Lewis
Republican • House
Candy Massaroni
Republican • House
Daniel Elliott
Republican • House
Daniel Fister
Republican • House
David Hale
Republican • House
Emily Callaway
Republican • House
Josh Calloway
Republican • House
Jim Gooch Jr.
Republican • House
John Hodgson
Republican • House
Jason Nemes
Republican • House
James Tipton
Republican • House
Kim King
Republican • House
Mark Hart
Republican • House
Mary Beth Imes
Republican • House
Matt Lockett
Republican • House
Marianne Proctor
Republican • House
Mitch Whitaker
Republican • House
Nancy Tate
Republican • House
Richard White
Republican • House
Shane Baker
Republican • House
Shawn McPherson
Republican • House
T.J. Roberts
Republican • House
Timmy Truett
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/27/2025
passed
Yes: 79 • No: 19
Senate vote • 3/27/2025
passed
Yes: 32 • No: 6
Senate vote • 3/13/2025
passed
Yes: 79 • No: 17
Senate vote • 3/12/2025
passed
Yes: 32 • No: 6
House vote • 3/5/2025
passed
Yes: 81 • No: 18
Actions Timeline
delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 120)
3/28/2025enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
3/28/2025Houseenrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
3/28/2025Housereceived in House
3/28/2025Housepassed 32-6
3/27/2025Senateveto overridden
3/27/2025Senateposted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto
3/27/2025to Rules (S)
3/27/2025Senatereceived in Senate
3/27/2025Senatepassed 79-19
3/27/2025Houseveto overridden
3/27/2025Houseposted for consideration of Governor's veto
3/27/2025taken from Rules
3/27/2025Houseto Rules (H)
3/27/2025Housereceived in House
3/27/2025HouseVetoed
3/20/2025delivered to Governor
3/13/2025enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
3/13/2025Senateenrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
3/13/2025Senatepassed 79-17
3/13/2025SenateHouse concurred in Senate Floor Amendment (19-title)
3/13/2025Senateposted for passage for concurrence in Senate Floor Amendment (19-title)
3/13/2025Senatetaken from Rules (H)
3/13/2025Houseto Rules (H)
3/13/2025Housereceived in House
3/13/2025House
Bill Text
Current
3/27/2025
Introduced
2/10/2025
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