# Kentucky HB 4: AN ACT relating to initiatives regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Kentucky HB 4, AN ACT relating to initiatives regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Jennifer Decker (Republican); status became law, last action 2025-03-28 (delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 120)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB4-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Kentucky HB 4 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to initiatives regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. - Status: became law - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-12 - Last action: 2025-03-28, delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 120) - Sponsor: Jennifer Decker (Republican) - Cosponsors: 24 - Subjects: Treasurer, Education, Finance, Education, Higher, Education, Vocational, Public Officers and Employees, Public Salaries, State Agencies, State Employees, Universities and Colleges, Attorney General, Civil Actions, Civil Rights, Claims, Reports Mandated - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 5 (303 yes, 66 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 12 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Work licenses cannot require diversity training: benefit, low. 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… - College boards must meet minority-representation minimums: benefit, low. 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 Bur… - Colleges must protect students' political viewpoints: benefit, low. 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 endorse… - College equal-opportunity approval rule is void: cost, low. 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: cost, low. 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 a… - Public colleges must end diversity programs: mixed, medium. 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 r… - Campus bias cases require legal approval: mixed, low. 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 disciplinar… - College applicants face new statement rules: mixed, low. 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 scholars… - College vendors face new preference limits: mixed, low. 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 Sta… - Public college scholarship preferences face limits: mixed, low. 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 too… - Public colleges face new equal-treatment rules: mixed, low. 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. Excepti… - Public colleges limit trait-based housing assignments: mixed, low. 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 segregati… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jennifer Decker (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Bill Wesley (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chris Lewis (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Candy Massaroni (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Daniel Elliott (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Daniel Fister (Republican), House - Cosponsor: David Hale (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Emily Callaway (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Josh Calloway (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jim Gooch Jr. (Republican), House - Cosponsor: John Hodgson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jason Nemes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: James Tipton (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kim King (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mark Hart (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mary Beth Imes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matt Lockett (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Marianne Proctor (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mitch Whitaker (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Nancy Tate (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Richard White (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Shane Baker (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Shawn McPherson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: T.J. Roberts (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Timmy Truett (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-27 | House | passed | pass | 79 | 19 | | | 2025-03-27 | Senate | passed | pass | 32 | 6 | | | 2025-03-13 | Senate | passed | pass | 79 | 17 | | | 2025-03-12 | Senate | passed | pass | 32 | 6 | | | 2025-03-05 | House | passed | pass | 81 | 18 | | ## Actions (59) - 2025-03-28: delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 120) - 2025-03-28: enrolled, signed by President of the Senate (House) - 2025-03-28: enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House (House) - 2025-03-28: received in House (House) - 2025-03-27: passed 32-6 (Senate) - 2025-03-27: veto overridden (Senate) - 2025-03-27: posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto - 2025-03-27: to Rules (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-27: received in Senate (Senate) - 2025-03-27: passed 79-19 (House) - 2025-03-27: veto overridden (House) - 2025-03-27: posted for consideration of Governor's veto - 2025-03-27: taken from Rules (House) - 2025-03-27: to Rules (H) (House) - 2025-03-27: received in House (House) - 2025-03-20: Vetoed - 2025-03-13: delivered to Governor - 2025-03-13: enrolled, signed by President of the Senate (Senate) - 2025-03-13: enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House (Senate) - 2025-03-13: passed 79-17 (Senate) - 2025-03-13: House concurred in Senate Floor Amendment (19-title) (Senate) - 2025-03-13: posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Floor Amendment (19-title) (Senate) - 2025-03-13: taken from Rules (H) (House) - 2025-03-13: to Rules (H) (House) - 2025-03-13: received in House (House) - 2025-03-12: passed 32-6 with Floor Amendment (19-title) (Senate) - 2025-03-12: floor amendment withdrawn Floor Amendments (1), (2), (3), (4), (7), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15) and (16) (Senate) - 2025-03-12: floor amendment withdrawn Floor Amendments (17) and (18) (Senate) - 2025-03-12: floor amendment defeated Floor Amendment (8) (Senate) - 2025-03-12: floor amendment defeated Floor Amendment (5) (Senate) - 2025-03-12: floor amendment defeated Floor Amendment (6) (Senate) - 2025-03-12: 3rd reading (Senate) - 2025-03-11: passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2025-03-11: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 11, 2025 (Senate) - 2025-03-11: floor amendment (17) filed to bill, floor amendment (18) filed to Committee Substitute, floor amendment (19-title) filed (Senate) - 2025-03-11: reported favorably, to Rules (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Floor Amendments (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15) and (16) filed (Senate) - 2025-03-07: returned to Education (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-07: 2nd reading (Senate) - 2025-03-07: taken from Education (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-06: returned to Education (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-06: 1st reading (Senate) - 2025-03-06: taken from Education (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-06: to Education (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-06: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-06: received in Senate (Senate) - 2025-03-05: passed 81-18 with Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (7) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (House) - 2025-03-05: Floor Amendment (2) ruled out of order (House) - 2025-03-05: Floor Amendments (1) and (6) defeated (House) - 2025-03-05: 3rd reading (House) - 2025-03-04: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 05, 2025 (House) - 2025-03-04: floor amendments (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7) filed to Committee Substitute (House) - 2025-03-04: reported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (House) - 2025-02-28: returned to Postsecondary Education (H) (House) - 2025-02-28: 1st reading (House) - 2025-02-28: taken from Postsecondary Education (H) (House) - 2025-02-14: to Postsecondary Education (H) (House) - 2025-02-12: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2025-02-12: introduced in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2025-03-27: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/hb4/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2025-02-10: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/hb4/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 501: AN ACT relating to pharmaceutical drugs. (became law) - HB 664: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle and declaring an emergency. (signed) - HB 606: AN ACT relating to economic development. (signed) - HB 421: AN ACT relating to colorectal cancer screenings. (signed) - HB 555: AN ACT relating to local government financial practices. (signed) - HB 493: AN ACT relating to the towing and storage of motor vehicles. (signed) ## Sources - [Current (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/hb4/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/hb4/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related - [HB 501: AN ACT relating to pharmaceutical drugs.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB501-2025RS) - [HB 664: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle and declaring an emergency.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB664-2025RS) - [HB 606: AN ACT relating to economic development.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB606-2025RS) - [HB 421: AN ACT relating to colorectal cancer screenings.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB421-2025RS) - [HB 555: AN ACT relating to local government financial practices.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB555-2025RS) - [HB 493: AN ACT relating to the towing and storage of motor vehicles.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB493-2025RS) - [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-HB4-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).