KentuckyHB 4482026 Regular SessionHouse

AN ACT relating to background checks.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.

Juvenile records used in federal gun checks

Law enforcement and FBI staff who run background checks can access Kentucky juvenile court records to find disqualifying cases for the federal gun check system. This access is only to identify and report qualifying juvenile public offense records to NICS under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. These records are for official use only and are not released to the public. Some juvenile adjudications count like convictions under federal gun law when NICS reviews a firearm purchase.

3-year window then sealing for violent juvenile cases

If a child admits to or is adjudicated for a violent felony, the case records are not confidential for three years from that date. If the child has no new public offense convictions during those three years, all records in that case are automatically sealed at the end. Violent felony uses the definition in state law.

More record sharing for federal job checks

Kentucky criminal justice agencies must provide criminal-history records to named federal agencies and their contractors for basic job suitability checks. The law lists who can ask, such as Defense, State, Transportation, OPM, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, the intelligence director, other authorized federal agencies, and their background-check contractors. Juvenile-record confidentiality does not apply for these suitability checks, so juvenile records can be shared for that purpose. Agencies may charge the requesting federal agency a $25 fee to cover the cost; Kentucky agencies do not pay this fee.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Tony Hampton
Republican • House

Cosponsors

Vanessa Grossl
Republican • House
Wade Williams
Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 119 • No: 8

Senate vote • 3/25/2026

3rd reading, passed

Yes: 38 • No: 0

House vote • 2/13/2026

3rd reading, passed

Yes: 81 • No: 8

Actions Timeline

signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 42)
4/7/2026
delivered to Governor
3/26/2026
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
3/26/2026
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
3/26/2026
received in House
3/26/2026House
3rd reading, passed 38-0
3/25/2026
passed over and retained in the Consent Orders of the Day
3/24/2026
posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026
3/20/2026
2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill
3/19/2026
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar
3/18/2026
to State & Local Government (S)
3/16/2026Senate
to Committee on Committees (S)
2/17/2026Senate
received in Senate
2/17/2026Senate
3rd reading, passed 81-8
2/13/2026
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, February 12 2026
2/11/2026
2nd reading, to Rules
2/11/2026
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
2/10/2026
to Local Government (H)
1/29/2026House
to Committee on Committees (H)
1/21/2026House
introduced in House
1/21/2026House

Bill Text

Current
2/13/2026
PDF
Introduced
2/13/2026
PDF

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