# Kentucky HB 490: AN ACT relating to employment at public postsecondary education institutions and declaring an emergency. Kentucky HB 490, AN ACT relating to employment at public postsecondary education institutions and declaring an emergency., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Aaron Thompson (Republican); status became law, last action 2026-04-14 (delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 169)) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB490-2026RS - 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 490 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to employment at public postsecondary education institutions and declaring an emergency. - Status: became law - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-27 - Last action: 2026-04-14, delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 169) - Sponsor: Aaron Thompson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Boards And Commissions, Education, Higher, Effective Dates, Emergency, Universities And Colleges - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 5 (289 yes, 71 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Notice and response rights for college faculty: benefit, low. Covered boards must establish and share a process with faculty for proposing, reviewing, and deciding removals for genuine financial reasons. The process must take effect no later than October 1, 2026. Faculty must receive at least 30 days’ written notice explaining the proposed removal. They have… - Broader financial dismissal rules for college faculty: cost, medium. Covered Kentucky public college boards may remove faculty for genuine financial reasons. Examples include financial emergencies, low program enrollment, and revenue that does not match costs; other genuine financial reasons also qualify. At some covered institutions, these grounds also apply to pre… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Aaron Thompson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: James Tipton (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-14 | House | passed | pass | 80 | 19 | | | 2026-04-14 | Senate | passed | pass | 32 | 6 | | | 2026-04-01 | House | passed | pass | 75 | 18 | | | 2026-03-27 | Senate | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 30 | 7 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 72 | 21 | | ## Actions (46) - 2026-04-14: delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 169) - 2026-04-14: enrolled, signed by President of the Senate (House) - 2026-04-14: enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-04-14: received in House (House) - 2026-04-14: passed 32-6 (Senate) - 2026-04-14: veto overridden (Senate) - 2026-04-14: posted for consideration of Governor's veto - 2026-04-14: to Rules (S) (Senate) - 2026-04-14: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-04-14: passed 80-19 (House) - 2026-04-14: veto overridden (House) - 2026-04-14: posted for consideration of Governor's veto - 2026-04-14: taken from Rules (House) - 2026-04-14: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-04-14: received in House (House) - 2026-04-13: Vetoed - 2026-04-01: delivered to Governor - 2026-04-01: enrolled, signed by President of the Senate (House) - 2026-04-01: enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-04-01: passed 75-18 (House) - 2026-04-01: House concurred in Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-03-31: posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-31: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-03-31: received in House (House) - 2026-03-27: 3rd reading, passed 30-7 with Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-26: passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2026-03-26: placed in the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2026-03-26: taken from Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-26: reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-25: returned to Education (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-25: 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-25: taken from Education (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-24: returned to Education (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-24: 1st reading (Senate) - 2026-03-24: taken from Education (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-24: to Education (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-18: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-18: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-17: 3rd reading, passed 72-21 with Floor Amendment (1) (House) - 2026-02-13: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 17 2026 (House) - 2026-02-12: floor amendment (1) filed (House) - 2026-02-11: 2nd reading, to Rules (House) - 2026-02-10: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar (House) - 2026-02-03: to Postsecondary Education (H) (House) - 2026-01-27: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2026-01-27: introduced in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-04-14: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb490/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-02-17: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb490/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/hb490/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb490/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-HB490-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).