# Kentucky HB 504: AN ACT making appropriations for the operations, maintenance, support, and functioning of the Judicial Branch of the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its various officers, boards, commissions, subdivisions, and other state-supported activities. Kentucky HB 504, AN ACT making appropriations for the operations, maintenance, support, and functioning of the Judicial Branch of the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its various officers, boards, commissions, subdivisions, and other state-supported activities., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Jason Petrie (Republican); status became law, last action 2026-04-14 (delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 183)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB504-2026RS - 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 504 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT making appropriations for the operations, maintenance, support, and functioning of the Judicial Branch of the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its various officers, boards, commissions, subdivisions, and other state-supported activities. - Status: became law - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-27 - Last action: 2026-04-14, delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 183) - Sponsor: Jason Petrie (Republican) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: Appropriations, Budget And Financial Administration, Court, Supreme, Courts, Courts, Circuit, Courts, District, Courts, Family, Judges And Court Commissioners, Judicial Circuits, Judicial Districts, State Agencies, State Employees - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (348 yes, 44 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 15 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Two pay raises for court employees: benefit, medium. Eligible Kentucky Judicial Branch employees get a 2% base-pay increase on July 1, 2026. They get another 2% increase on July 1, 2027. Each worker's dollar increase depends on their base pay. The raises apply to eligible employees, not necessarily every court worker. - Kentucky funds courthouse services and flood repairs: benefit, medium. The Local Facilities Fund receives $136.303 million in General Fund money for 2026-27 and $149.2052 million for 2027-28. Restricted funds total $8.9104 million for 2025-26, $8.38 million for 2026-27, and $380,000 for 2027-28. The law includes $1 million each fiscal year from 2025-26 through 2027-28… - Kentucky funds courts and additional judges: benefit, medium. Judicial Branch funding is $22.54 million for 2025-26, $548.8214 million for 2026-27, and $557.9539 million for 2027-28. The law includes $5 million each fiscal year for additional judgeships created in 2022. Required services receive $7.561 million in 2026-27 and $7.2 million in 2027-28 for techno… - Boyle and Bell courthouse projects authorized: benefit, low. The law authorizes $2 million for Boyle County's courthouse roof replacement and $20.91 million for Bell County's courthouse renovation. These authorizations cover July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. Court capital projects require feasibility studies by a certified architect who is independent of… - Boyle and Bell receive court-space funding: benefit, low. Boyle County gets $5.26 million in restricted funds for 2026-27 and $260,000 for 2027-28 for leased court and clerk space. Boyle also receives $192,300 each fiscal year in payments for court use of its facility. Bell County gets $3.12 million in restricted funds for 2026-27 and $120,000 for 2027-28… - Civil filing revenue supports court operations: benefit, low. This law does not itself raise civil filing fees or require an increase. If the Kentucky Supreme Court raises them, up to $20.4681 million in extra annual revenue supports court operations and non-elected staff salaries. Extra revenue above that annual cap goes to the General Fund. By October 1, 20… - Courthouse upkeep funded with easier approvals: benefit, low. A courthouse maintenance pool receives $3 million each fiscal year from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. For debt-free facilities authorized before 2000, annual county compensation equals 2% of capital costs; court administration retains another 2% for maintenance. Maintenance projects estimate… - Courts must use available video arraignments: benefit, low. Kentucky courts must use the designated video arraignment system when it is available. When a court does not use it, the Administrative Office of the Courts must pay prisoner transportation costs. That responsibility covers trips to and from arraignments. Court administration must report use by cou… - Funding supports Kentucky judicial retirement system: benefit, low. The Judicial Form Retirement System receives $645,500 in restricted funds for 2026-27 and $652,300 for 2027-28. These appropriations cover July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. Restricted-fund funding can increase as needed to keep the system sufficiently funded. This funding provision does not incr… - Judicial retirement recipients miss pension increases: cost, low. Recipients of retirement allowances under KRS 21.345 to 21.580 get no pension increase on July 1, 2026. The law also blocks increases on July 1, 2027. It does not state the dollar amount of the blocked increases. - Trial commissioners face annual pay cap: cost, low. Trial commissioner compensation cannot exceed $2,000 per year. The law provides no funding for trial commissioners in counties where a District Judge lives. It does not state prior pay levels or each commissioner's income change. - Counties face limits on courthouse payments: cost, low. For courthouse projects authorized in 2000 or later, facility-use payments cannot exceed the court's share of annual debt payments. Payments also cannot exceed the authorized annual use allowance. County debt restructuring during July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, cannot change these payments. Ha… - Court staffing and budget cuts constrained: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Judicial Branch budget units cannot fill more positions than their approved staffing limits. Additional positions require a request to the Chief Justice and approval by the Administrative Office of the Courts. During the 2026-28 budget period, a shortfall identified by the C… - Five judicial centers funded, some costs delayed: mixed, low. Five judicial centers authorized in 2024 receive $13.6522 million in 2027-28 for facility-use costs. The law delays $1.911 million in operating support and $3 million for one-time equipment and furniture costs. That support is deferred to the July 1, 2028, through June 30, 2030, budget period. - Court savings carry forward or enter reserves: mixed, low. Unspent Local Facilities Use Allowance Contingency Fund money carries from 2025-26 into 2026-27 and then into 2027-28. It can cover authorized project cost overruns up to 15% of the use allowance. Unspent General Fund money for project expenses or facility-use payments in 2026-27 and 2027-28 goes t… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jason Petrie (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Adam Bowling (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Josh Bray (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-14 | House | passed | pass | 76 | 16 | | | 2026-04-14 | Senate | passed | pass | 27 | 6 | | | 2026-04-01 | Senate | passed | pass | 38 | 0 | | | 2026-04-01 | House | passed | pass | 75 | 18 | | | 2026-03-18 | Senate | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 38 | 0 | | | 2026-02-26 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 94 | 4 | | ## Actions (68) - 2026-04-14: delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 183) - 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: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-04-14: received in House (House) - 2026-04-14: passed 27-6 (Senate) - 2026-04-14: vetoes overridden (Senate) - 2026-04-14: posted for consideration of Governor's line vetoes - 2026-04-14: to Rules (S) (Senate) - 2026-04-14: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-04-14: passed 76-16 (House) - 2026-04-14: vetoes overridden (House) - 2026-04-14: posted for consideration of Governor's line vetoes - 2026-04-14: taken from Rules (House) - 2026-04-13: line items 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: Free Conference Committee report adopted in House (House) - 2026-04-01: posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report (House) - 2026-04-01: taken from Rules (House) - 2026-04-01: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-04-01: received in House (House) - 2026-04-01: passed 38-0 (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Free Conference Committee report adopted in Senate (Senate) - 2026-04-01: posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report (House) - 2026-04-01: Free Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate (House) - 2026-04-01: Free Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate (House) - 2026-04-01: Conference Committee report adopted in House and Senate (House) - 2026-04-01: Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate (House) - 2026-03-19: Conference Committee appointed in House and Senate (House) - 2026-03-19: Senate refused to recede (Senate) - 2026-03-19: posted for passage for receding from Senate Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-19: taken from Rules (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-19: to Rules (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-19: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-19: House refused to concur in Senate Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-19: posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-19: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-03-19: received in House (House) - 2026-03-18: 3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-18: placed in the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2026-03-18: taken from Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-18: reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-17: returned to Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-17: 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-17: taken from Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-16: returned to Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-16: 1st reading (Senate) - 2026-03-16: taken from Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-02: to Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-27: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-27: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-26: 3rd reading, passed 94-4 with Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-02-26: placed in the Orders of the Day (House) - 2026-02-26: taken from Rules (House) - 2026-02-26: reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-02-25: returned to Appropriations & Revenue (H) (House) - 2026-02-25: 2nd reading (House) - 2026-02-25: taken from Appropriations & Revenue (H) (House) - 2026-02-24: returned to Appropriations & Revenue (H) (House) - 2026-02-24: 1st reading (House) - 2026-02-24: taken from Appropriations & Revenue (H) (House) - 2026-02-03: to Appropriations & Revenue (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/hb504/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-01-20: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb504/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/hb504/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb504/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-HB504-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).