# Kentucky HB 555: AN ACT relating to local government financial practices. Kentucky HB 555, AN ACT relating to local government financial practices., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Chris Freeland (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-01 (signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 153)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB555-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Kentucky HB 555 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to local government financial practices. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-14 - Last action: 2025-04-01, signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 153) - Sponsor: Chris Freeland (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Financial Responsibility, Local Government, State Agencies, Ethics, Auditor of Public Accounts, Audits and Auditors, Cities - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (225 yes, 2 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Local Service Payments Stay Protected: benefit, low. The state cannot withhold required payments for services cities provide to the state because of missing audits or financial statements. The same protection applies to local governments facing withholding for failing to meet ethics-code requirements. Protected payments include money owed for utility… - Cities Get Longer Audit Deadline Extensions: mixed, low. Cities needing annual or every-other-year audits must use a written contract with a certified public accountant or Kentucky's state auditor. The Department for Local Government can extend audit or financial-statement deadlines by up to 18 months from the original deadline, up from nine months. Citi… - Exposition Center Gets More Audit Options: mixed, low. Kentucky's state auditor conducts the Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center corporation's annual audit unless an alternative is chosen. The city that appoints board members can permanently choose to include the corporation in its own annual audit. The corporation must repay the city's direct audit cos… - Local Assistance Funds Require Spending Checks: mixed, low. Assistance agreements under Kentucky's local government economic assistance program must require an independent annual audit. They must also require certification that the money was spent for its intended purpose. The exemption in KRS 91A.040(6)(b) still applies. Recipients must send the audit and… - Small Cities Get More Audit Options: mixed, low. Kentucky cities with 3,000 or fewer residents, based on the latest federal decennial census, can choose every-other-year audits. They audit each fund after odd-numbered fiscal years and submit financial statements after even-numbered years. The separate fund-audit exemption rises from $150,000 to l… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Chris Freeland (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-28 | Senate | passed | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-03-27 | Senate | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 36 | 2 | | | 2025-02-28 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 91 | 0 | | ## Actions (23) - 2025-04-01: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 153) - 2025-03-28: delivered to Governor - 2025-03-28: enrolled, signed by President of the Senate (Senate) - 2025-03-28: enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House (Senate) - 2025-03-28: passed 98-0 (Senate) - 2025-03-28: House concurred in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2025-03-28: posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2025-03-27: to Rules (H) (House) - 2025-03-27: received in House (House) - 2025-03-27: 3rd reading, passed 36-2 with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2025-03-27: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 27, 2025 (Senate) - 2025-03-13: 2nd reading, to Rules (Senate) - 2025-03-12: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2025-03-06: to State & Local Government (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-04: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2025-03-04: received in Senate (Senate) - 2025-02-28: 3rd reading, passed 91-0 (House) - 2025-02-26: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, February 27, 2025 (House) - 2025-02-26: 2nd reading, to Rules (House) - 2025-02-25: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar (House) - 2025-02-20: to Local Government (H) (House) - 2025-02-14: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2025-02-14: introduced in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2025-03-28: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/hb555/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2025-02-28: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/hb555/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 493: AN ACT relating to the towing and storage of motor vehicles. (signed) - HB 441: AN ACT relating to reemployment after retirement in the Teachers' Retirement System. (signed) ## Sources - [Current (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/hb555/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/hb555/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 493: AN ACT relating to the towing and storage of motor vehicles.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB493-2025RS) - [HB 441: AN ACT relating to reemployment after retirement in the Teachers' Retirement Sy…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB441-2025RS) - [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-HB555-2025RS (as of 2026-10-19).