# Kentucky HB 651: AN ACT relating to public water and wastewater systems and declaring an emergency. Kentucky HB 651, AN ACT relating to public water and wastewater systems and declaring an emergency., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Josh Bray (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 116)) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB651-2026RS - 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 651 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to public water and wastewater systems and declaring an emergency. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-02-17 - Last action: 2026-04-13, signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 116) - Sponsor: Josh Bray (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Boards And Commissions, Effective Dates, Emergency, Engineers And Surveyors, Public Utilities, Public Works, Sewer Systems, Water Supply - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (229 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stricter rules for funded utilities: cost, low. Systems that get funds must follow strict management and reporting rules. They must file a corrective action plan, a detailed budget with depreciation, and give single applications for regional projects. Capital projects must include cost and timeline estimates. Recipients must adopt best practices… - New help for troubled water systems: mixed, low. Kentucky creates a program to aid distressed public water and sewer systems. A system qualifies when it meets at least three distress tests, such as low area incomes, user rates at or above 1% of household income, a debt service coverage ratio under 1.1 in three of five years, or water loss over 30… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Josh Bray (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jason Petrie (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-31 | Senate | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 38 | 0 | | | 2026-03-31 | House | passed | pass | 93 | 0 | | | 2026-03-03 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 98 | 0 | | ## Actions (35) - 2026-04-13: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 116) - 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) - 2026-03-31: passed 93-0 (House) - 2026-03-31: 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) - 2026-03-31: 3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-31: posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 31 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-31: reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) as a consent bill (Senate) - 2026-03-26: returned to Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-26: 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-26: taken from Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-25: returned to Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-25: 1st reading (Senate) - 2026-03-25: taken from Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-06: to Appropriations & Revenue (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-04: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-04: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-03: 3rd reading, passed 98-0 with Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-03-03: placed in the Orders of the Day (House) - 2026-03-03: taken from Rules (House) - 2026-03-03: reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-03-02: returned to Appropriations & Revenue (H) (House) - 2026-03-02: 2nd reading (House) - 2026-03-02: taken from Appropriations & Revenue (H) (House) - 2026-02-27: reassigned to Appropriations & Revenue (H) (House) - 2026-02-27: returned to Natural Resources & Energy (H) (House) - 2026-02-27: 1st reading (House) - 2026-02-27: taken from Natural Resources & Energy (H) (House) - 2026-02-24: to Natural Resources & Energy (H) (House) - 2026-02-17: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2026-02-17: introduced in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-03-31: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb651/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-02-17: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb651/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 869: AN ACT relating to fiscal matters and declaring an emergency. (signed) - 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 826: AN ACT relating to education. (signed) - HB 727: AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency. (signed) - SB 324: AN ACT relating to the entertainment industry. (signed) ## Sources - [Current (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb651/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb651/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related - [HB 869: AN ACT relating to fiscal matters and declaring an emergency.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB869-2026RS) - [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 826: AN ACT relating to education.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB826-2026RS) - [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) - [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-HB651-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).