# Kentucky HB 776: AN ACT relating to health care services and declaring an emergency. Kentucky HB 776, AN ACT relating to health care services and declaring an emergency., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Derek Lewis (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 131)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB776-2026RS - 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 776 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to health care services and declaring an emergency. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-02-27 - Last action: 2026-04-13, signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 131) - Sponsor: Derek Lewis (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Administrative Regulations And Proceedings, Boards And Commissions, Business Entities And Organizations, Commerce, Health And Medical Services, Health Care Professionals, Occupations And Professions, Short Titles And Popular Names, Small Business - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (223 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 17 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Board fees capped and finances set: benefit, low. The Board must set exam, license, renewal, and reinstatement fees at or below the national average for state dental boards. All Board fees go into a non‑lapsing state trust fund the Board uses to do its work. The Board may keep a petty cash fund of up to $1,000 for quick expenses. - Protections for emergency and volunteer care: benefit, low. If you are licensed and give good‑faith emergency care at the scene, you are not liable for civil damages. Dentists who act in good faith on approved peer‑review committees are also protected from damages. The law lets volunteer health workers provide services under KRS 39A.350–39A.366. - Supervised care by dental students: benefit, low. Students in approved dental programs may treat patients under instructor oversight and a licensed dentist who teaches. They may work in public, clinic, or charitable settings. Students cannot accept any fee beyond expenses covered by a stipend. - Dental scholarships and loan repayment aid: benefit, low. The Board may use its fund to offer scholarships or help repay education loans. You must meet eligibility rules the Board sets in regulation. The law does not set dollar amounts. - More practice authority for dentists: benefit, low. Licensed dentists may prescribe any drug needed within their professional scope. Dentists can sign death certificates when it is necessary in their work. Dentists licensed in other states may give clinical demonstrations at dental societies, conventions, associations, or schools without Kentucky li… - Existing dental ownerships are protected: benefit, low. Dental practice ownerships and contracts that were lawful on the law’s effective date remain valid. They may still be expanded or changed later. - Licensed dentists must run and control care: benefit, low. Only people licensed under dental law may use dental titles or own or run a dental practice, and employers must hire only licensed dental staff. Unlicensed people or companies, including those that set reimbursement rates, cannot control clinical decisions, records, or staff. A licensed dentist has… - Report sedation harms and publish discipline: benefit, low. If dental treatment uses IV or conscious sedation beyond anxiety control and the patient is admitted to a hospital, the provider must report it to the Board. Not reporting can lead to discipline. When discipline is final, the Board posts the order online, adds it to the provider’s record, and repor… - Felony conviction ends dental license: cost, low. If you are convicted of, plead guilty to, enter an Alford plea for, or complete a diversion for a Class A, B, or C felony after you were first licensed, you cannot keep any license or certificate under this chapter. - Tighter rules for dental specialists: cost, low. The Board only recognizes specialties approved by the national commission. Specialist dentists may not practice outside their specialty. Exceptions include a general dentist referral for procedures within training, charity care under Board rules, Governor-declared disasters, and pediatric dentists… - Bigger role for dental hygienists: mixed, medium. A dental hygienist can work up to 15 straight business days without the dentist on site if key safeguards are met: at least 3,000 hours’ experience, a board‑approved emergency course renewed every 2 years, follows the dentist’s written emergency plan, treats only patients the dentist examined in th… - Hygienists can give anesthesia with training: mixed, medium. A dentist may let a licensed hygienist give local anesthesia and nitrous oxide under direct supervision after extra training and a Board certificate. Training must include at least 32 hours of coursework, 2 hours of nitrous clinical with at least 2 patients, 12 hours of local anesthesia with at lea… - More tasks for dental assistants: mixed, medium. Registered dental assistants can do coronal polishing with a rubber cup or cordless polisher after a Board‑approved course and competency test. Dentists may let trained assistants take dental X‑rays; the dentist must keep the assistant’s training certificate. Each assistant’s registration must be c… - Telehealth consent and anti-fraud rules: mixed, low. Dentists who use telehealth must get the patient’s informed consent before the visit and keep medical information private under state and federal rules. The Board must adopt rules to prevent fraud and fee‑splitting in telehealth and to allow telehealth for care and for continuing education. - Two-year dental license renewals and posting: mixed, low. All dental licenses last two years and expire December 31. Dentist licenses expire in odd years; other dental licenses expire in even years. Renew online unless you request a paper form before November 1. If your license lapses, you must pay the original fee plus late fees and meet board rules to r… - New rules for Kentucky dental board: mixed, low. The board has 10 voting members: 7 dentists (at least 3 general), 2 hygienists, and 1 citizen, plus nonvoting school and public health reps. Voting members must have 5 years of Kentucky practice, be in good standing, have no discipline in 8 years, and no financial ties to entities the board regulat… - Clear rules on dentists and labs: mixed, low. A dentist or dental specialist is defined by holding a Kentucky license. The law says teeth whitening, taking impressions for appliances, and making or repairing dentures count as practicing dentistry and must be done on a dentist’s written lab work order. Casts and models must come from impression… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Derek Lewis (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chad Aull (Democrat), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-01 | House | passed | pass | 90 | 0 | | | 2026-04-01 | Senate | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 37 | 0 | | | 2026-03-11 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 96 | 0 | | ## Actions (26) - 2026-04-13: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 131) - 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 90-0 (House) - 2026-04-01: House concurred in Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (1) and Floor Amendment (2-title) (House) - 2026-04-01: posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (1) and Floor Amendment (2-title) (Senate) - 2026-04-01: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-04-01: received in House (House) - 2026-04-01: 3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (1) and Floor Amendment (2-title) (Senate) - 2026-03-31: floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendment (2-title) filed to bill (Senate) - 2026-03-31: passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2026-03-27: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 31 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-25: 2nd reading, to Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-24: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) (Senate) - 2026-03-20: to Licensing & Occupations (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-12: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-12: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-11: 3rd reading, passed 96-0 with Floor Amendments (2) and (1) (House) - 2026-03-09: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 10 2026 (House) - 2026-03-05: 2nd reading, to Rules (House) - 2026-03-04: floor amendments (1) and (2) filed (House) - 2026-03-04: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar (House) - 2026-03-02: to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (House) - 2026-02-27: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2026-02-27: introduced in House (House) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-04-01: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb776/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-03-11: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb776/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/hb776/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb776/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-HB776-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).