# Kentucky SB 72: AN ACT relating to the recruitment and retention of health care professionals and declaring an emergency.

Kentucky SB 72, AN ACT relating to the recruitment and retention of health care professionals and declaring an emergency., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Donald Douglas (Republican); status failed, last action 2026-02-17 (to Committee on Committees (H)) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB72-2026RS
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Kentucky SB 72
- State: Kentucky
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: AN ACT relating to the recruitment and retention of health care professionals and declaring an emergency.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-12
- Last action: 2026-02-17, to Committee on Committees (H)
- Sponsor: Donald Douglas (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Subjects: Civil Actions, Effective Dates, Emergency, Medicaid, Nurses, Optometrists, Personnel And Employment, Pharmacists, Public Health, Short Titles And Popular Names, State Agencies, Local Mandate
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 1 (28 yes, 5 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Donald Douglas (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Gary Boswell (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Greg Elkins (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Gex Williams (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Matt Nunn (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Max Wise (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Robby Mills (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Steve Rawlings (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 28 | 5 |   |

## Actions (9)

- 2026-02-17: to Committee on Committees (H) (House)
- 2026-02-17: received in House (House)
- 2026-02-13: 3rd reading, passed 28-5 (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, February 13 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: 2nd reading, to Rules (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: to Health Services (S) (Senate)
- 2026-01-12: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate)
- 2026-01-12: introduced in Senate (Senate)

## Bill text

- Current, 2026-02-13: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb72/bill.pdf)
- Introduced, 2026-02-13: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb72/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)
- SB 66: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle. (signed)
- HB 826: AN ACT relating to education. (signed)
- HB 727: AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency. (signed)

## Sources
- [Current (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb72/bill.pdf)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb72/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)
- [SB 66: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB66-2026RS)
- [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)
- [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-SB72-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).