House
Signed By Governor
2026 Regular Session

HB642

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AN ACT relating to the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System.

Amend KRS 161.520 to remove the requirement for dependent children over the age of 18 to have their mental or physical condition approved by a majority of a medical review committee to receive survivor benefits; amend KRS 161.605 to raise the minimum amount a retired reemployed member may earn per day from $170 to $200, remove the provision for returning to work 1 month earlier if the member forfeits 1 month of their retirement benefit, reinstate the pension waiver program and prohibit members returning to work under its provisions from returning to work as administrators, and make technical changes; amend KRS 161.608 to clarify that the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) will acknowledge a member's earliest participation date in another state administered retirement system to determine benefit tier; amend KRS 161.620 to allow a member who is a parent to apply for and manage payments to a disabled child without necessity of a court order or other legal authority; amend KRS 161.635 and 161.636 to allow TRS to offer index fund investment options to university and nonuniversity members, to annuitize the investment return on the supplemental benefit applied to the index funds not to exceed 6.1% if there is no COLA in a given year or 4.6% if there is a COLA in the given year, allow TRS to promulgate administrative regulations to establish procedures for disbursements from the supplemental benefit component, and establish that neither the TRS board or staff shall be liable for any losses or claims due to a member's election of an index fund and state that members have the sole responsibility for their investment decisions.

Education, Elementary and SecondaryEducation, HigherUniversities and CollegesActuarial AnalysisPublic Officers and EmployeesRetirement and PensionsTeachers

Introduced: February 13, 2026

Last action: April 7, 2026

Signed By Governor (Acts Ch. 34)
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Legislative History

Feb 13, 2026 · House
Introduced In House
Feb 13, 2026 · House
To Committee On Committees (H)
Feb 23, 2026 · House
To State Government (H)
Mar 12, 2026 · House
Reported Favorably, 1st Reading, To Calendar With Committee Substitute (1)
Mar 13, 2026 · House
2nd Reading, To Rules (clerical)
Mar 16, 2026 · House
Posted For Passage In The Regular Orders Of The Day For Tuesday, March 17 2026 (clerical)
Mar 18, 2026 · House
3rd Reading, Passed 96-0 With Committee Substitute (1) (clerical)
Mar 19, 2026 · Senate
Received In Senate

Primary Sponsor

Portrait of James Tipton
James Tipton

Representative · House District 053

Primary sponsor
James.Tipton@kylegislature.gov
BallotpediaOfficial profile

Co-sponsors (1)

Portrait of Beverly Chester-Burton
Beverly Chester-Burton

Representative · House District 044

Co-sponsor
beverly.chesterburton@kylegislature.gov

Roll calls

March 18, 2026

House: 3rd reading, passed 96-0 with Committee Substitute (1)

Yea: 96
Nay: 0
LegiScan roll call
March 31, 2026

Senate floor vote

Yea: 37
Nay: 1