House
Veto Override
2026 Regular Session

HB139

Log in to follow

AN ACT relating to elections and declaring an emergency.

Amend KRS 116.112 to allow the State Board of Elections to enter into intergovernmental agreements with other governmental agencies to exchange data to assist in investigating violations of election offenses; amend KRS 117.125 to require voting systems and equipment meet or exceed a standard approved by the Election Assistance Commission; amend KRS 117.145 to require that county clerks provide voting equipment with the necessary supplies for write-in votes on the day before any in-person voting occurs; amend KRS 117.265 to change the date a person running for President or Vice President must file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate to the same deadline as the certification of candidates; amend KRS 117.355 to require county boards of elections to deliver signature rosters and precinct results to the State Board of Elections within 10 days after any primary or general election; amend KRS 117.379 to require voting systems meet a previously established Election Assistance Commission standard; amend KRS 117.389 to require county clerks to test automatic tabulating equipment after any petitions for local option elections have been filed; amend KRS 118.015 to change the definition of "political party"; amend KRS 118.125 to require that the notification and declaration be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.129 to allow a contraction as an acceptable form of a candidate's name; amend KRS 118.165 to require that candidates for Commonwealth's Attorney file nomination papers with the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.315 to require that the form of petition be prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.367 to specify that candidates for a special election or election for an unexpired term shall not be required to file a statement-of-candidacy form; require that the statement-of-candidacy form be prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118A.060 to require that the petition for nomination be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 119.015 to remove the term "falsely"; amend KRS 119.165, relating to the penalty of a Class B misdemeanor regarding voters who vote at a regular or special election before being a citizen; make technical corrections; amend KRS 132.017 to require that questions as to whether the property tax rate shall be levied shall be submitted to voters in a common school election not less than 50 days nor more than 60 days from the date the signatures are validated; require the school district holding the election to post bond with the Circuit Court to cover the costs of the election within 5 days after the petition is found to be sufficient; amend KRS 160.210 to prohibit changes in the boundary of any division after June 1 in the year in which a school board member is to be elected; amend various statutes to conform; repeal KRS 118.551, relating to the definition of political party; EMERGENCY.

Local MandateAttorney, Commonwealth'sCountiesCounty ClerksEducation, Elementary and SecondaryEffective Dates, EmergencyElections and VotingSecretary of StateState Agencies

Introduced: January 7, 2026

Last action: April 14, 2026

Delivered To Secretary Of State (Acts Ch. 175)
Read the full textKentucky LegislatureLegiScan

Legislative History

Jan 7, 2026 · House
Introduced In House
Jan 7, 2026 · House
To Committee On Committees (H)
Jan 14, 2026 · House
To Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)
Jan 29, 2026 · House
Reported Favorably, 1st Reading, To Calendar With Committee Substitute (1)
Jan 30, 2026 · House
2nd Reading, To Rules (clerical)
Feb 9, 2026 · House
Posted For Passage In The Regular Orders Of The Day For Tuesday, February 10 2026 (clerical)
Feb 18, 2026 · House
Floor Amendment (1) Filed To Committee Substitute (clerical)
Feb 19, 2026 · House
3rd Reading, Passed 92-1 With Committee Substitute (1) And Floor Amendment (1) (clerical)

Primary Sponsor

Portrait of Jennifer Henson Decker
Jennifer Henson Decker

Representative · House District 058

Primary sponsor
Jennifer.Decker@kylegislature.gov
BallotpediaOfficial profile

Co-sponsors (6)

Portrait of Nicolas Wilson
Nicolas Wilson

Representative · House District 082

Co-sponsor
nick.wilson@kylegislature.gov
Portrait of George Brown
George Brown

Representative · House District 077

Co-sponsor
George.Brown@kylegislature.gov
Portrait of Daniel Grossberg
Daniel Grossberg

Representative · House District 030

Co-sponsor
daniel.grossberg@kylegislature.gov
Portrait of John Hodgson
John Hodgson

Representative · House District 036

Co-sponsor
john.hodgson@kylegislature.gov
Portrait of DJ Johnson
DJ Johnson

Representative · House District 013

Co-sponsor
DJ.Johnson@kylegislature.gov
Portrait of T.J. Roberts
T.J. Roberts

Representative · House District 066

Co-sponsor
tj.roberts@kylegislature.gov

Roll calls

February 19, 2026

House: 3rd reading, passed 92-1 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)

Yea: 92
Nay: 1
LegiScan roll call
March 26, 2026

Senate: 3rd reading, passed 31-6 with Committee Substitute (1)

Yea: 31
Nay: 6
March 31, 2026

House: Passed 76-17

Yea: 76
Nay: 17
April 14, 2026

House floor vote

Yea: 80
Nay: 20
April 14, 2026

Senate floor vote

Yea: 32
Nay: 6