Week 2 Recap: General Assembly 2026
This week completed “day 9” of the 60-day General Assembly. Since we are still early in the session, lawmakers have been re-filing many bills that had momentum, but did not ultimately pass. So many of the new bills added to our list this week may sound a bit familiar!
And since we are still early in the session, some key committees have yet to meet. For example, the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee is one which KCC regularly monitors, however they have not yet held their first meeting. However the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee did hold their first meeting this past week to expedite two bills on waste management, including SB29 (Oppose) and SB49 (Support). Both of these bills were filed by Senator Greg Elkins, who is also the CEO of Central Kentucky Hauling.
KCC supports the intent of SB49 which is focused on proper waste disposal of “covered batteries” and we will be working on an education campaign to help the public understand the risks involved with the disposal of these batteries. Examples of a “covered battery-embedded product” would be any battery that is not designed for easy removal such as a smartphone, smartwatch, vapes, and other non-removable batteries. These kinds of batteries can create hazards in waste streams and special care is involved to ensure they do not create fire hazards, chemical leaks, or explosions when crushed in waste compactors. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has detailed educational information about fire risks with Lithium-Ion batteries and small devices.
Other Bill Highlights
We were excited to see re-filings of bills to address the issue of utility disconnections during extreme weather events. Most states in the U.S. have utility disconnection laws, and we have been working on this issue for several sessions now as part of a collaborative, Kentuckians for Energy Democracy (K4ED.org). We are even more pleased with the fact that this year’s disconnection bills are showing bipartisan interest, with Republican Representative Susan Witten filing HB377 in the House and Senator Cassie Chambers Armstrong filing SB88 in the Senate. KCC strongly supports both of these bills so make your calls to the legislative message line 1-800-372-7181 (Monday-Friday 7AM-6PM) to express your views on these bills in support. (You may also email your legislators if the phone lines are closed for the Martin Luther King Holiday)
AND…. watch this space for an upcoming “Disconnections Lobby Day” announcement with the coalition in February!
We were also pleased to see a re-file of Outdoor Recreation bill HB371 (M. Whitaker) although we believe the bill still needs some work. While we support the intent of the bill, (basically the same as last year’s attempt to create an Office of Outdoor Recreation) we believe it raises questions as to where such a proposed office should be housed and how it would coordinate with other state initiatives. Regardless, we support the intent and will be working to discuss these issues with the sponsor.
Our Full Schedule: KCC Legislative Summit 2026
DON’T MISS IT! Still time to register- but act NOW! Registration Page Here! We want to thank everyone who has registered for KCC’s annual Legislative Summit— we will be excited to see you— hopefully in-person so that you can network with old and new faces, but we are also offering a virtual option for the conference for your convenience as well. We have updates to the schedule which you can find on our Legislative Summit 2026 webpage here. We will be featuring:
An Overview of the state budget
An Overview of land conservation funding
Nature-based solutions for addressing climate impacts
Energy updates (including the emerging nuclear industry)
Community stories on the impact of Data Center projects
How to be a more effective Citizen Advocate
And most importantly — A “deep dive” on important environmental bills filed to date and actions YOU can take!