By Melissa PatrickKentucky Health News With just two days of the 2026 legislative session left before the veto recess, which runs from April 2 to April 13, the General Assembly will primarily focus on passing bills that are at risk of a veto from the governor so that they have an opportunity to ove rride them when they reconvene on April 14 and 15, the last two days of the session. They will also be passing some health-related bills, but will likely hold some of the less controversial ones for the last two days of the session. Here are some of the health-related bills that moved last week: Respiratory care – HB 36, sponsored by Rep. Steve Bratcher, R-Elizabethtown, would enter Kentucky into the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact (RCIC). This would allow licensed respiratory therapists in other member states to practice in Kentucky under compact privilege without compromising Kentucky’s standards. The bill passed out of the Senate Licensing Occupations Committee on March 24 with a committee substitute and a title amendment. It now resides in the Senate orders of the day. Physical therapy – HB 48, sponsored by Rep. Amy Neighbors, R-Edmonton, would modernize and streamline statutes governing Kentucky’s Board of Physical Therapy to improve clarity, readability, and understanding for both the public and licensed professionals. The bill passed out of the Senate, 38-0, on March 25 and was delivered to the governor on March 26 for final passage or veto.  Hearing aids – HB 164, sponsored by Rep. Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield, would increase the coverage amounts that health insurance plans provide for purchasing hearing aids and related services for minors. In addition to expanding coverage, the bill also establishes network adequacy requirements for the provision of hearing aids.  The bill passed out of the Senate, 38-0, on March 25 and was delivered to the governor for final passage or veto on March 26. Eating Disorders – HB 169, sponsored by Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville, calls on health insurance plans that provide behavioral or mental health care coverage to also provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of feeding or eating disorders. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee passed the bill on March 24. It now resides on the Senate’s consent calendar. Mental Health Care – HB 178, sponsored by Rep. Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, aims to support the psychiatric collaborative care model, allowing primary care providers, care managers and consulting psychiatrists to work together on a patient’s mental health care. The Senate Health Services Committee passed the bill on Wednesday, March 25. It now resides on the Senate’s consent calendar. Workplace violence — HB 188, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Jackson, R-Bowling Green, would expand the scope of assault in the third degree to include healthcare workers in jails, penitentiaries, and local or state correctional or detention facilities. The bill passed out of the Senate, 38-0, on March 25 and was delivered to the governor for final passage or veto on March 26.  Health care worker investment fund – HB  266, sponsored by Rep. Peyton Griffee, R-Mt. Washington, would include speech-language pathology or audiology licenses as eligible expenses in the health care worker investment fund, which was established during the 2023 Regular Session to alleviate Kentucky’s health care worker shortage through public-private partnerships. The bill passed out of the Senate, 38-0, on March 25 and was delivered to the governor for final passage or veto on March 26.  Veteran Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – HB 369, sponsored by Rep. Scott Sharp, R- Ashland, would create provisions in state law that make veterans eligible to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in response to post-traumatic stress disorder. The Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee passed the bill on Thursday, March 26. It now resides in the Senate on its consent calendar. Alzheimer’s disease — HB 393, sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Raymer, R-Morgantown, would, among other things, require the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) Advisory Council to select one action-oriented project each year that advances a priority of the Kentucky Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias State Plan to address Alzheimer’s disease. The bill passed out of the Senate, 38-0, on March 25 and was delivered to the governor for final passage or veto on March 26. Organ donation safety – HB 510, sponsored by House Majority Whip Jason Nemes of Middletown, would establish a standardized “pause in procedure” process that must be followed when concerns arise during organ procurement that could affect a patient’s medical status or eligibility. HB 510 would not conflict with existing end-of-life laws, interfere with federally designated organ procurement organizations, or discourage ethical organ donation. The bill passed out of the Senate, 38-0, on March 25 and was delivered to the governor for final passage or veto on March 26.  School-based medicaid program – HB 583, sponsored by Rep. Steve Riley, R-Glasgow, would help school districts recover Medicaid funding for medically necessary services that are provided by school nurses to Medicaid-enrolled students with parental consent. The bill passed out of the House, 86-0, with a floor amendment that addressed oral health services, on March 24. It now resides in the Senate for consideration. Health care worker background checks – HB 657, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Dietz, R-Edgewood, would mandate national and state criminal background checks for health care professionals, including social workers and therapists, seeking initial licensure or practicing via interstate compacts. The bill passed out of the Senate, 36-1, on March 24  and was signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear on March 27. Health data  – HB 676, also sponsored by Raymer, would establish the Kentucky statewide health data utility, which would integrate electronic health data from across care and service settings to support treatment, care coordination, quality improvement, and community and public health initiatives. The bill passed out of the Senate Health Services Committee on March 25 and now resides on the Senate consent calendar. Youth development – HB 686, also sponsored by Moser, would establish the Kentucky Positive Youth Development Commission and trust fund and would consist of any incoming social media settlements monies, in addition to state appropriations, gifts, grants and federal funds. These funds would be used to support the research and development of positive youth development programming for children and transition-age youth. The bill also establishes a Suicide Awareness and Reduction Network within the State Interagency Council. The bill passed out of the full House, 85-7, on March 27 with two floor amendments. The first amendment deals with appointments to the commission, and the second addresses litigation costs from money received from legal settlements with social media companies. The bill now resides in the Senate for consideration. Medicaid state-directed payment program – HB 689, also sponsored by Neighbors, would require the Department for Medicaid Services to seek authorization from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement a state-directed payment for physician and non-physician professional services provided to a Medicaid beneficiary by a qualifying hospital’s affiliated physician groups or physicians and other professionals employed or contracted by the qualified hospital. It would also require the Department of Medicaid Services to direct Medicaid managed care organizations to issue payments back to Jan. 1, upon federal approval. The bill passed out of the Senate Health Services Committee on March 25 and now resides on the Senate consent calendar. Kentucky-grown food in schools– Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray, would make it easier for Kentucky schools to purchase locally grown food for student meals. It seeks to lift some procurement requirements and better connect students with the agricultural economy. The bill passed out of the House, 92-0, with a committee substitute (1) that would attach an emergency clause to the bill and a title amendment. The Senate concurred with the change on March 24, and Beshear signed the bill into law on March 27. Podiatry – SB 18, sponsored by Sen. Craig Richardson, R-Hopkinsville, addresses issues of licensing and supervision of podiatrists. The bill passed out of the full House, 91-1, on March 26 with a floor amendment (1) and a title amendment. The change to the bill piggybacks a bill (HB 141) sponsored by Rep. Derek Lewis, R-London, that would create guidelines for the Department of Education to develop high-quality Type 1 diabetes informational materials for parents and guardians of students. The bill is posted for passage in the Senate for concurrence on the House floor amendments. Autism trust fund – SB 69, sponsored by Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, would create an autism spectrum disorder trust fund administered by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The fund could accept grants, appropriations and other types of contributions to support research and services. The bill passed out of the House, 93-0, with a committee substitute (1) on March 24. The change to the bill would not allow any donations to the fund through an income tax refund. The Senate concurred with the change, 38-0, on March 25, and the bill has been delivered to the governor’s desk for final passage or veto. Ibogaine Research – SB 77, sponsored by Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville, would create an ibogaine research and intellectual property fund to be administered by the Department of Agriculture. It would allow the department to partner with a drug developer to conduct clinical trials on using ibogaine to treat substance use disorders and other neurological and mental health conditions. The bill cleared the House Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection on Tuesday, March 24. It now resides in the House for consideration. Behavioral Health Conditional Dismissal Program pilot – SB 90, sponsored by Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, would extend this pilot project until Jan. 1, 2031. The pilot program began in 2023. It provides an alternative to incarceration by allowing eligible defendants to receive treatment for substance use and/or behavioral health disorders. The bill passed out of the House Appropriations Revenue Committee on March 25 with a committee substitute (1) and title amendment. The changes to the bill would, among other things, limit the number of participating counties and extend several of the existing reporting requirements. Prostheses and Orthoses Coverage – SB 97, sponsored by Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset, seeks to expand existing prosthetics and orthotics insurance coverage to include devices designed specifically for physical activity such as running, swimming or biking. The bill passed out of the House, 95-0, with a committee substitute (1) and a floor amendment (1) on March 27. The bill now resides in the Senate for concurrance or nonconcurrance. Physician assistants – Senate Bill 116, sponsored by Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, would update Kentucky statutes governing physician assistants (PAs) to allow health care teams to operate more efficiently while preserving physician supervision and oversight. The bill passed out of the House, 90-1, with a floor amendment (2), which allows credentialed PAs to sign completed driver vision testing forms. The bill now resides in the Senate for concurrance or nonconcurrance with the changes.  Medicaid oversight –  SB 173, sponsored by President Pro Tempore David Givens, R-Greensburg, would create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to define terms and establish an annual Medicaid state plan and Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program state plan legislative review process. The bill gained final passage on March 27, 74-16, and has been delivered to the governor’s desk for final passage or veto. Physician Shortages – Senate Joint Resolution 116, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, would direct the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University to coordinate in a search for actionable solutions to physician shortages and to explore and expand health care opportunities in medically underserved areas. The House Postsecondary Education Committee passed the bill on Tuesday, March 24; it is posted for passage in the House’s regular orders of the day. The post Some health-related bills await final passage, while others are still on the move appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less