AN ACT making appropriations for the operations, maintenance, and support of the Legislative Branch of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

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AN ACT making appropriations for the operations, maintenance, and support of the 1
Legislative Branch of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 2
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 3
Section 1. The Legislative Branch Budget is as follows: 4
PART I 5
OPERATING BUDGET 6
Funds Appropriations: Funds are appropriated to the Legislative Research 7
Commission for the Legislative Branch of government out of the General Fund and 8
Restricted Funds accounts for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 9
2027, and for the fiscal year begin ning July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2028, in the 10
following discrete sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary. Each appropriation is 11
made by the source of respective fund or funds accounts to be used for the purposes of 12
the Legislative Branch of government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 13
A. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH 14
Budget Units 15
2026-27 2027-28 16
1. General Assembly 17
General Fund 23,902,900 25,910,000 18
Restricted Funds 75,000 175,000 19
TOTAL 23,977,900 26,085,000 20
(1) Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission: Included in the above General 21
Fund appropriation is $567,700 in each fiscal year of the 2026 -2028 fiscal biennium for 22
the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission. Included in the above Restricted Funds 23
appropriation is $75,000 in fiscal year 2026 -2027 and $175,000 in fiscal year 2027 -2028 24
for the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission. 25
(2) Kentucky Long -Term Policy Research Center: Notwithstanding KRS 26
7B.010 to 7B.090, operation of the Kentucky Long -Term Policy Research Center and its 27
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governing board shall continue to be suspended effective July 1, 2026, and shall remain 1
suspended for the 2026 -2028 fiscal biennium or until funding is restored. No funds are 2
appropriated for the Kentucky Long -Term Policy Research Center f or fiscal year 2026 -3
2027 and fiscal year 2027-2028. 4
(3) Pension Benefit Increase: Notwithstanding KRS 6.521(3), no pension 5
benefit increase shall be granted to recipients of a retirement allowance under KRS 6.500 6
to 6.577 on July 1, 2026. 7
(4) Legislators Compensation: Notwithstanding KRS 6.190 and 6.213, the daily 8
compensation provided by KRS 6.190 and the interim expense allowance provided by 9
KRS 6.213 for members of the General Assembly shall be as authorized by the 2024 -10
2026 biennium and shall continue as adjusted on January 1, 2027, by the salary increment 11
provided to state employees in the State/Executive Branch Budget. 12
2026-27 2027-28 13
2. Legislative Research Commission 14
General Fund 65,767,600 67,701,400 15
(1) Legislative Record: Notwithstanding KR S 7.105, distribution of the final 16
issue of the Legislative Record and the interim Legislative Record shall be suspended 17
effective July 1, 2026. 18
(2) Legislative Publications: Notwithstanding KRS Chapters 27A and 57, the 19
Acts of the General Assembly, the Jo urnals of the Senate and House of Representatives, 20
and the official Kentucky statute publications may be distributed by use of electronic 21
versions only, at the discretion of the Director of the Legislative Research Commission. 22
TOTAL - OPERATING BUDGET 23
2026-27 2027-28 24
General Fund 89,670,500 93,611,400 25
Restricted Funds 75,000 175,000 26
TOTAL 89,745,500 93,786,400 27
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Unexpended Balance: Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, any unexpended balance 1
remaining at the close of fiscal year 2025 -2026 shall not lapse bu t shall continue into 2
fiscal year 2026 -2027, and any unexpended balance in any succeeding fiscal year shall 3
not lapse but shall continue into the following fiscal year. 4
TOTAL - LEGISLATIVE BRANCH BUDGET 5
2026-27 2027-28 6
General Fund 89,670,500 93,611,400 7
Restricted Funds 75,000 175,000 8
TOTAL 89,745,500 93,786,400 9
PART II 10
GENERAL PROVISIONS 11
1. Expenditure Authority: The Director of the Legisl ative Research 12
Commission, under the supervision of the Legislative Research Commission, may expend 13
any of the funds appropriated for legislative operation and administration in any lawful 14
manner and for any legal purpose consistent with the policies and p ractices of the 15
Commission. No executive agency or statute governing the executive agencies of state 16
government shall have the power to restrict or limit the actions of, or the expenditure of 17
funds appropriated to, the Legislative Research Commission for the Legislative Branch of 18
government. 19
2. Capitol and Capitol Annex Capital Construction Expenditures: Any 20
expenditure authorized by the Director of the Legislative Research Commission, under 21
the supervision of the Legislative Research Commission, relating t o implementation of 22
KRS 56.463(4)(b), or relating to the Capitol Building, and funded by previous or current 23
appropriations to the Legislative Research Commission for the Legislative Branch of 24
government shall not be governed by KRS 7A.010, 7A.120, 45.750 to 45.810, 25
48.010(16), 48.020, and 48.110. 26
3. Severability of Budget Provisions: Appropriation items and sums in this Act 27
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conform to KRS 48.311. If any section, any subsection, or any provision thereof shall be 1
invalid or unconstitutional, the decision of the courts shall not affect or impair any of the 2
remaining sections, subsections, or provisions. 3
4. Duplicate Appropriation: Any appropriation item and sum in this Act and in 4
an appropriation provision in another Act of the 2026 Regular Session of the Gene ral 5
Assembly which constitutes a duplicate appropriation shall be governed by KRS 48.312. 6
5. Priority of Individual Appropriations: KRS 48.313 shall control when a 7
total or subtotal figure in this Act conflicts with the sum of the appropriations of which i t 8
consists. 9
6. Appropriations Revisions: Proposed revisions to Restricted Funds 10
appropriations in this Act shall be made and reported pursuant to KRS 48.630(10). 11
7. Allowance in Lieu of Stationery: Notwithstanding KRS 6.220, in lieu of 12
stationery, there sh all be allowed to each member of the House of Representatives the 13
sum of $350 and to each member of the Senate the sum of $650. This allowance shall be 14
paid out of the State Treasury at the beginning of each legislative session. 15
8. Salary Adjustments: In e ach fiscal year, employees of the Legislative 16
Research Commission shall receive a salary adjustment in accordance with the salary 17
adjustment provided to state employees in the State/Executive Branch Budget. 18
9. Administrative Expenses: Pursuant to KRS 21.54 0, administrative expenses 19
shall be paid out of an administrative account which shall be funded by transfers of the 20
necessary moneys, in appropriate ratio, from the funds provided for in KRS 21.550 and 21
21.560. 22
PART III 23
BUDGET REDUCTION OR SURPLUS EXPENDITURE PLAN 24
The Legislative Branch shall participate in any Budget Reduction Plan or Surplus 25
Expenditure Plan in accordance with KRS Chapter 48, except that obligations essential to 26
the constitutional duties of the Legislative Branch shall be exempt from any B udget 27
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Reduction Plan. The level of participation in a Budget Reduction Plan shall be at the 1
discretion of the Director and shall not exceed the actual percentage of revenue shortfall. 2