AN ACT relating to robotics.

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AN ACT relating to robotics. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 158 IS CREATED TO 3
READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) As used in this section: 5
(a) "Advanced manufacturing" means the development of a robot beyond its 6
prefabricated components through student -driven design, fabrication, 7
fundamental additive and subtractive manufacturing, or the integration of 8
custom manufactured parts for the purpose of a robotics competition; 9
(b) "Committee" means the Robotics Funding Selection Committee established 10
in subsection (3) of this section; 11
(c) "Competition sponsor" means a qualified robotics organization that is the 12
primary facilitator of a robotics competition, but does not include a 13
qualified robotics organization that solely supplies the facility where a 14
robotics competition is to be hosted; 15
(d) "Eligible robotics team" means a Kentucky -based robotics team that 16
includes: 17
1. Team members who are all: 18
a. Students in grades seven (7) to twelve (12); and 19
b. Either: 20
i. Enrolled in an eligible school; or 21
ii. Are members of a qualified robotics organization; and 22
2. Two (2) or more team coaches; 23
(e) "Eligible school" means a: 24
1. Kentucky public school, including a public charter school; or 25
2. Nonpublic school certified by the Kentucky Board of Education in 26
accordance with KRS 156.160(2); 27
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(f) "Fund" means the robotics competition fund established in subsection (2) 1
of this section; 2
(g) "Qualified robotics organization" means a nonprofit organization that has: 3
1. Received tax -exempt status from the United States Internal Revenue 4
Service; 5
2. Registered with the Kentucky Secretary of State; 6
3. An organizational purpose of encouraging young people to develop an 7
interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and 8
4. A history of involvement with robotics competitions as an eligible 9
robotics team or a competition sponsor; 10
(h) "Robotics competition" means a competition or event in Kentucky that: 11
1. Requires participating robotics teams to use or significantly integrate 12
advanced manufacturing; 13
2. Provides competition opportunities between robotics teams; and 14
3. Is facilitated by a competition sponsor; 15
(i) "Robotics team" means a Kentucky -based student team organized for 16
project-based advanced manufacturing; and 17
(j) "Team coach" means an adult who is: 18
1. a. An employee of an eligible school; or 19
b. A mentor or coach for a qualified robotics organization; 20
2. Designated by an eligible school or qualified robotics organization to 21
manage a robotics team; and 22
3. Verified by the team coach's eligible school or qualified robotics 23
organization to have, within the past three (3) years, submitted to a 24
national and state criminal background check by the Department of 25
Kentucky State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have a 26
clear CA/N check as defined in KRS 160.380, and does not meet any 27
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disqualifying factor under KRS 160.380(5). 1
(2) (a) There is hereby established in the State Treasury a trust and agency 2
account to be known as the robotics competition fund, which shall consist of 3
moneys received from state appropriations, gifts, grants, federal funds, and 4
any other funds both public and private. 5
(b) The State Treasurer shall invest the fund as all other state funds are 6
invested and income from investment of the fund shall be credited to the 7
fund. 8
(c) The fund shall be attached to the Kentucky Department of Education for 9
administrative and reporting purposes. 10
(d) As funds are available, amounts deposited in the fund shall be used as 11
follows: 12
1. Awarding gra nts to eligible robotics teams to develop and implement 13
competitive robotics designs for robotics competitions approved by the 14
committee to provide the following: 15
a. Payment of a stipend for one (1) or more team coach; 16
b. Fees, kits, and supplies required to establish or maintain an 17
eligible robotics team and participate in a robotics competition; 18
c. Expenses associated with attendance at a robotics competition; 19
and 20
d. Other expenses deemed necessary by the committee to be 21
necessary for use by an eligible robotics team; 22
2. Awarding grants to competition sponsors for robotics competitions 23
approved by the committee to provide the following: 24
a. Infrastructure necessary for a robotics competition; 25
b. Operational costs of a robotics competition; and 26
c. Other expe nses directly associated with the administration of a 27
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robotics competition being facilitated by the competition sponsor; 1
and 2
3. Paying the administrative costs of the department in carrying out this 3
section, not to exceed five percent (5%) of available fun ds or seventy-4
five thousand dollars ($75,000), whichever is less, each fiscal year. 5
(e) Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, fund amounts not expended at the close of a 6
fiscal year shall not lapse but shall be carried forward into the next fiscal 7
year. 8
(3) (a) The Robotics Funding Selection Committee is hereby established for the 9
purpose of awarding and establishing requirements for grants from the 10
fund to eligible robotics teams and competition sponsors to expand 11
opportunities, increase interest, and improve skills in science, technology, 12
engineering, and mathematics through robotics competitions that: 13
1. Provide hands-on learning experiences; 14
2. Establish community partnerships to increase awareness of local 15
workforce and postsecondary opportunities; 16
3. Highlight career opportunities through adult mentors; and 17
4. Prioritize a connection to advanced manufacturing skills for students 18
in grades nine (9) to twelve (12). 19
(b) The committee shall be composed of the following five (5) voting members: 20
1. One (1) representati ve of the Council on Postsecondary Education 21
appointed by the president of the council; 22
2. One (1) representative of the Kentucky Community and Technical 23
College System appointed by the president of the system; 24
3. One (1) representative of the Kentucky Wor kforce Innovation Board 25
appointed by the chair of the board; 26
4. One (1) representative of the Office of Career and Technical 27
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Education appointed by the commissioner of education; and 1
5. One (1) representative of the Kentucky Science and Technology 2
Corporation appointed by the president of the Kentucky Science and 3
Technology Corporation. 4
(c) 1. The chair and vice chair of the committee shall be elected annually by 5
the members of the committee. 6
2. Except for initial appointments, appointments shall be for three (3) 7
year terms or until successors are duly appointed. Vacanc ies in the 8
composition of the committee shall be filled in the same manner as 9
original appointments. Appointments to fill vacancies occurring 10
before the expiration of a term shall be for the remainder of the 11
unexpired term. 12
(d) By April 1, 2027, the depart ment shall, based on recommendations from the 13
committee, promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS 14
Chapter 13A to establish procedures to receive and review grant 15
applications and requirements to award grants to eligible robotics teams 16
and competition sponsors for allowable expenses. The administrative 17
regulations shall include: 18
1. An approval process for robotics competitions. A list of approved 19
robotics competitions shall be posted on the department's website at 20
least thirty (30) days prior to the opening of the application period; 21
2. A grant application for eligible robotics teams and competition 22
sponsors; 23
3. Application selection criteria based on the required application 24
elements for an eligible robotics team under subsection (4) of t his 25
section and for competition sponsors under subsection (5) of this 26
section; 27
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4. An established maximum grant award allotment for an eligible 1
robotics team; 2
5. An established maximum grant award allotment for a competition 3
sponsor, which shall not exceed two hundred thousand dollars 4
($200,000) during a five (5) year period; 5
6. An annual application timeline which shall include a period of ninety 6
(90) days during which the committee shall accept grant applications; 7
7. A safety policy that ensures the safety of all attendees of a robotics 8
competition to include: 9
a. A prohibition against robot designs or robotics competition 10
activities that present an unreasonable risk of injury, except 11
when comprehensive safety controls and containment measures 12
are established for those activities; 13
b. Safeguards to prevent bodily injury for any person who attends a 14
robotics competition; 15
c. A requirement for competition sponsors to provide a facility -16
specific emergency action plan for a robotics competition; and 17
d. A requiremen t for competition sponsors to carry adequate 18
liability insurance against negligence in such amount as the 19
committee determines is adequate. The insurance shall be issued 20
by an insurance company authorized to transact business in this 21
state and shall bind t he company to pay any final judgment, not 22
to exceed the limits of the policy, rendered against the insured 23
for loss or damage to property, personal injury, or death 24
resulting from a robotics competition; and 25
8. Conditions for a grant award agreement betwee n the committee and 26
an eligible robotics team or competition sponsor and consequences for 27
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failure to meet the conditions of the agreement. An award shall not be 1
disbursed without having first an agreement signed by both parties 2
that complies with this paragraph. 3
(e) The committee shall award grants in a manner that prioritizes: 4
1. Maximizing the number of eligible robotics teams to receive funds, 5
with an emphasis on increasing the number of eligible robotics teams 6
that include high school students; and 7
2. Expanding the geographic distribution of eligible robotics teams. 8
(f) The committee shall be attached to the Kentucky Department of Education 9
for administrative and reporting purposes. 10
(4) The grant application for an eligible robotics team shall contain the following: 11
(a) Identification of eligible robotics team membership, team coaches, and the 12
grade level of eligible robotics team members; 13
(b) A statement of need; 14
(c) Eligible robotics team history, including previous participation in a robotics 15
competition, if any; 16
(d) A financial strategy and budget detailing the proposed use of the requested 17
funds; 18
(e) Registration for an approved robotics competition, including level and 19
complexity, and a commitment by the eligible robotics team to participate in 20
all robotics competitions for which it is registered or assigned, except in 21
instances when circumstances bey ond the reasonable control of the eligible 22
robotics team prevent participation; 23
(f) Proof of at least a twenty -five percent (25%) match of the total grant 24
amount requested, which may consist of monetary or in-kind contributions; 25
(g) A commitment to creatin g an original, iteratively designed robot that 26
incorporates features of advanced manufacturing aligned with the 27
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manufacturing industry's best practices; 1
(h) A letter of endorsement for the eligible robotics team from the eligible 2
school in which the studen ts are enrolled in or the qualified robotics 3
organization in which the students are members; and 4
(i) An attestation to abide by the safety policy established in subsection (3)(d)7. 5
of this section. 6
(5) The grant application for a competition sponsor for pu rposes of facilitating a 7
robotics competition shall include: 8
(a) A statement of need for the robotics competition, including level and 9
complexity of competition; 10
(b) The competition sponsor's history of hosting robotics competitions, if any; 11
(c) Proof of t he competition sponsor's prioritization of advanced 12
manufacturing; 13
(d) A financial strategy and budget for the robotics competition in which the 14
competition sponsor is requesting funds describing the proposed use of the 15
requested funds; 16
(e) Proof of at lea st a twenty -five percent (25%) match of the total grant 17
amount requested, which may consist of monetary or in-kind contributions; 18
(f) An accommodation plan for a robotics competition that complies with the 19
requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Ac t of 1990, 42 U.S.C. sec. 20
12101 et seq., as amended; and 21
(g) An attestation to abide by the safety policy established in subsection (3)(d)7. 22
of this section. 23
(6) An eligible school or qualified robotics organization shall not restrict or withhold 24
a stipend designated for a team coach who is designated to receive funds in 25
accordance with the grant award agreement established in subsection (3)(d)8. of 26
this section. 27
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(7) By August 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the department shall report to the 1
Legislative Research Commission for referral to the appropriate interim joint 2
committees the income and expenditures of the fund for the immediately 3
preceding state fiscal year, including the number of: 4
(a) Eligible robotics teams awarded, including the grade levels o f participating 5
students, from the fund; 6
(b) Competition sponsors awarded from the fund; and 7
(c) Robotics competitions facilitated with awards from the fund, including the 8
total number of students and robotics teams that attended each robotics 9
competition. 10
Section 2. (1) Initial appointments of members to the Robotics Funding 11
Selection Committee under subsection (3)(b) of Section 1 of this Act shall be made and 12
submitted to the Department of Education by September 1, 202 6, and shall be staggered 13
as follows: 14
(a) Members appointed under subsection (3)(b)1. and 2. shall serve three -year 15
terms; 16
(b) Members appointed under subsection (3)(b)3. and 4. shall serve two -year 17
terms; and 18
(c) The member appointed under subsection (3)(b)5. shall serve a one-year term. 19
Following initial appointments, all members shall serve three -year terms in 20
accordance with subsection (3)(c)2. of Section 1 of this Act. 21
(2) The committee shall hold its first meeting no later than October 15, 2026, at 22
which the committee shall elect from its members a chair and a vice chair. 23
Section 3. This Act may be cited as the Advanced Manufacturing Through 24
Robotics Education Act. 25