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HB445 • 2026

AN ACT relating to a cost-of-living increase to the retirement benefits for retired state employees, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.

AN ACT relating to a cost-of-living increase to the retirement benefits for retired state employees, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.

Budget Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
E. Hancock
Last action
2026-01-29
Official status
01/29/26: to State Government (H)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT relating to a cost-of-living increase to the retirement benefits for retired state employees, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.

AN ACT relating to a cost-of-living increase to the retirement benefits for retired state employees, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.

What This Bill Does

  • AN ACT relating to a cost-of-living increase to the retirement benefits for retired state employees, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-29 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    to State Government (H)

  2. 2026-01-21 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    introduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)

Official Summary Text

AN ACT relating to a cost-of-living increase to the retirement benefits for retired state employees, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1811
Page 1 of 2
XXXX 1/16/2026 12:09 PM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to a cost -of-living increase to the retirement benefits for retired 1
state employees, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency. 2
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 3
Section 1. Notwithstanding any provision of KRS 61.691 to the contrary and 4
subject to limitations established by this section, there is hereby appropriated General 5
Fund moneys in the amount of $221,400,000 in fiscal year 2026 -2027 from the Budget 6
Reserve Trust Fund Account established by KRS 48.705 to the Kentucky Public Pensions 7
Authority to be applied to the Kentucky Employees Retirement Fund of the Kentucky 8
Employees Retirement System established by KRS 61.515 to prefund in fiscal year 2026 -9
2027 and effective J uly 1, 2026, a two percent increase in the monthly retirement 10
allowances paid from the Kentucky Employees Retirement System to each recipient for 11
service in a nonhazardous position. 12
Section 2. Notwithstanding any provis ion of KRS 61.691 to the contrary and 13
subject to limitations established by this section, there is hereby appropriated General 14
Fund moneys in the amount of $18,700,000 in fiscal year 2026 -2027 from the Budget 15
Reserve Trust Fund Account established by KRS 48.705 to the Kentucky Public Pensions 16
Authority to be applied to the Kentucky Employees Retirement Fund of the Kentucky 17
Employees Retirement System established by KRS 61.515 to prefund in fiscal year 2026 -18
2027 and effective July 1, 2026, a two percent incr ease in the monthly retirement 19
allowances paid from the Kentucky Employees Retirement System to each recipient for 20
service in a hazardous position as provided in KRS 61.592. 21
Section 3. Notwithstanding any provision of KR S 61.691 to the contrary and 22
subject to limitations established by this section, there is hereby appropriated General 23
Fund moneys in the amount of $16,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 -2027 from the Budget 24
Reserve Trust Fund Account established by KRS 48.705 to the Kentucky Public Pensions 25
Authority to be applied to the State Police Retirement Fund of the State Police 26
Retirement System established by KRS 16.510 to prefund in fiscal year 2026 -2027 and 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1811
Page 2 of 2
XXXX 1/16/2026 12:09 PM Jacketed
effective July 1, 2026, a two percent increase in the monthly r etirement allowances paid 1
from the State Police Retirement System to each recipient. 2
Section 4. Whereas retired members and beneficiaries of the Kentucky 3
Employees Retirement System and the State Police Retirement System have not received 4
a cost-of-living adjustment to their retirement allowances since fiscal year 2011 -2012, an 5
emergency is declared to exist, and this Act takes effect upon its passage and approval by 6
the Governor or upon its otherwise becoming a law. 7