AN ACT relating to the provision of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and declaring an emergency.

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1301
Page 1 of 3
XXXX 1/29/2026 12:22 PM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to the provision of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 1
Program and declaring an emergency. 2
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 3
Section 1. KRS 48.705 is amended to read as follows: 4
(1) A budget reserve trust fund account is hereby created in the general fund, pursuant 5
to KRS 45.305. The budget reserve trust fund account shall be funded through 6
direct appropriations, and surplus amounts as provided in subsection (2) of this 7
section. Money s in the account shall remain unallotted unless required by the 8
provisions of this section. 9
(2) (a) Each fiscal year, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, within 10
thirty (30) days of the end of the fiscal year, the secretary of the Finance and 11
Administration Cabinet shall cause to be deposited to the budget reserve trust 12
fund account the lesser of the following amounts: 13
1. Fifty percent (50%) of the general fund surplus; or 14
2. The amount necessary from the general fund surplus to make the 15
balance of the budget reserve trust fund account equal to five percent 16
(5%) of the actual general fund receipts collected during the fiscal year 17
just ended, as determined by the Finance and Administration Cabinet. 18
(b) Any amounts to be deposited to the budget reserve trust fund account from the 19
general fund surplus shall be determined after the surplus has been reduced by 20
the amount necessary to implement the provisions of any surplus expenditur e 21
plan authorized by KRS 48.140 and enacted as a part of a branch budget bill. 22
(3) If, at the close of any fiscal year, the budget reserve trust fund account has a balance 23
equal to or greater than five percent (5%) of the actual general fund receipts 24
collected during the fiscal year just ended, as determined by the Finance and 25
Administration Cabinet, the deposits required under subsection (2) of this section 26
shall be suspended for that year. 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1301
Page 2 of 3
XXXX 1/29/2026 12:22 PM Jacketed
(4) (a) Moneys in the budget reserve trust fund account may be app ropriated by the 1
General Assembly in a regular or special session. 2
(b) 1. If a lapse in federal appropriations occurs due to a shutdown of the 3
federal government or a temporary suspension in federal funding, the 4
Governor may authorize the limited use of th e moneys in the budget 5
reserve trust fund to provide for the continuity of the Supplemental 6
Nutrition Assistance Program. 7
2. Any moneys used under this paragraph shall be considered a 8
temporary loan and be repaid to the budget reserve trust fund from the 9
affected federal funding source within ninety (90) days of the 10
restoration of federal appropriations. 11
3. The Governor shall, within ten (10) days of authorizing the use of 12
moneys under this paragraph, notify the Legislative Research 13
Commission and the State Budget Director in a statement that 14
includes: 15
a. The amount of funds advanced; 16
b. The programs to which the funds were allocated; and 17
c. The anticipated source and timeline for repayment. 18
4. The Governor shall not authorize the use of more than five perce nt 19
(5%) of the total balance of the budget reserve trust fund without the 20
prior approval of the General Assembly. 21
(5) Before authorizing any allotments from the budget reserve trust fund account, the 22
secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet shal l notify in writing the 23
Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue. The notice shall include 24
the amount and purpose for the proposed allotment. 25
(6) Within thirty (30) days of the close of each fiscal year, the secretary of the Finance 26
and Admini stration Cabinet shall report to the Interim Joint Committee on 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1301
Page 3 of 3
XXXX 1/29/2026 12:22 PM Jacketed
Appropriations and Revenue the general fund receipts collected for the fiscal year 1
just ended, the balance of the budget reserve trust fund account, and any amounts 2
deposited to the budget res erve trust fund account pursuant to the provisions of 3
subsection (2) of this section. 4
(7) All sums appropriated or deposited to the budget reserve trust fund account shall 5
not lapse at the close of the fiscal year but shall carry forward into the next fisc al 6
year. 7
Section 2. Whereas the continuity of the SNAP program for citizens of the 8
Commonwealth is necessary during a lapse in federal appropriations, an emergency is 9
declared to exist, and this Act takes effect upon its passage and approval by the Governor 10
or upon its otherwise becoming a law. 11