HB526 • 2026

AN ACT relating to members of the bar.

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: S. Doan
Last action: 2026-02-17
Official status: 02/17/26: to Committee on Committees (S)
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 members of the bar.

What This Bill Does

AN ACT relating to members of the bar.

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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HCS1

House Committee Substitute 1

Retain original provisions; declare that the United States and Kentucky Constitutions protect individual freedoms, including the right to refrain from compelled speech or compelled association; state that the General Assembly finds that requiring membership or dues for a professional association as a condition for holding a professional or occupational license compels association and financial support; prohibit a member of the bar from being required to conduct activities with a professional association to practice law.

Plain English: UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 526/HCS 1 Page 1 of 3 HB052630.100 - 1831 - XXXX 2/11/2026 10:35 AM House Committee Substitute AN ACT relating to members of the bar.

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 526/HCS 1 Page 1 of 3 HB052630.100 - 1831 - XXXX 2/11/2026 10:35 AM House Committee Substitute AN ACT relating to members of the bar.
1 WHEREAS, Section 1 of the Constitution of Kentucky recognizes the inherent and 2 inalienable rights of individuals, including the right of acquiring and protecting property 3 and pursuing a lawful occupation; and 4 WHEREAS, Section 8 of the Constitution of Kentucky and the First Amendment to 5 the Constitution of the United States protect the fr eedoms of speech and association, 6 including the right to refrain from compelled speech or compelled association; and 7 WHEREAS, the General Assembly finds that requiring membership in, or the 8 payment of dues to, a private association as a condition of holdin g a professional or 9 occupational license similarly compels association and financial support as a prerequisite 10 to engaging in lawful work; and 11 WHEREAS, licensing by the Commonwealth exists to protect public health, safety, 12 and welfare through objective sta ndards of education, competency, and ethical conduct, 13 and not to compel participation in or financial support of private organizations; and 14 WHEREAS, conditioning licensure on association membership or dues imposes 15 unnecessary financial burdens on licensees , creates barriers to entry into lawful 16 professions, and conflicts with the Commonwealth’s public policy favoring individual 17 economic liberty and voluntary association; and 18 WHEREAS, it is therefore the purpose of this Act to ensure that no member of the 19 bar is required, directly or indirectly, to join, maintain membership in, or financially 20 support any association as a condition of obtaining, renewing, reinstating, or holding a 21 license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky; 22 NOW, THEREFORE, 23 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 24 SECTION 1.
A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 21A IS CREATED TO 25 READ AS FOLLOWS: 26 (1) The Supreme Court has power to provide for the organization, governance, and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 526/HCS 1 Page 2 of 3 HB052630.100 - 1831 - XXXX 2/11/2026 10:35 AM House Committee Substitute membership of the bar of Kentucky, and to adopt rules and regulations to govern 1 the conduct and activity of the bar and its members, except that no member of the 2 bar, without the member's annual written consent, shall be required to join or pay 3 membership dues to any association or entity beyond payment of fees required to 4 support the costs associated with: 5 (a) Admission to the bar; and 6 (b) Discipline of members of the bar.
7 (2) For purposes of this section, a member of the bar is any attorney licensed to 8 practice law in Kentucky.

HFA1

House Floor Amendment 1 • L. Burke

Retain original provisions except establish that a member of the bar shall not have access to free services or continuing legal education programs provided by the Kentucky Bar Association; establish a requirement for increased professional liability insurance coverage for those members who have paid membership dues limited to the costs associated with admission to the bar and the discipline of members of the bar.

Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of HB 526/HCS 1 Amendment No.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of HB 526/HCS 1 Amendment No.
HFA Rep.
Rep.
Lindsey Burke Committee Amendment Signed: Floor Amendment LRC Drafter: Adopted: Date: Rejected: Doc.

HFA2

House Floor Amendment 2 • S. Doan

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2027.

Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of HB 526/HCS 1 Amendment No.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of HB 526/HCS 1 Amendment No.
HFA Rep.
Rep.
Steven Doan Committee Amendment Signed: Floor Amendment LRC Drafter: Adopted: Date: Rejected: Doc.

HFA3

House Floor Amendment 3 • S. Doan

Delete original provisions; declare that the United States and Kentucky Constitutions protect individual freedoms, including the right to refrain from compelled speech or compelled association; state that the General Assembly finds that requiring membership or dues for a professional association as a condition for holding a professional or occupational license compels association and financial support; prohibit a member of the bar from being required to conduct activities with a professional association to practice law; create a new section of KRS Chapter 21A to establish parameters for compulsory dues for members of the bar; define who is a member of the bar for purposes of the section; amend KRS 21A.300 and 21A.310 to conform; repeal KRS 21A.160, relating to organization and control of the State bar being vested in the Supreme Court; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2027.

Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of HB 526 Amendment No.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of HB 526 Amendment No.
HFA 3 Rep.
Rep.
Steven Doan Committee Amendment Signed: Floor Amendment LRC Drafter: Adopted: Date: Rejected: Doc.

HFA4

House Floor Amendment 4 • L. Burke

Retain original provisions, except establish that a member of the bar shall not have access to free services or continuing legal education programs provided by the Kentucky Bar Association; establish a requirement for increased professional liability insurance coverage for those members who have paid membership dues limited to the costs associated with admission to the bar and the discipline of members of the bar.

Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of HB 526 Amendment No.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of HB 526 Amendment No.
HFA 4 Rep.
Rep.
Lindsey Burke Committee Amendment Signed: Floor Amendment LRC Drafter: Adopted: Date: Rejected: Doc.

Bill History

2026-02-17 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
received in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
2026-02-13 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
floor amendment (4) filed 3rd reading, passed 70-21 with Floor Amendment (3)
2026-02-12 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
2nd reading, to Rules floor amendment (2) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendment (3) filed to bill posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, February 13 2026
2026-02-11 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
2026-02-06 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
reassigned to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
2026-02-05 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
to Judiciary (H)
2026-01-29 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
introduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)

Official Summary Text

AN ACT relating to members of the bar.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 526/GA
Page 1 of 3
HB052610.100 - 1831 - XXXX 2/13/2026 9:48 AM GA
AN ACT relating to members of the bar. 1
WHEREAS, Section 1 of the Constitution of Kentucky recognizes the inherent and 2
inalienable rights of individ uals, including the right of acquiring and protecting property 3
and pursuing a lawful occupation; and 4
WHEREAS, Section 8 of the Constitution of Kentucky and the First Amendment to 5
the Constitution of the United States protect the freedoms of speech and asso ciation, 6
including the right to refrain from compelled speech or compelled association; and 7
WHEREAS, the General Assembly finds that requiring membership in, or the 8
payment of dues to, a private association as a condition of holding a professional or 9
occupational license similarly compels association and financial support as a prerequisite 10
to engaging in lawful work; and 11
WHEREAS, licensing by the Commonwealth exists to protect public health, safety, 12
and welfare through objective standards of education, comp etency, and ethical conduct, 13
and not to compel participation in or financial support of private organizations; and 14
WHEREAS, conditioning licensure on association membership or dues imposes 15
unnecessary financial burdens on licensees, creates barriers to ent ry into lawful 16
professions, and conflicts with the Commonwealth’s public policy favoring individual 17
economic liberty and voluntary association; and 18
WHEREAS, it is therefore the purpose of this Act to ensure that no member of the 19
bar is required, directly o r indirectly, to join, maintain membership in, or financially 20
support any association as a condition of obtaining, renewing, reinstating, or holding a 21
license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky; 22
NOW, THEREFORE, 23
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 24
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 21A IS CREATED TO 25
READ AS FOLLOWS: 26
(1) The Supreme Court has power to provide for the organization, governance, and 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 526/GA
Page 2 of 3
HB052610.100 - 1831 - XXXX 2/13/2026 9:48 AM GA
membership of the bar of Kentucky, and to adopt rules and regulations to govern 1
the conduct and activity of the bar and its members, except that no member of the 2
bar, without the member's annual written consent, shall be required to join or pay 3
membership dues to any association or entity beyond payment of fees required to 4
support the costs associated with: 5
(a) Admission to the bar; and 6
(b) Discipline of members of the bar. 7
(2) For purposes of this section, a member of the bar is any attorney licensed to 8
practice law in Kentucky. 9
Section 2. KRS 21A.300 is amended to read as follows: 10
(1) Notwithstanding Section 1 of this Act [KRS 21A.160] , for a per iod of thirty (30) 11
days following the filing of a criminal or civil action, or claim for damages, or a 12
traffic citation, injury, accident, or disaster, an attorney or an attorney referral 13
service[ shall be subject to the following prohibition. An attorney or an attorney 14
referral service] shall not directly solicit, or knowingly permit another person to 15
directly solicit on[ his or its] behalf of the attorney or the attorney referral service , 16
a victim of the accident or disaster, or a relative of the victim, for the purpose of 17
obtaining professional employment relating to a criminal or civil action [,] or claim 18
for damages[,] arising out of the traffic citation, injury, accident, or disaster. 19
(2) Notwithstanding Section 1 of this Act [KRS 21A.160] , an attorney s hall not 20
knowingly accept a referral from an attorney referral service when that referral has 21
resulted from the attorney referral service violating the prohibition established in 22
subsection (1) of this section. 23
Section 3. KRS 21A.310 is amended to read as follows: 24
[(1) ]Notwithstanding Section 1 of this Act [KRS 21A.160] , any person violating any 25
provision of KRS 21A.300: 26
(1) Shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor; and[.] 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HB 526/GA
Page 3 of 3
HB052610.100 - 1831 - XXXX 2/13/2026 9:48 AM GA
(2) [The Kentucky Supreme Court ]May be disciplined by the Kentucky Supreme 1
Court[discipline any attorney who violates any provision of KRS 21A.300. 2
(3) A penalty may be imposed on an attorney pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, 3
subsection (2) of this section, or both subsections]. 4
Section 4. The following KRS section is repealed: 5
21A.160 Organization and control of state bar vested in Supreme Court. 6
Section 5. Sections 1 to 4 of this Act take effect July 1, 2027. 7