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SB129 • 2026

AN ACT relating to unemployment insurance.

AN ACT relating to unemployment insurance.

Labor Technology
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
M. Nemes
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
04/17/26: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 188)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how long the reduced rates will continue or what happens if conditions change.

Unemployment Insurance Technology Fund Act

This act creates a special fund to support technology upgrades for unemployment insurance programs and adjusts rates based on certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the service capacity upgrade fund within the State Treasury to support technology upgrades, program integrity functions, and service delivery improvements for unemployment insurance programs.
  • Requires that any expenditure from this fund be coordinated with the Commonwealth Office of Technology and approved by the chief information officer.
  • Establishes rules for investing money in the fund and converting assets into cash when needed.
  • Adjusts unemployment insurance rates by reducing them by 0.075% if certain conditions are met, and further reduces them to a maximum of 0.025% starting January 1, 2027.
  • Requires employers to contribute to the service capacity upgrade fund based on reduced rates and taxable wages.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Unemployment insurance program administrators
  • Employers who pay into unemployment insurance funds

Terms To Know

Service Capacity Upgrade Fund
A special fund created to support technology upgrades and improvements for the Office of Unemployment Insurance.
Program Integrity Functions
Activities that ensure the accuracy, reliability, and effectiveness of unemployment insurance programs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify how long the reduced rates will continue or what happens if conditions change.
  • The exact amount employers must contribute to the fund is determined annually by the secretary.

Amendments

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

HFA1

House Floor Amendment 1 • C. Massaroni

Retain orginal provisions; amend KRS 341.350 to eliminate the 1 week waiting period for unemployment benefits; amend KRS 341.090 to conform.

Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129/GA Amendment No.

  • HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129/GA Amendment No.
  • HFA 1 Rep.
  • Rep.
  • Candy Massaroni Committee Amendment Signed: Floor Amendment LRC Drafter: Adopted: Date: Rejected: Doc.
HFA2

House Floor Amendment 2 • J. Decker

Retain original provisions, except amend KRS 196.026, relating to organizational units of the Department of Corrections, to establish the Division of Central Kentucky Medical Correctional Complex within the Department of Corrections Office of Adult Institutions; EMERGENCY.

Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129/GA Amendment No.

  • HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129/GA Amendment No.
  • HFA Rep.
  • Rep.
  • Jennifer Decker Committee Amendment Signed: Floor Amendment LRC Drafter: Adopted: Date: Rejected: Doc.
HFA3

House Floor Amendment 3 • J. Decker

Make title amendment; EMERGENCY.

Plain English: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129/GA TITLE AMENDMENT Amendment No.

  • HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129/GA TITLE AMENDMENT Amendment No.
  • TITLE Rep.
  • Rep.
  • Jennifer Decker Committee Amendment Signed: Floor Amendment LRC Drafter: Adopted: Date: Rejected: Doc.
SFA1

Senate Floor Amendment 1 • M. Nemes

Retain original provisions; amend KRS 341.243 to require the Secretary for the Education and Labor Cabinet to annually set the adjustment percentage to be effective January 1 of the subsequent year, not to exceed 0.025% and to suspend the subtraction from each rate if the service capacity upgrade fund balance is $15,000,000 or more, or the unemployment insurance trust fund exceeds the balance of the trust fund as of December 31, 2022.

Plain English: SENATE KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129 Amendment No.

  • SENATE KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129 Amendment No.
  • SFA 1 Rep.
  • Sen.
  • Michael J.
SFA2

Senate Floor Amendment 2 • M. Nemes

Retain original provisions; amend KRS 341.243 to require the Secretary for the Education and Labor Cabinet to annually set the adjustment percentage to be effective January 1 of the subsequent year, not to exceed 0.025% and to suspend the subtraction from each rate if the service capacity upgrade fund balance is $15,000,000 or more, or the unemployment insurance trust fund exceeds the balance of the trust fund as of December 31, 2022.

Plain English: SENATE KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129 Amendment No.

  • SENATE KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT FORM 2026 REGULAR SESSION Amend printed copy of SB 129 Amendment No.
  • SFA 2 Rep.
  • Sen.
  • Michael J.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 188)

  2. 2026-04-15 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    taken from Rules placed in the Orders of the Day 3rd reading, passed 86-1 received in Senate enrolled, signed by President of the Senate enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House delivered to Governor

  3. 2026-04-01 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    floor amendment (1) withdrawn

  4. 2026-03-31 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    floor amendments (2) and (3-title) filed

  5. 2026-03-20 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    2nd reading, to Rules floor amendment (1) filed

  6. 2026-03-19 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar

  7. 2026-03-17 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)

  8. 2026-02-25 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    received in House to Committee on Committees (H)

  9. 2026-02-24 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    3rd reading floor amendment (1) withdrawn passed 37-0 with Floor Amendment (2)

  10. 2026-02-23 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    floor amendment (2) filed passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day

  11. 2026-02-20 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    2nd reading, to Rules posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, February 23 2026

  12. 2026-02-19 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar floor amendment (1) filed

  13. 2026-02-04 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    to Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor (S)

  14. 2026-01-28 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    introduced in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)

Official Summary Text

AN ACT relating to unemployment insurance.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 129/GA
Page 1 of 3
SB012910.100 - 1779 - XXXX 2/24/2026 3:04 PM GA
AN ACT relating to unemployment insurance. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 341.243 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) There is created within the State Treasury a special fund known as the service 4
capacity upgrade fund that shall be administered separate and apart from all public 5
money or funds of the state. 6
(2) The service capacity upgrade fund shall be used solely for acquisition and 7
upgrading of the technology base, program integrity functions, and service delivery 8
capacity in support of the programs administered by the Office of Unemployment 9
Insurance. The secretary shall have full power, authority, and jurisdiction over the 10
fund, including all money, property, and securities belonging thereto, and shall 11
perform any act necessary or convenient in the administration of the fund consistent 12
with this section. Any expenditure of the fund to upgrade the technology base shall 13
be coordinated with and approved by the Commonwealth Office of Technology, 14
and nothing in this section shall be construed as reducing or limiting the authority 15
of the Commonwealth's chief information officer over all technology expenditures. 16
The secretary shall provide an annual report to the Interim Joint Committee on 17
Economic Development and Workforce Investment detailing all receipts and 18
expenditures of the fund. 19
(3) Any money collected under the provisions of this section shall be invested at 20
interest in banks or other interest -bearing obligations of the United States. 21
Investments shall at all times be made so that all the assets of the service capacity 22
upgrade fund shall be convertible into cash when needed for the payment of 23
expenses incurred in upgrading the service capacity of the Office of Unemployment 24
Insurance. All interest income received under this section shall be credited to the 25
fund. The State Treasurer shall dispose of secur ities or other property belonging to 26
the fund only under the direction of the secretary and the secretary of the Finance 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 129/GA
Page 2 of 3
SB012910.100 - 1779 - XXXX 2/24/2026 3:04 PM GA
and Administration Cabinet. 1
(4) From[Beginning] October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2026, all rates otherwise 2
established under KRS 341.27 0 and 341.272 shall be adjusted by subtracting 3
seventy-five thousandths percent (0.075%) from each rate, but only if the 4
unemployment insurance trust fund balance exceeds the balance of the trust fund as 5
of December 31, 2017. 6
(5) (a) Beginning January 1, 2027, all rates otherwise established under KRS 7
341.270 and 341.272 shall be adjusted by subtracting one hundred fifteen 8
ten-thousandths percent (0.0115%) from each rate; 9
(b) The secretary shall annually set the adjustment percentage t o be effective 10
January 1 of the subsequent year, not to exceed twenty -five thousandths 11
percent (0.025%). 12
(c) The secretary shall suspend the subtraction from each rate as prescribed in 13
this subsection at any time: 14
1. The service capacity upgrade fund balan ce is fifteen million dollars 15
($15,000,000) or more; or 16
2. The unemployment insurance trust fund does not exceed the balance 17
of the trust fund as of December 31, 2022. 18
(6)[(5)] For any calendar year in which all rates have been reduced in accordance with 19
subsection (4) or (5) of this section, all contributory employers shall pay into the 20
service capacity upgrade fund an amount equal to the percentage by which rates 21
were reduced multiplied by their taxable wages paid during that calendar year. 22
Payments shall be made at the same time and in the same manner as prescribed for 23
payment of contributions under KRS 341.260 and all regulations prescribed by the 24
secretary in support of that section. The restrictions in KRS 341.470(1) apply 25
equally to the provisions of this section. Failure to make these payments shall be 26
subject to interest and all other collection actions provided for failure to make 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 129/GA
Page 3 of 3
SB012910.100 - 1779 - XXXX 2/24/2026 3:04 PM GA
contributions under KRS 341.300. 1
(7)[(6)] All payments required under subsection (6)[(5)] of this section, along with 2
any interest due to late payment of these assessments, shall be deposited in the 3
service capacity upgrade fund. 4
(8)[(7)] Notwithstanding subsection (4) or (5) of this section, the secretary may 5
exercise his or her discretion to reduce the percentage rate pre scribed in subsection 6
(4) or (5) of this section or suspend required payments to the service capacity 7
upgrade fund at any time.[ 8
(8) The secretary shall suspend the reduction of the rate prescribed in subsection (4) of 9
this section at any time when collect ions for the service capacity upgrade fund 10
exceed a cumulative amount of sixty million dollars ($60,000,000). At the time 11
payments are suspended, any funds thus far collected under subsection (4) of this 12
section in excess of those necessary to fund technology upgrades, shall be deposited 13
into the unemployment insurance trust fund. Any future collection of past due 14
payments to the service capacity upgrade fund, including any applicable penalty 15
and interest funds, shall be deposited into the penalty and interest fund.] 16