The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky updates statutory duties for state-operated mental health facilities and Cabinet oversight
Last action · February 9, 2026: received in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)Sponsors: Marianne Proctor and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services is directed to administer and operate state mental health facilities, cover certain outside medical expenses for admitted patients, and require quality assurance processes for all state-funded providers.
The measure redefines administrative responsibilities for state mental health facilities and mandates specific quality assurance and grievance procedures for entities receiving public mental health funds.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Cabinet for Health and Family Services
The cabinet is assigned specific operational duties regarding state mental health facilities, outside medical expense payments, and oversight of public-funded providers.
Providers receiving public funds
Providers receiving state contracts, grants, or reimbursements are required to establish formalized quality assurance, quality improvement, and grievance processes.
Patients of state mental health facilities
Patients receive guaranteed coverage for non-elective outside medical expenses through the cabinet when third-party coverage is absent.
Key Facts
- The Cabinet for Health and Family Services must administer and operate state facilities for the care and treatment of persons with mental illness.
- The cabinet must pay for outside medical expenses required by patients admitted to its facilities, excluding elective procedures, when not covered by a third-party payer.
- The cabinet must provide psychiatric consultation for state penal and correctional institutions, children's facilities, and facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities.
- All providers receiving public funds through state contracts, grants, or reimbursements must maintain formalized quality assurance and quality improvement processes, including a grievance procedure.
Show all 6 facts
- The cabinet is authorized to establish or acquire additional facilities for psychiatric care and treatment.
- The cabinet must supervise private mental hospitals that receive court-committed patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
What outside medical expenses are covered for patients in state mental health facilities?
What requirements apply to providers receiving public funds for mental health services?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in the Senate.
Procedural history
7 actions- Feb 9, 2026SenateIntroducedreceived in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
- Feb 6, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 91-0
- Feb 5, 2026Houseposted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, February 06 2026
- Jan 30, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules
- Jan 29, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
- Jan 22, 2026HouseCommitteeto Health Services (H)
Show 1 earlier action
- Jan 14, 2026HouseIntroducedintroduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools