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HB 912KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState Billdead

Did Not Advance

Kentucky bill restricts act titles from defining appropriations or emergencies

Original title: AN ACT relating to statutory interpretation.

Last action · March 11, 2026: to State Government (H)Sponsor: Mitch Whitaker

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Kentucky House Bill 912 establishes that the appearance of terms like "an " or "declaring an emergency" in an act's title serves solely as notification of potential higher voting thresholds and is not definitive. Additionally, the bill prohibits courts from using emergency justification sections to determine for the enactment itself.

Why it matters

Changes how courts and lawmakers interpret legislative titles and emergency clauses in state statutes, potentially altering the legal review of contested legislation.

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.

Directly affected

courts

Judges are restricted from considering emergency justification sections as evidence of legislative intent for the enactment itself.

Directly affected

General Assembly members

Lawmakers receive notice of potential higher vote threshold requirements based on act titles, which are explicitly non-definitive.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does HB 912 change about bill titles?

It ensures that phrases like "an " or "declaring an emergency" in an act's title cannot be used as definitive proof that the act actually contains an appropriation or emergency.

How can courts use emergency justifications under this bill?

Courts may consider emergency justifications solely to justify the emergency itself, but not as evidence of for the underlying enactment.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

2 actions

Mar 11, 2026HouseCommittee
to State Government (H)
Mar 4, 2026HouseIntroduced
introduced 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.

Related Legislation

State Bill

Maryland Senate Bill 750 establishes statewide trap-neuter-return standards for community cats and exempts caregivers from animal abandonment laws

Senate Bill 750 exempts community cat caregivers operating under a trap-neuter-return policy from animal abandonment penalties, establishes uniform re

Connected Entities

General Assembly, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Mitch Whitaker

OrganizationGeneral Assembly“The legislative body of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”Map →

locationCommonwealth of Kentucky“The jurisdiction enacting the bill.”Map →

PersonMitch Whitaker“Sponsor of House Bill 912.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

apps.legislature.ky.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 40)
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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