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HB 782KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState Billdead
Did Not Advance

Kentucky requires colleges to appoint homeless and foster-student liaisons and grant housing priority

Original title: AN ACT relating to postsecondary education students.

Last action · March 6, 2026: to Postsecondary Education (H)Sponsors: Joshua Watkins and 1 other

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Kentucky postsecondary institutions must designate at least one staff liaison to assist enrolled students experiencing homelessness and students in care, and grant these students priority for on-campus housing including access during academic breaks with waived fees. The measure mandates annual reporting on student retention and graduation rates to the Council on Postsecondary Education, and requires institutions to create a dedicated full-time liaison position if vulnerable student populations average 2% or more of total enrollment over three academic years.

Why it matters

Enrolled college students who lack stable housing or have a background in state foster care gain guaranteed points of contact, financial aid counseling, housing priorities during holiday breaks, and fee waivers, while colleges face new administrative tracking and reporting mandates.

Background
  • The Kentucky General Assembly is the state's bicameral legislature responsible for enacting laws relating to education, state funding, and administrative mandates. context
  • The Council on Postsecondary Education coordinates change, administration, and public policy for Kentucky's higher education system. context

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

Students experiencing homelessness

Receive designated staff support, housing priority, break housing fee waivers, financial aid navigation, and institutional tracking.

Directly affected

Students in care

Receive designated staff support, housing priority, break housing fee waivers, financial aid navigation, and institutional tracking.

Directly affected

Postsecondary education institutions

Must designate and train staff liaisons, grant housing preferences and fee waivers, track student retention data, submit annual reports, and potentially create full-time staff positions.

Directly affected

Council on Postsecondary Education

Must adopt implementation policies, collect institutional data, and submit an annual legislative report by September 1.

Key Facts

  • Each postsecondary institution must designate at least one staff member to serve as a liaison assisting students experiencing homelessness and students in care.
  • Colleges providing on-campus housing must grant housing priority to homeless students and students in care, including access during academic breaks with waived housing-related fees.
  • Part-time homeless students and students in care are permitted to access on-campus housing during their periods of enrollment.
  • Liaisons must track and monitor the graduation and retention rates of homeless students and students in care.
Show all 8 facts
  • Institutions must report annually by August 1 to the Council on Postsecondary Education regarding student enrollment, retention, graduation rates, and services provided.
  • If the combined average of homeless students and students in care equals 2% or more of total enrollment over three academic years, the institution must hire a dedicated full-time employee solely for liaison duties.
  • The Council on Postsecondary Education must issue an annual report by September 1 to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Education.
  • The Council on Postsecondary Education must adopt policies requiring annual liaison training provided by a homeless advocacy organization and collaboration with the state McKinney-Vento coordinator.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is required of colleges that offer on-campus housing?
Institutions offering on-campus housing must grant priority for that housing to homeless students and students in care, ensure they have access during academic breaks with waived break fees, allow part-time enrolled students from these groups to use campus housing, and publish related housing availability and resource info on their websites and in application packets.
When does a college have to hire a full-time, dedicated staff member for these students?
If data collected over three academic years shows that homeless students and students in care average 2% or more of the institution's total student body enrollment, the college must designate an existing employee or create a new position whose primary responsibility is carrying out the liaison duties.
Who must college liaisons report to, and when?
Liaisons must report annually by August 1 to the Council on Postsecondary Education detailing student enrollment numbers, graduation and retention rates, and the types of assistance provided.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

2 actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026HouseCommittee
    to Postsecondary Education (H)
  2. Feb 27, 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.

Sponsors

Joshua WatkinsHouse · District 42DemocraticPrimary sponsor
Timmy TruettHouse · District 89RepublicanCosponsor

Connected Entities

Joshua Watkins, Legislative Research Commission, General Assembly and 4 more
PersonJoshua Watkins“Primary sponsor of HB 782”Map →
OrganizationLegislative Research Commission“Body receiving annual reports for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Edu”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly“Enacting legislative body of the Commonwealth of Kentucky”Map →
OrganizationCouncil on Postsecondary Education“State agency receiving annual reports and adopting implementation policies”Map →
OrganizationCabinet for Health and Family Services“State agency responsible for foster care and family support programs”Map →
PersonTimmy Truett“Co-sponsor of HB 782”Map →
OrganizationInterim Joint Committee on Education“Legislative committee reviewing reports on homeless and foster students”Map →

Sources

Open source document

apps.legislature.ky.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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