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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky Bans Non-Compete Agreements for Low-Wage Workers and Independent Contractors
Last action · March 9, 2026: to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)Sponsor: Pamela Stevenson
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What This Bill Proposed
Kentucky House Bill 813 prohibits employers from entering into, enforcing, or threatening to enforce non-compete agreements with covered low-wage employees earning less than $2,000 weekly, interns, students, apprentices, trainees, and independent contractors, effective upon passage for newly signed agreements. Covered individuals may sue former employers for damages, legal fees, and court orders voiding the agreement, while employers face civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for violations or retaliating against workers who file suit.
Low-wage workers, interns, and independent contractors gain the legal right to challenge restrictive covenants without fearing employer retaliation, while employers face financial penalties up to $10,000 per violation and mandatory posting requirements.
- Non-compete agreements have traditionally been governed by state common law and varying judicial standards rather than statutory bans for low-wage earners. 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.
Covered employees
Workers earning under $2,000 weekly, interns, and independent contractors gain protection from non-compete agreements and the right to sue employers who attempt to enforce them.
Employers
Employers are prohibited from using non-compete agreements for covered workers, must post workplace notices, and face increased civil penalties for non-compliance.
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
Who is considered a covered employee under this bill?
What penalties do employers face for violating the non-compete ban?
What is the deadline for filing a civil action regarding an illegal non-compete?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 9, 2026HouseCommitteeto Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
- Mar 2, 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Worker Protections
The bill significantly broadens statutory labor regulations by extending non-compete prohibitions and civil remedies directly to independent contractors, interns, and lower-income earners.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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