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HB 441KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState Billdead
Did Not Advance

Kentucky constitutional amendment requires state and local elected officials to be U.S. citizens for at least 18 years and hold no foreign citizenship

Original title: AN ACT proposing to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to citizenship requirements for state and local elected officials.

Last action · January 28, 2026: to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)Sponsors: John Hodgson and 1 other

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

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What This Bill Proposed

Official description

AN ACT proposing to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to citizenship requirements for state and local elected officials.

Why it matters

Candidates for statewide, legislative, judicial, and local offices across Kentucky would face stricter eligibility criteria regarding U.S. citizenship duration and exclusive allegiance, directly shaping who is legally qualified to run for public office.

Background
  • Constitutional amendments in Kentucky require approval by the General Assembly followed by ratification by voters at a regular election. 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

Candidates for state and local elected office in Kentucky

Candidates must meet an 18-year continuous U.S. citizenship requirement and have no history of foreign citizenship for the preceding 18 years to be eligible for election or appointment.

Directly affected

Secretary of State

The Secretary of State is required to publish the entirety of the ballot question and amendment in a newspaper of general circulation and certify the text to county clerks by statutory deadlines.

Directly affected

County clerks

County clerks must ensure the certified text and question are indicated on paper or electronic ballots provided to voters.

Directly affected

Voters of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Key Facts

  • Candidates for any elected office in Kentucky must be United States citizens at the time of election or appointment and for the duration of their term.
  • Candidates must have been U.S. citizens for at least eighteen consecutive years immediately preceding their election or appointment.
  • Candidates must not be, and must not have been for the preceding eighteen years, citizens or nationals of any foreign state or country.
  • The requirements apply to the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts, Treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture, members of the General Assembly, judges and justices of the Court of Justice, and county or local officials.
Show all 7 facts
  • Federal offices of the United States government are explicitly exempt from the amendment's requirements.
  • The Secretary of State must publish the entirety of the question and amendment in a newspaper of general circulation no later than the first Tuesday in August preceding the election.
  • The Secretary of State must certify the question and amendment to each county clerk by specific August or September deadlines depending on whether a presidential election is occurring.

Frequently Asked Questions

What specific eligibility requirements does HB 441 introduce for Kentucky elected officials?
The bill requires candidates to be U.S. citizens, to have maintained U.S. citizenship for at least the 18 years immediately prior to election or appointment, and to have held no foreign citizenship or nationality for those same 18 years.
Does this amendment apply to federal government offices in Kentucky?
No, the proposed section explicitly states that it shall not apply to offices of the United States government.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

2 actions
  1. Jan 28, 2026HouseCommittee
    to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)
  2. Jan 20, 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

John HodgsonHouse · District 36RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Ryan BivensHouse · District 24RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

temporal pattern98% confidence

Variable Certification Deadlines Based on Presidential Election Cycles

The bill sets different certification deadlines for the Secretary of State depending on whether the upcoming regular election coincides with a presidential election year.

Secretary of State

Connected Entities

Attorney General, Secretary of State, United States government and 8 more
otherAttorney General“Elected office subject to the proposed citizenship requirements”Map →
otherSecretary of State“Responsible for publishing and certifying the ballot question to county clerks”Map →
OrganizationUnited States government“Exempt from the scope of the proposed state constitutional section”Map →
otherTreasurer“Elected office subject to the proposed citizenship requirements”Map →
OrganizationCourt of Justice“Judicial body whose justices and judges are subject to the requirements”Map →
otherGovernor“Elected office subject to the proposed citizenship requirements”Map →
otherLieutenant Governor“Elected office subject to the proposed citizenship requirements”Map →
otherAuditor of Public Accounts“Elected office subject to the proposed citizenship requirements”Map →
locationCommonwealth of Kentucky“Jurisdiction where the constitutional amendment applies”Map →
otherCommissioner of Agriculture“Elected office subject to the proposed citizenship requirements”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky“Legislative body proposing the constitutional amendment”Map →

Sources

Open source document

apps.legislature.ky.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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