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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky HB 653 expands civil rights protections to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit
Last action · February 24, 2026: to Judiciary (H)Sponsors: Mary Lou Marzian and 13 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Kentucky HB 653 adds and to state civil rights laws under KRS Chapter 344, prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, s, financial transactions, and credit. The bill also updates definitions related to disability, familial status, and pregnancy accommodations, and applies these protections to state employees and local commissions.
Residents across Kentucky gain explicit statutory protections against discrimination based on and in hiring, renting, obtaining insurance, accessing public spaces, and securing credit. Employers, landlords, financial institutions, and providers must update their practices to comply with the expanded protected classes.
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.
Employers
Employers must comply with prohibitions against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in hiring, compensation, and workplace conditions.
Landlords and Real Estate Operators
Housing providers and real estate professionals are prohibited from discriminating against buyers or renters based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights
The commission receives expanded authority to investigate and conciliate complaints alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
State Employees
Classified and unclassified state employees gain explicit rights to appeal personnel actions involving discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
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 new protected classes are added by HB 653?
Does the bill affect housing and real estate transactions?
Can local governments pass their own anti-discrimination ordinances under this bill?
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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- Feb 24, 2026HouseCommitteeto Judiciary (H)
- Feb 17, 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
Show 9 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Expansion of Protected Classes
HB 653 systematically replaces and updates numerous sections of KRS Chapter 344 to ensure uniformity in including sexual orientation and gender identity alongside traditional protected categories.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy90Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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