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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky updates theft by deception laws to establish bad check fees and real estate listing rules
Last action · April 13, 2026: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 106)Sponsors: Marianne Proctor and 7 others
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What This Bill Does
Kentucky HB 264 expands statutes to include listing real estate without legal title, establishes county attorney fees for bounced checks, and adjusts criminal penalties based on the financial value involved or if offenses occur during a declared disaster.
Changes criminal charges and financial penalties for individuals accused of passing bad checks or engaging in deceptive property listings, while authorizing county attorneys to collect operating fees from recovered funds.
- The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky serves as the state's primary legislative body. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Property buyers and sellers
Listings of residential, commercial, or vacant land without legal title are explicitly classified under theft by deception presumptions.
Check issuers
Issuing checks for taxes, child support, or general property without sufficient funds can result in graduated misdemeanor or felony charges.
County attorney offices
Offices are authorized to charge a $50 fee for handling bounced check notices, with funds restricted to operating expenses.
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 happens if someone lists a property for rent without legal title?
Can multiple theft by deception offenses be combined?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
13 actions- Apr 13, 2026HouseEnrolledsigned by Governor (Acts Ch. 106)
- Apr 1, 2026HouseEnrolledenrolled, signed by Speaker of the House enrolled, signed by President of the Senate delivered to Governor
- Mar 31, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 38-0 received in House
- Mar 27, 2026Houseposted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 31 2026
- Mar 20, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules
- Mar 19, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
Show 7 earlier actions
- Mar 16, 2026SenateCommitteeto Judiciary (S)
- Feb 17, 2026SenateIntroducedreceived in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
- Feb 13, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 93-0 with Floor Amendment (1)
- Feb 12, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules floor amendment (1) filed posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, February 13 2026
- Feb 11, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
- Jan 15, 2026HouseCommitteeto Judiciary (H)
- Jan 8, 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 Deception Criteria
The legislation explicitly broadens the application of theft by deception to include unauthorized real estate advertising and unpaid tax or child support checks.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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