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HB 485KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState Billdead
Did Not Advance

Kentucky House Bill 485 Overhauls Mental Health Treatment, Involuntary Commitment, and Court-Ordered Outpatient Care

Original title: AN ACT relating to the care and treatment of individuals with mental illness.

Last action · February 20, 2026: received in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)Sponsors: Jason Nemes and 7 others

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

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What This Bill Proposed

Kentucky HB 485 modifies state laws concerning the care and treatment of individuals with mental illness, establishing new frameworks for court-ordered outpatient treatment, discharge planning, and forensic psychiatric commitments effective October 1, 2026.

Why it matters

The measure alters legal thresholds, evaluation timelines, and treatment protocols for individuals undergoing involuntary psychiatric hospitalization or court-ordered outpatient care across the Commonwealth.

Background
  • Kentucky's mental health laws govern voluntary and involuntary hospitalizations, psychiatric evaluations, and court-ordered outpatient treatment protocols handled through District and Circuit Courts. 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

Individuals with mental illness

Individuals subject to mental health proceedings experience modified evaluation criteria, outpatient treatment mandates, and discharge planning requirements.

Directly affected

Cabinet for Health and Family Services

The cabinet is responsible for promulgating administrative regulations, reporting data, paying transportation costs, and engaging training providers.

Directly affected

Hospitals and psychiatric facilities

Facilities must adhere to enhanced discharge planning procedures, notice requirements, and data reporting obligations.

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 entity is tasked with developing statewide training for this Act?
The Treatment Advocacy Center, engaged by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities.
How long can court-ordered community-based outpatient treatment last?
Community-based outpatient treatment shall not exceed three hundred sixty (360) days.

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 · passed the House · in the Senate.

Procedural history

8 actions
  1. Feb 20, 2026SenateIntroduced
    received in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
  2. Feb 19, 2026HouseFloor
    3rd reading, passed 95-0 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendments (1) and (2)
  3. Feb 18, 2026House
    floor amendments (1) and (2) filed to Committee Substitute
  4. Feb 17, 2026House
    posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, February 18 2026
  5. Feb 13, 2026HouseFloor
    2nd reading, to Rules
  6. Feb 12, 2026House
    reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
Show 2 earlier actions
  1. Feb 2, 2026HouseCommittee
    to Health Services (H)
  2. Jan 23, 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

Jason NemesHouse · District 33RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Kim MoserHouse · District 64RepublicanCosponsor
George BrownHouse · District 77DemocraticCosponsor
Emily CallawayHouse · District 37RepublicanCosponsor
Beverly Chester-BurtonHouse · District 44DemocraticCosponsor
Show 3 more sponsors
Daniel GrossbergHouse · District 30DemocraticCosponsor
John HodgsonHouse · District 36RepublicanCosponsor
Lisa WillnerHouse · District 35DemocraticCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift100% confidence

Restructuring of Outpatient Commitment

The bill repeals prior community-based outpatient treatment statutes and establishes comprehensive new standards for assisted outpatient treatment and multidisciplinary monitoring teams.

Cabinet for Health and Family ServicesLegislative Research Commission

Connected Entities

Legislative Research Commission, Treatment Advocacy Center, Administrative Office of the Courts and 3 more
OrganizationLegislative Research Commission“Body receiving annual reports and interim committee referrals.”Map →
OrganizationTreatment Advocacy Center“Organization engaged to develop and implement a statewide training program.”Map →
OrganizationAdministrative Office of the Courts“Office coordinating data sharing and reporting with the cabinet.”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly“The legislative body enacting the bill.”Map →
OrganizationDepartment for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities“Department receiving reports on court-ordered outpatient treatment.”Map →
OrganizationCabinet for Health and Family Services“State cabinet responsible for health, family services, and promulgating administ”Map →

Sources

Open source document

apps.legislature.ky.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
  • Controversy45
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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