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HB 584KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState Billdead
Did Not Advance

Kentucky regulates controlled substance prescriptions and licensing boards

Original title: AN ACT relating to licensees authorized to prescribe or dispense controlled substances.

Last action · March 5, 2026: received in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)Sponsors: Tom Smith and 2 others

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

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What This Bill Proposed

Kentucky restricts practitioners from issuing prescriptions for s exceeding a three-day supply for acute pain, with specific medical exceptions. The measure also mandates reporting standards, criminal record checks, and expedited complaint reviews across state licensing boards.

Why it matters

Licensed healthcare practitioners face strict prescribing limits, mandatory continuing education requirements, and fingerprint-supported criminal background checks, while licensing boards must investigate complaints within specific timeframes.

Background
  • The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky serves as the state's primary legislative body responsible for enacting statutory law. 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

licensees authorized to prescribe or dispense controlled substances

Practitioners face new prescription supply limits, mandatory continuing education requirements, background check mandates, and expedited board investigations.

Directly affected

state licensing boards

Boards must promulgate administrative regulations, establish expedited complaint review procedures, consult with the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, and conduct background checks.

Directly affected

patients receiving controlled substances

Patients experience revised prescription supply caps for acute pain along with established medical necessity documentation requirements for extended supplies.

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 is the maximum supply a practitioner can prescribe for acute pain under this measure?
Practitioners are generally limited to a three-day supply of a when treating an acute medical condition, unless an explicit medical exception applies.
Are there exceptions to the three-day prescription limit for acute pain?
Yes, exceptions include cases where the practitioner documents medical necessity in the patient record, treats chronic pain, treats pain from a valid cancer diagnosis, provides hospice or palliative care, operates within a licensed narcotic treatment program, or treats pain following major surgery or significant trauma.
What continuing education requirements apply to practitioners?
Licensed practitioners must dedicate at least 7.5% of their required continuing education to the electronic monitoring system, pain management, or addiction disorders.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in the Senate.

Procedural history

7 actions
  1. Mar 5, 2026SenateIntroduced
    received in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
  2. Mar 4, 2026HouseFloor
    3rd reading, passed 80-16
  3. Mar 3, 2026House
    posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 04 2026
  4. Feb 26, 2026HouseFloor
    2nd reading, to Rules
  5. Feb 25, 2026House
    reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
  6. Feb 13, 2026HouseCommittee
    to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
Show 1 earlier action
  1. Feb 6, 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

Tom SmithHouse · District 86RepublicanPrimary sponsor
George BrownHouse · District 77DemocraticCosponsor
Derek LewisHouse · District 90RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift95% confidence

Mandatory Prescription Limits and Expedited Enforcement

The measure establishes a strict three-day cap for acute pain prescriptions alongside mandatory reporting timelines and expedited board investigations for controlled substance violations.

General Assembly of the Commonwealth of KentuckyKentucky Office of Drug Control PolicyNational Practitioner Data Bank

Connected Entities

Department of Kentucky State Police, State Board of Podiatry, Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure and 12 more
OrganizationDepartment of Kentucky State Police“Reporting agency and law enforcement entity receiving reports and conducting fin”Map →
OrganizationState Board of Podiatry“State licensing board”Map →
OrganizationKentucky Board of Medical Licensure“State licensing board”Map →
PersonDerek Lewis“Cosponsor”Map →
OrganizationKentucky Board of Dentistry“State licensing board”Map →
OrganizationKentucky Office of Drug Control Policy“Consulted office for prescribing standards and treatment scenarios”Map →
OrganizationFederal Bureau of Investigation“Conducts fingerprint-supported criminal record checks for initial licensure appl”Map →
OrganizationKentucky Board of Nursing“State licensing board”Map →
PersonTom Smith“Bill sponsor”Map →
OrganizationNational Practitioner Data Bank“Data bank of the United States Department of Health and Human Services receiving”Map →
OrganizationOffice of the Attorney General“Reporting agency receiving notifications of felony indictments”Map →
OrganizationCabinet for Health and Family Services“Reporting agency and licensing body for narcotic treatment programs”Map →
OrganizationKentucky Board of Optometric Examiners“State licensing board”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky“Legislative body enacting the measure”Map →
PersonGeorge Brown“Cosponsor”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)
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz35
    Current news / social attention level

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