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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky expands Fire Commission membership, updates training and grant rules for local fire departments
Last action · April 13, 2026: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 111)Sponsors: Suzanne Miles and 5 others
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What This Bill Does
Kentucky House Bill 419 reorganizes the Kentucky Fire Commission by expanding its membership to 18 members, revising firefighter training and qualification standards, and updating funding distribution rules for volunteer fire department aid and thermal vision grants.
Local fire departments and fire protection districts across Kentucky face updated compliance thresholds, mandatory financial review schedules based on annual revenues, and adjusted grant and loan criteria managed through the Kentucky Fire Commission.
- The Kentucky Fire Commission operates within the Commonwealth to administer training standards, grants, and aid funds for paid and volunteer fire departments. 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.
Kentucky Fire Commission
The commission's membership size, administrative duties, grant management, and oversight responsibilities are formally updated.
Volunteer fire departments
Volunteer fire departments are subject to revised annual aid allotments, training standards, hazardous material reimbursement rules, and reporting criteria.
Paid firefighters
Paid firefighters are included in continuing inoculation programs, training requirements, and physical aptitude testing provisions.
Fire districts
Fire districts face mandatory financial review schedules, audit tiers based on revenue thresholds, and reporting requirements.
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
How many members serve on the Kentucky Fire Commission under the new law?
What is the maximum grant amount available under the Thermal Vision and Technical Innovation Grant Program?
What financial audit requirements apply to large fire districts?
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. 111)
- 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 with Committee Substitute (1) received in House to Rules (H) posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) House concurred in Committee Substitute (1) passed 90-0
- Mar 27, 2026Houseposted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 31 2026
- Mar 20, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill
- Mar 19, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
Show 7 earlier actions
- Mar 16, 2026SenateCommitteeto Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (S)
- Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroducedreceived in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
- Feb 5, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 97-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
- Feb 4, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, February 05 2026
- Feb 3, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
- Jan 27, 2026HouseCommitteeto Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (H)
- Jan 16, 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 1 more sponsor
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expanded Commission Oversight
The legislation increases board representation to 18 members while tightening financial reporting and audit mandates for local fire districts.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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