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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky House Bill 200 Protects Unemployment Benefits for Workers Fleeing Domestic Violence and Abuse
Last action · January 14, 2026: to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)Sponsors: Nima Kulkarni and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
Kentucky HB 200 allows workers who leave their jobs due to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to remain eligible for unemployment insurance benefits without penalizing their employers' s. The measure directs the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet to promulgate confidential verification procedures and establish staff training programs regarding these safety issues.
Workers leaving employment to escape abuse retain access to financial support while employers are shielded from having these specific claims impact their s or tax rates.
- Unemployment insurance in Kentucky is administered by the Education and Labor Cabinet's Office of Unemployment Insurance, funded through employer contributions and managed via individual employer reserve accounts and a central pooled account. 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.
Workers experiencing domestic violence or stalking
Workers are newly permitted to receive unemployment benefits after separating from employment due to abuse without facing standard voluntary quit disqualifications.
Subject employers contributing to the unemployment fund
Employers are shielded from having benefit charges related to domestic violence separations applied to their reserve accounts or impacting their tax experience ratings.
Education and Labor Cabinet
The cabinet and its secretary are required to promulgate administrative regulations, establish confidential verification processes, train staff, and submit annual reports to the legislature.
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
Can I still get unemployment benefits if I leave my job to escape domestic violence?
What kind of proof do I need to provide to qualify under these safety provisions?
What else do you want to know?
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- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteeto Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
- Jan 7, 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 Good Cause Protections
The bill shifts state policy to explicitly recognize domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking as valid grounds for leaving employment without forfeiting unemployment insurance benefits.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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