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HB 470KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState BillSigned into law
Enacted

Kentucky updates behavioral health service standards and removes temporary peer support registration

Original title: AN ACT relating to behavioral health services and declaring an emergency.

Last action · April 10, 2026: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 80)Sponsor: Kim Moser

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

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Does

Kentucky law now requires alcohol and drug peer support specialists to be registered rather than temporary, prohibits Medicaid coverage for , and establishes a Peer Support Professionals Work Group.

Why it matters

Changes professional credentialing requirements for addiction and mental health support workers, alters Medicaid billing rules for specific educational services, and creates a statewide study group to evaluate peer support professional licensing.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Alcohol and drug peer support specialists

Must hold standard registration rather than temporary status and are prohibited from providing psychoeducational services in certain settings.

Directly affected

Licensed alcohol and other drug treatment entities

Must ensure that employed peer support specialists meet standard registration requirements.

Directly affected

Medicaid beneficiaries

No longer have access to coverage for individual or group psychoeducational services through the Kentucky Medicaid program.

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 happened to temporary alcohol and drug peer support specialist registrations?
The Act repealed temporary registrations and requires alcohol and drug peer support specialists to be registered under standard statutory provisions.
Are psychoeducational services covered by Kentucky Medicaid under this law?
No. The law explicitly prohibits the Kentucky Medicaid program and contracted managed care organizations from providing coverage for individual or group .
What is the purpose of the newly created Peer Support Professionals Work Group?
The work group is tasked with developing statewide requirements for licensed peer support professionals and studying the efficacy of establishing a dedicated board of peer support professionals.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

15 actions
  1. Apr 10, 2026HouseEnrolled
    signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 80)
  2. Mar 31, 2026HouseEnrolled
    House concurred in Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) passed 91-0 enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House enrolled, signed by President of the Senate delivered to Governor
  3. Mar 27, 2026Senate
    posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
  4. Mar 19, 2026HouseFloor
    3rd reading, passed 35-0 with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) received in House to Rules (H)
  5. Mar 18, 2026House
    posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 19 2026
  6. Mar 11, 2026HouseFloor
    2nd reading, to Rules
Show 9 earlier actions
  1. Mar 10, 2026House
    reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
  2. Feb 20, 2026SenateCommittee
    to Licensing & Occupations (S)
  3. Feb 11, 2026SenateIntroduced
    received in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
  4. Feb 10, 2026HouseFloor
    3rd reading, passed 97-0 with Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
  5. Feb 9, 2026House
    floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
  6. Feb 6, 2026HouseFloor
    2nd reading, to Rules posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, February 09 2026
  7. Feb 5, 2026House
    reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
  8. Jan 30, 2026HouseCommittee
    to Health Services (H)
  9. Jan 22, 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

Kim MoserHouse · District 64RepublicanPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift95% confidence

Elimination of Temporary Peer Support Status

The state has moved to eliminate provisional or temporary pathways for peer support specialists, requiring full registration.

Kentucky Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors

Connected Entities

Kentucky Division of Reentry Services, Legislative Research Commission, General Assembly and 7 more
OrganizationKentucky Division of Reentry Services“Submits names for work group appointments”Map →
OrganizationLegislative Research Commission“Receives the annual report and work group recommendations”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly“Enacted the legislation”Map →
OrganizationKentucky Medicaid program“Prohibited from providing coverage for psychoeducational services”Map →
OrganizationDepartment for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities“Approves community support associates and appoints work group members”Map →
OrganizationPeer Support Professionals Work Group“Newly established independent work group to study peer support licensing”Map →
OrganizationDepartment for Medicaid Services“Administers Medicaid services”Map →
OrganizationCabinet for Health and Family Services“Promulgates administrative regulations and appoints work group members”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Corrections“Houses the Division of Reentry Services”Map →
OrganizationKentucky Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors“Submits names for work group appointments and administers licensing”Map →

Sources

Open source document

apps.legislature.ky.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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