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HB 814KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState Billdead

Did Not Advance

Kentucky HB 814 establishes wrongful discharge rules, mandatory good cause standards, and employee damages

Original title: AN ACT relating to employment.

Last action · March 9, 2026: to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)Sponsor: Pamela Stevenson

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 Proposed

Kentucky HB 814 establishes new legal protections defining wrongful discharge, requiring for firing non-probationary workers, and allowing employees to sue for lost wages, , and punitive damages. The bill sets a nine-month maximum default probationary period and mandates a one-year statute of limitations for filing claims after exhausting internal appeals.

Why it matters

Employers face potential liability for up to four years of lost wages and if an employee is terminated in retaliation for refusing to violate public policy, without after probation, or in violation of written personnel policies.

Background

At-will employment has historically permitted employers to discharge workers for any reason not expressly prohibited by law or statute. 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

Kentucky employees

Employees gain statutory protections against wrongful termination, rights to sue for lost wages and benefits, and mandatory probationary term limits.

Directly affected

Kentucky employers

Employers must establish good cause for terminating post-probationary workers, adhere to written personnel policies, and face potential financial liability for wrongful discharge.

Key Facts

A discharge is wrongful if it retaliates against an employee for refusing to violate or reporting a violation of public policy, lacks good cause after completing a probationary period, or violates the employer's written personnel policy.
The default probationary period is six months if the employer does not establish a specific period, up to a maximum of nine months.
Employers who commit wrongful discharge are liable for lost wages and fringe benefits for up to four years from the date of discharge, plus interest.
Interim earnings and reasonable job-search expenses are factored into the calculation of lost wages awarded to the employee.

Show all 7 facts

Employees can recover punitive damages if oppression, fraud, or malice is established by clear and convincing evidence.
Court actions for wrongful discharge must be filed within one year of the date of discharge.
Employees must exhaust internal employer appeal procedures before filing a court action, subject to a 90-day completion cap that tolls the statute of limitations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What constitutes a wrongful discharge under this bill?

A discharge is wrongful if it is in retaliation for refusing to violate public policy, is made without after the probationary period, or violates the employer's express written personnel policy.

How long is the probationary period if an employer does not specify one?

If an employer does not establish a specific probationary period or state that there is none at hire, the default probationary period is six months.

What damages can an employee recover for wrongful discharge?

An employee can recover lost wages and for up to four years with interest, and may recover punitive damages if oppression, fraud, or malice is proven by clear and convincing evidence.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

2 actions

Mar 9, 2026HouseCommittee
to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
Mar 2, 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.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift95% confidence

Shift from At-Will to Good-Cause Employment Standards

The bill introduces mandatory good-cause requirements for terminating post-probationary workers, representing a major departure from pure at-will employment principles.

Connected Entities

Internal Revenue Service

OrganizationInternal Revenue Service“Reference point for gross income reporting on form W-2”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)
Controversy65
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz40
Current news / social attention level

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