Kentucky House Bill 653

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Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14)
Status: Introduced on February 17 2026 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2026-02-24 - to Judiciary (H)
Pending: House Judiciary Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Repeal and reenact KRS 344.010 to define terms; amend KRS 344.020, relating to the purpose of the Kentucky's civil rights chapter, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; amend KRS 344.025, 344.040, 344.050, 344.060, 344.070, and 344.080, relating to prohibited discrimination in various labor and employment practices, to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; amend KRS 210.033, 344.030, 344.100 and 344.110 to conform; amend KRS 344.120 and 342.140, relating to prohibited discrimination in places of public accommodation and advertisements, to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; amend KRS 344.170, 344.180, 344.190, 344.300, and 344.310, relating to the state and local human rights commissions, to include the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the scope of their powers and duties; amend KRS 344.360, 344.370, 344.380, and 344.680, relating to prohibited discrimination in certain housing, real estate, and other financial transactions, to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; amend KRS 344.367, relating to prohibited discrimination in certain insurance sales, to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; amend KRS 344.400, relating to prohibited discrimination in certain credit transactions, to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; amend KRS 18A.095 to conform; make technical corrections.

AN ACT relating to civil rights.

Rep. Mary Marzian [D]	Rep. Lisa Willner [D]	Rep. Tina Bojanowski [D]	Rep. George Brown [D]
Rep. Adrielle Camuel [D]	Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton [D]	Rep. Anne Donworth [D]	Rep. Alan Gentry [D]
Rep. Erika Hancock [D]	Rep. Nima Kulkarni [D]	Rep. Matthew Lehman [D]	Rep. Rachel Roarx [D]
Rep. Sarah Stalker [D]	Rep. Joshua Watkins [D]

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-02-24	House	to Judiciary (H)
2026-02-17	House	to Committee on Committees (H)
2026-02-17	House	introduced in House

Type	Source
Summary	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb653.html
Text	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb653/orig_bill.pdf
Supplement	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/note/26RS/hb653/LM.pdf