Kentucky Senate Bill 245

---

Completed Legislative Action
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: Passed on April 10 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-04-10 - signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 70)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [PDF]

Create a new section of KRS 438.305 to 438.350 to establish application form requirements for a tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product license; prohibit the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control from establishing any additional licensure requirements beyond those prescribed in statute; require the department to publish and maintain on its website the components required for a tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product license; amend various sections of KRS 438.305 to 438.350 to require the Secretary of State to notify retailers that a tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product license is required to sell authorized nicotine vapor products; establish application requirements for a tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product license; require the department to publish the application form on its website within 30 days of the effective date of this Act; require the licensing fee to be refunded to the applicant if a license is not issued; require a licensure renewal form and a licensing fee to be remitted to the department upon the renewal of a tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product license; define "batch license"; allow a retailer with a license issued by the department under KRS Chapter 243 to renew a tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product license on the date of its next renewal; allow an applicant or licensee to batch license using a singular application or renewal form; allow a licensee to batch license on the date of its next alcohol licensure renewal or 1 year from the date of issuance of its tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product license; require an applicant or licensee who chooses to batch license to multiply the licensure fee by the number of locations to be licensed or premises to be renewed; require the department to establish a singular application and renewal form for a batch license; allow the department to require a supplemental form for batch licensing if an alcohol license requires further information; grant a grace period to applicants for any error identified in an application by the department; establish requirements for a change of ownership; establish grounds for denial of an application; require the department to promulgate administrative regulations relating to tobacco, nicotine, and vapor licensing within 30 days of the effective date of this Act; repeal KRS 438.3065, which establishes transitional licensing; prohibit this Act from delaying enforcement; require any retailer selling tobacco, nicotine, or vapor products in Kentucky that does not currently hold a license to remit the initial application form and licensing fee within 60 days of the effective date of this Act; credit a licensee's 2025 licensing fee to the licensee's upcoming licensing fee payment for 2026; RETROACTIVE, in part, to January 1, 2026; EMERGENCY.

AN ACT relating to tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product licensure and declaring an emergency.

Sen. Robin Webb [R]

Sen. Jimmy Higdon [R]

2026-03-27 - Senate - Senate: Third Reading RSN# 4035 (Y: 35 N: 1 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2026-03-27 - House - House: Veto Override RCS# 342 (Y: 78 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 22) [PASS]
2026-03-20 - House - House: Veto Override RCS# 300 (Y: 85 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 15) [PASS]
2026-03-06 - Senate - Senate: Third Reading RSN# 3892 (Y: 36 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-04-10	Senate	signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 70)
2026-03-31	Senate	delivered to Governor
2026-03-31	Senate	enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
2026-03-31	Senate	enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
2026-03-27	Senate	passed 35-1
2026-03-27	Senate	Free Conference Committee report adopted in Senate
2026-03-27	Senate	posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report
2026-03-27	Senate	taken from Rules
2026-03-27	Senate	to Rules (S)
2026-03-27	Senate	received in Senate
2026-03-27	House	passed 78-0
2026-03-27	House	Free Conference Committee report adopted in House
2026-03-27	House	posted for passage for consideration Free Conference Committee Report in House
2026-03-27	House	Free Conference Committee report filed in House
2026-03-27	House	Conference Committee report adopted in House
2026-03-27	House	Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate
2026-03-26	House	Conference and Free Conference Committees appointed in House and Senate
2026-03-26	House	House refused to recede from Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)
2026-03-26	House	posted for passage for receding from House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)
2026-03-26	House	taken from Rules
2026-03-26	House	to Rules (H)
2026-03-26	House	received in House
2026-03-26	Senate	Senate refused to concur in House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)
2026-03-25	Senate	passed over and retained for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1) and House Floor Amendment (1)
2026-03-24	Senate	passed over and retained for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)
2026-03-24	Senate	posted for passage for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)
2026-03-24	Senate	taken from Rules
2026-03-24	Senate	to Rules (S)
2026-03-24	Senate	received in Senate
2026-03-20	House	3rd reading, passed 85-0 with Floor Amendment (1) and Committee Substitute (1)
2026-03-19	House	posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 20 2026
2026-03-18	House	floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
2026-03-18	House	reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1)
2026-03-17	House	returned to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
2026-03-17	House	2nd reading
2026-03-17	House	taken from Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
2026-03-16	House	returned to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
2026-03-16	House	1st reading
2026-03-16	House	taken from Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
2026-03-11	House	to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
2026-03-10	House	to Committee on Committees (H)
2026-03-10	House	received in House
2026-03-06	Senate	passed 36-0
2026-03-06	Senate	floor amendment (1) withdrawn
2026-03-06	Senate	3rd reading
2026-03-05	Senate	floor amendment (1) filed
2026-03-05	Senate	passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day
2026-03-04	Senate	posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 05 2026
2026-03-04	Senate	2nd reading, to Rules
2026-03-03	Senate	reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
2026-02-27	Senate	to Licensing & Occupations (S)
2026-02-25	Senate	to Committee on Committees (S)
2026-02-25	Senate	introduced in Senate

Type	Source
Summary	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/sb245.html
Text	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb245/orig_bill.pdf
Text	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb245/bill.pdf
Text	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/26RS/documents/0070.pdf
Amendment	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/SB245/SFA1.pdf
Amendment	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/SB245/HCS1.pdf
Amendment	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/SB245/HFA1.pdf
Roll Call	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/sb245/vote_history.pdf
Supplement	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/SB245/CCR1.pdf