Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Kentucky General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the current version. The official bill page.
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1 AN ACT relating to healthcare credentials eligible for the Kentucky healthcare
2 workforce investment fund.
3 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
4 Section 1. KRS 164.0401 is amended to read as follows:
5 For the purposes of KRS 164.0401 to 164.0407:
6 (1) "Council" means the Council on Postsecondary Education;
7 (2) "Dedicated funds" means a gift, grant, or donation to the fund that is subject to
8 restrictions imposed by a private grantor under KRS 164.0401 to 164.0407;
9 (3) "Eligible healthcare credential" means:
10 (a) An alcohol and drug counselor license, clinical alcohol and drug counselor
11 license, clinical alcohol and drug counselor associate license, professional art
12 therapist license, professional art therapist associate license, or community
13 health worker certificate issued pursuant to KRS Chapter 309;
14 (b) Any emergency medical services license or certificate issued pursuant to KRS
15 Chapter 311A;
16 (c) Any medical imaging, radiation, or other license issued pursuant to KRS
17 Chapter 311B;
18 (d) A dental hygienist or dental assistant license issued pursuant to KRS Chapter
19 313;
20 (e) Any nursing license or certificate issued pursuant to KRS Chapter 314 or
21 registration as a state registered nursing aide with the Kentucky Board of
22 Nursing;
23 (f) A respiratory care practitioner certificate issued pursuant to KRS Chapter
24 314A;
25 (g) Any psychology license or certificate issued pursuant to KRS Chapter 319;
26 (h) Any occupational therapy license issued pursuant to KRS Chapter 319A;
27 (i) Any behavior analyst license issued pursuant to KRS Chapter 319C;
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1 (j) Any physical therapy certificate or license issued pursuant to KRS Chapter
2 327;
3 (k) Any social worker, marriage and family therapist, or professional counselor
4 certificate or license issued pursuant to KRS Chapter 335;
5 (l) A physician assistant license issued pursuant to KRS Chapter 311;[ and]
6 (m) A dietitian license or nutritionist certificate issued pursuant to KRS Chapter
7 310; and
8 (n) A speech-language pathology or audiology license issued pursuant to KRS
9 Chapter 334A;
10 (4) "Grantor" means an individual or an entity that gifts, grants, or donates moneys to
11 the Kentucky healthcare workforce investment fund established in KRS 164.0402;
12 (5) "Healthcare partner" means a grantor to the Kentucky healthcare workforce
13 investment fund that is:
14 (a) A healthcare provider as defined in KRS 367.4081;
15 (b) A healthcare facility licensed by and operating in Kentucky;
16 (c) A qualified mental health professional as defined in KRS 202A.011; or
17 (d) Any healthcare or healthcare-related association, individual, or corporation
18 doing business in and incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth;
19 (6) "Healthcare program" means an education or training program that is a specific
20 requirement to an eligible healthcare credential, including but not limited to a high
21 school healthcare vocational program;
22 (7) "Historically underserved county" means a county of the Commonwealth with
23 enhanced workforce demands, as demonstrated by:
24 (a) Objective healthcare workforce data that demonstrates needs and demands
25 upon its healthcare workforce that exceed the statewide average; and
26 (b) Final unemployment figures calculated by the Department of Workforce
27 Development demonstrating a countywide rate of unemployment that exceeds
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1 the statewide unemployment rate of the Commonwealth:
2 1. In the most recent five (5) consecutive calendar years; or
3 2. By two hundred percent (200%) in the most recent calendar year; and
4 (8) "Kentucky resident" is a Kentucky resident as defined by the council pursuant to
5 KRS 164.020(8).
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HB026610.100 - 1453 - XXXX 2/9/2026 4:45 PM GAEvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.