HCR 128

UNOFFICIAL COPY  26 RS BR 1783
1A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the KRS Review Task Force.
2WHEREAS, the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) constitute the codified body of
3 general laws enacted by the General Assembly and serve as the primary source of
4 statutory authority governing the Commonwealth; and
5WHEREAS, over time the enactment of new legislation, amendments to existing
6 statutes, and the accumulation of judicial interpretations have created circumstances in
7 which portions of the statutory code may contain outdated terminology, internal
8 inconsistencies, or provisions that no longer reflect current legal or administrative
9 practice; and
10WHEREAS, decisions of the courts of the Commonwealth, including the Supreme
11 Court of Kentucky and the Kentucky Court of Appeals, frequently interpret provisions of
12 the KRS in ways that reveal ambiguities, unintended consequences, or conflicts within
13 the statutory framework; and
14WHEREAS, the identification and correction of statutory defects, ambiguities, and
15 anachronisms is essential to maintaining a clear, coherent, and accessible body of law for
16 the citizens of the Commonwealth, the courts, and state and local officials charged with
17 implementing the law; and
18WHEREAS, periodic and systematic review of the KRS is necessary to ensure that
19 statutory provisions remain consistent with constitutional requirements, judicial
20 precedent, and modern governmental practice; and
21WHEREAS, the Legislative Research Commission and the committees of the
22 General Assembly regularly examine legislation but may benefit from the work of a
23 focused task force dedicated to identifying needed statutory reforms across the entirety of
24 the code;
25NOW, THEREFORE,
26 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the
27 Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate concurring therein:
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1Section 1. (1)  The Legislative Research Commission is hereby directed to
2 establish the KRS Review Task Force to:
3(a)    Examine the KRS and judicial decisions to identify defects and anachronisms
4 in the Commonwealth's statutory code and recommend needed reforms;
5(b)    Receive and consider proposed changes to the KRS submitted to the task
6 force by:
71.     The Attorney General;
82.     State cabinet secretaries;
93.     Justices and judges of the Kentucky Court of Justice;
104.     The Prosecutors Advisory Council;
115.     The public advocate;
126.     The Kentucky Bar Association;
137.     The American Law Institute;
148.     The Uniform Law Commission;
159.     State and local public officials; and
1610.    Practicing attorneys and other members of the public;
17(c)    Recommend changes to the KRS to modify or eliminate statutes that are
18 antiquated or considered unenforceable due to significant societal changes, and bring the
19 law into harmony with modern conditions; and
20(d)    Recommend the express repeal of statutes repealed by implication or held
21 unconstitutional by a state or federal court.
22(2)    The KRS Review Task Force shall be composed of the following 12
23 members, with final membership being subject to the consideration and approval of the
24 Legislative Research Commission:
25(a)    The co-chairs of the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary, who shall serve as
26 co-chairs of the task force;
27(b)    Three members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the
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1 Speaker of the House;
2(c)    Three members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate;
3(d)    Two members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by Minority
4 Floor Leader of the House; and
5(e)    Two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of
6 the Senate.
7(3)    The task force shall meet as necessary during the 2026 Interim of the General
8 Assembly. The task force shall submit findings and recommendations to the Legislative
9 Research Commission for referral to the appropriate committee or committees by
10 December 1, 2026.
11(4)    Provisions of this Resolution to the contrary notwithstanding, the Legislative
12 Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the issues identified
13 herein to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof and to designate a study
14 completion date.
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