Summary of Original Version

Amend KRS 156.557 to increase the time period between mandatory summative evaluations for tenured certified school staff from once every three years to once every five years; provide that additional summative evaluations may be performed at the discretion of the individual's immediate supervisor but shall not be imposed as a uniform requirement across the system; amend KRS 158.060 to provide teachers access to their employment contract upon request; amend KRS 156.095 to require the Department of Education to create and local school districts to implement a four year recurring professional development training schedule that includes all required professional development trainings; provide that all certified school employees shall complete designated trainings within 12 months of initial hire and at least once every four years thereafter; consolidate state-required certified school personnel trainings; create new sections of KRS Chapter 158 to relocate language currently contained in KRS 158.060 related to the display of designated hotline information and the publication of and school lessons on evidence-based suicide prevention awareness information; amend KRS 158.070 to remove language regarding professional development trainings consolidated elsewhere; amend KRS 160.346 to prohibit the Department of Education from requiring comprehensive school improvement plans and comprehensive district improvement plans not expressly required by federal law; amend KRS 156.492, 157.360, and 158.4416 to conform; amend KRS 161.031 to remove the mandate for an induction program for new teachers; require a report identifying school districts that do not implement an induction program for new teachers; require the Department of Education to conduct a review of the reporting requirements imposed upon public schools and public school districts; eliminate all reporting requirements not expressly required by state statute or federal law; submit a report on the remaining reporting requirements; provide that the Act may be cited as the Red Tape Reduction Act.

Summary of Amendment: House Committee Substitute 1

Summary Retain all original provisions, except restore language that identifies comprehensive support and improvement schools once every three years; permit the department to require schools that met the criteria for identification of comprehensive support and improvement, or targeted support and improvement, but that were not identified because of the identification schedule to create and maintain a comprehensive school improvement plan.

Summary of Amendment: House Committee Substitute 2

Summary Retain original provisions, except permit schools and districts that are not required by federal law or state statute to complete a comprehensive school or district improvement plan to voluntarily complete the plan, in whole or in part, or use alternative measures for fulfilling federal reporting requirements; require the Department of Education to submit two reports to the Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee on continuous school and district improvement plans and on the Cognia software used for school and district planning, including to establish the minimum contents of the reports by August 1, 2025, and October 1, 2025, respectively; require that any submission request contained in that software not expressly linked to a requirement imposed by federal law or state statute be discontinued unless extended by an act of the General Assembly during the 2026 Regular Session; delay the effective date of the termination of any reporting requirement not expressly required by federal law or state statute until after the 2026 Regular Session; amend KRS 156.070 to prohibit the Kentucky Board of Education from adopting any new reporting requirement not expressly authorized by federal law or state statute; require the department to submit to the appropriate Interim Joint Committee on Education, a report recommending reporting requirements to be incorporated into statute during the 2026 Regular.

Summary of Amendment: Senate Committee Substitute 1

Summary Retain original provisions, except remove amendments to KRS 160.346 which would prohibit the Department of Education from requiring comprehensive school improvement plans and comprehensive district improvement plans not expressly required by federal law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 156.557, 158.060, 156.095, 158.070, 160.346, 158.4416, 161.031, 156.492, 157.360
House Committee Substitute 1: 156.557, 158.060, 156.095, 158.070, 160.346, 158.4416, 161.031, 156.492, 157.360
House Committee Substitute 2: 156.557, 158.060, 156.095, 158.070, 160.346, 158.4416, 161.031, 156.492, 157.360, 156.070
Senate Committee Substitute 1: 156.557, 158.060, 156.095, 158.070, 158.4416, 161.031, 156.492, 157.360, 156.070
Current: 156.557, 158.060, 156.095, 158.070, 160.346, 158.4416, 161.031, 156.492, 157.360, 156.070