Bloom Kentucky is committed to addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through policy change. We know that the multi-generational impacts of childhood adversity require an upstream approach and that often is done through legislative action and budget investments.

Policy Priorities

For this session, Bloom Kentucky identified policy priorities focused on ensuring a strong student-teacher pipeline, supporting access to school-based mental health, promoting housing stability and  expanding prenatal and delivery care. 

Here’s a recap of how our 2024 Bloom policy priorities fared:

  • Supporting the Teacher Pipeline. HB 377 created the Teacher Recruitment Student Loan Forgiveness Pilot Program and established Student-Teacher stipends in eligible programs. These initiatives will provide the necessary support as teachers train to join the workforce. HB 377, sponsored by Representative Banta, has been signed by the Governor. 
  • Increasing Access to School-Based Mental Health. Related to safety and student well-being, components of SB 2 increased requirements for schools around their trauma-informed teams and improvement plans. This bill also required additional suicide prevention awareness trainings. SB 2 became law without the signature of the Governor. 
  • Promoting Housing Stability. HB 71 would have established a process to automatically expunge an eviction from a family’s record after having been eviction-free for a reasonable amount of time, prohibit minors from being named on a filing, and would have sealed filings that did not result in an eviction. We appreciate the introduction of this bill by Representative Kulkarni. HCR 68, sponsored by Representative Bridges, was passed by the House and signals the legislature’s intent to create an interim housing task force to examine and provide recommendations for the housing crisis. SB 34, sponsored by Senator Westerfield, included a variety of family supports related to child care, medicaid coverage, SNAP workforce supports, access to local foods, and eviction expungement. Unfortunately, while this bill would have provided significant support for Kentuckians, there was limited movement.
  • Expanding Prenatal and Delivery Care. SB 103, sponsored by Senator Funke Frommeyer, and HB 199, sponsored by Representative Nemes, both sought to exempt freestanding birth centers from certificate-of-need requirements to expand access to safe, equitable prenatal and delivery care. SB 103 was assigned to Health Services but had no further movement and HB 199 passed House Chambers, but ultimately failed to advance through the Senate. 
  • Ensuring High-Quality Early Childhood Environments to Support Working Families and Children’s Early Learning. SB 203, known as the Horizon’s Act and sponsored by Senator Carroll, would have promoted greater affordability and access to child care for families as well as a stronger early childhood education workforce. While this bill passed the Families & Children committee, it failed to advance any further. SB 34, as noted above, would have also provided additional support for child care. 

A few honorable mentions related to the Bloom Kentucky mission included bills: 

  • HB 179, sponsored by Representative Heavrin, allows insurance companies to offer paid family and medical leave as a rider to their health insurance coverage. This bill has been signed by the Governor.
  • HB 118, sponsored by Representative Kulkarni, would have ensured access to unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who have to leave a job as a result of domestic/dating violence, sexual abuse, or stalking. The bill was introduced but saw no movement.
  • HB 36, sponsored by Representative Willner, would have established a Center for Student Resiliency and Well-Being within the Kentucky Department of Education. The bill was introduced but saw no movement.

While we had some efforts not make it across the finish line this legislative session, we will continue working to uplift these policy priorities during the interim and in future years. 

Budget Investments

This session, the General Assembly was tasked with crafting a two-year state budget. Bloom Kentucky identified priorities for the legislature to consider investments in child care, education, family support, and mental health. 

As for investments in education, we saw increased funding in per-pupil and transportation funds, a significant investment in the Center for School Safety, and student-teacher stipends. Additionally, the budget also increased Tier 1 funding – which provides funding for districts with less property value income. Other increased investments included additional funds for the Farm to Food Banks program, Rural Housing Trust Fund, and Summer EBT nutrition program for students. We also saw sustained funding for Family Resource Youth Service Centers (FRYSC) and school-based mental health services. And while not as substantial of an investment as hoped, the legislature did dedicate funds for the Child Care Assistance Program, CCAP Income Exclusion for Child Care Providers, and the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership. 

The final budget lacked the Senate’s recommendation to boost reimbursement rates for mental health providers in the Medicaid program, investments in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and decreased funds for the HANDS program. 

Bloom Kentucky will persist in championing these policy and budget priorities throughout the interim period and future legislative sessions. This collective endeavor to tackle ACEs and cultivate a Commonwealth where all Kentucky families can thrive is worth fighting for.