Senate Pres. Stivers SB6 and Sen. Howell SB 5 скачать в хорошем качестве

Senate Pres. Stivers SB6 and Sen. Howell SB 5

Today, the Senate filed two more priority bills, Senate Bill 6, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, and SB 5, sponsored by Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray, who is also chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. SB 6, proposes a historic $150 million investment in Kentucky’s research infrastructure. The bill, if passed, would allocate general fund dollars for fiscal year 2027 to the Endowed Research Fund established under KRS 164.038, reinforcing the legislature’s commitment to innovation, higher education and long-term economic growth. The funding will be distributed evenly across the five research consortium accounts authorized by statute. Each account supports a unique research partnership among Kentucky’s public universities, selected by the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) based on collaborative proposals. Under the law, each research consortium receives funding for a five-year term. SB 6 builds on the framework established by Senate Bill 1 from the 2024 Regular Session, which created the Endowed Research Fund and directed the Council on Postsecondary Education to select and support five high-impact research consortia. That legislation laid the groundwork for long-term collaboration among public universities; SB 6 now provides the necessary funding to activate that vision and move research efforts forward across the commonwealth. SB5 removes barriers that have made it difficult for Kentucky schools to purchase locally grown agricultural products, helping connect students with fresh food while supporting in-state farmers. SB 5 builds on the “Food is Medicine” initiative launched by Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell, which promotes the use of fresh, locally sourced food to improve health outcomes and reduce long-term health care costs. The initiative has focused on increasing access to nutritious food in schools, hospitals and high-need communities across the commonwealth. “Senate Bill 5 is about removing unnecessary barriers so Kentucky schools can serve more fresh, Kentucky-grown food to our students,” said Shell. “This legislation reflects strong collaboration between the Department of Agriculture and the General Assembly to connect local farmers with school cafeterias, improving student health and strengthening our agricultural economy.” SB 5 allows local school boards and districts to buy Kentucky-grown food for student meals without being subject to certain procurement and bidding requirements under Kentucky’s Local Public Agency statutes. By streamlining the purchasing process, the legislation gives districts greater flexibility to work directly with local farmers to meet their nutritional needs.