summary
Introduced
02/13/2025
02/13/2025
In Committee
02/18/2025
02/18/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
03/28/2025
03/28/2025
Introduced Session
2025 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; prohibit a school district, public school, or cooperative board from providing differential treatment or benefits on the basis of an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin; prohibit the Kentucky Department of Education, a school district, a public school, or a cooperative board from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion; prohibit the department, a school district, a public school, or a cooperative board from soliciting statements on an applicant's experience with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, from providing differential treatment or benefits to an individual based on the individual's participation in diversity, equity, and inclusion training, and from disseminating or profiting from any research, work product, or material that promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion; establish exclusions; authorize the Attorney General to bring an action for a writ of mandamus to compel the department, a school district, a public school or a cooperative board to comply; create a cause of action to permit a qualified individual to file a civil action against a the department, a school district, a cooperative board, or a public school for injunctive relief arising from a violation of this Act; permit recovery of monetary damages for a willful and intentional violation; waive sovereign, governmental, and qualified immunity; prohibit retaliation; require each public school district and cooperative board to provide the State Treasurer the name, job title, duty station, and compensation information of each employee of the school district or cooperative board each month for publication; amend KRS 161.030 to require certain certification applicants to complete an approved professional development program on Kentucky education law; amend KRS 158.4416 and 158.4414 to conform; require school districts and cooperative boards to follow designated procedures when implementing this Act including termination or transfer of certain employees; require the Kentucky Department of Education to eliminate the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and follow designated procedures when implementing this Act including termination or transfer of certain employees; EFFECTIVE, in part, February 1, 2026; EMERGENCY.
AI Summary
This bill, known as the Kentucky Education Equality Protection Act (KEEP Act), aims to prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Kentucky's public schools and educational institutions. The bill broadly defines and restricts DEI-related activities, preventing schools, districts, and the Kentucky Department of Education from providing differential treatment based on race, sex, religion, color, or national origin. Specifically, the bill prohibits expending resources on DEI offices, trainings, or initiatives, and bars soliciting statements about an individual's experiences with or views on protected characteristics during employment processes. The legislation requires schools and the Department of Education to eliminate existing DEI offices and transfer or terminate related personnel by June 30, 2025, with strict conditions on potential reassignments. The bill empowers the Attorney General and individual "qualified individuals" (including students, parents, and employees) to bring civil actions to enforce compliance, with provisions for potential monetary damages and attorney's fees. Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts and the Department of Education submit detailed compliance reports to the Legislative Research Commission and the Attorney General. The legislation also requires new teacher certification applicants to complete professional development training on Kentucky education law, with a specific focus on the bill's provisions. The bill takes effect immediately for most sections, with some provisions becoming effective February 1, 2026, and includes an emergency clause emphasizing the legislature's commitment to equal protection under the law.
Committee Categories
Education
Sponsors (12)
Lindsey Tichenor (R)*,
Gary Boswell (R),
Don Douglas (R),
Rick Girdler (R),
Scott Madon (R),
Stephen Meredith (R),
Matt Nunn (R),
Steve Rawlings (R),
Aaron Reed (R),
Phillip Wheeler (R),
Gex Williams (R),
Mike Wilson (R),
Last Action
to Education (S) (on 02/18/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25RS/sb165.html |
| BillText | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/25RS/sb165/orig_bill.pdf |
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