Bill
Bill > HB259
KY HB259
KY HB259AN ACT proposing an amendment to Sections 32, 72, 91, 100, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to citizenship requirements of state and local elected officials.
summary
Introduced
01/08/2026
01/08/2026
In Committee
01/15/2026
01/15/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Propose to amend Sections 32, 72, 91, 100, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky to require candidates for the General Assembly, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Auditor of Public Accounts, Commissioner of Agriculture, Secretary of State, Attorney General, county clerk, Circuit Court clerk, Commonwealth’s attorney, county attorney, District Judge, Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals Judge, and Justice of the Supreme Court to be a natural born citizen of the United States and a national of only the United States in order to hold each respective office; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.
AI Summary
This bill proposes to amend the Kentucky Constitution to require that individuals running for various state and local elected offices, including members of the General Assembly, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Auditor of Public Accounts, Commissioner of Agriculture, Secretary of State, Attorney General, county clerk, Circuit Court clerk, Commonwealth's attorney, county attorney, District Judge, Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals Judge, and Justice of the Supreme Court, must be a "natural born citizen" of the United States, meaning they were a citizen from birth, and must also be a national of *only* the United States, meaning they cannot hold citizenship in any other country. This change would apply to existing eligibility requirements for these offices, such as age and residency, and the proposed amendment will be put to a vote of the people for their approval or rejection.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (5)
Last Action
to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H) (on 01/15/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb259.html |
| BillText | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb259/orig_bill.pdf |
Loading...