Kentucky legislature moves to veto session

Following a flurry of legislative activity, the Kentucky General Assembly has now moved into its Veto Recess, during which Gov. Andy Beshear (D) must either sign into law or veto each of the bills the legislature sent to him. Lawmakers will return on April 14 and 15 for the final two days of the 2026 legislative session to consider overrides of any bills the governor vetoed during the recess.

It’s widely expected that the governor will use his veto pen to strike down several priorities of the Republican-dominated legislature. A couple of health care-related bills await a decision by the governor including HB 2, which would implement some of the Medicaid reform provisions resulting from enactment of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act last July. HB 2 would require some recipients to demonstrate community engagement for continued enrollment, and would establish cost-sharing for certain services by Oct. 1, 2028.

The proposal also enhances verification and oversight using multiple state and federal data sources and strengthens fraud prevention in Medicaid waiver programs. Separately, the governor is expected to sign HB 176, which requires insurers to offer programs allowing network providers to qualify for prior authorization exemptions based on performance criteria during evaluation periods.