SENATOR BRANDON STORM’S LEGISLATIVE UPDATE (Week 3)

Week three of the 2022 Legislative Session

Children are the Commonwealth’s most precious asset. Today’s investments in our youth make for a healthier, stronger, and more economically sound commonwealth. Recognizing this, early legislative efforts by the Kentucky General Assembly have prioritized building a brighter future for Kentucky children. During week three of the legislative session, this trend continued, including Senate passage of bills addressing healthcare-related needs.

The following is an overview of bills recently passed by my colleagues and me in the Senate. The bills below are now on their way to the House for consideration:

Senate Bill (SB) 9 systematically improves the quality and delivery of reading instruction to K-3 students across the state by implementing supports, interventions and a streamlined curriculum-based foundation in phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. SB 9 also requires reading-specific developmental training for all K-3 teachers.

SB 11 modernizes and strengthens oversight and care for residents in assisted living communities by transitioning these services from a certification model to a licensure model within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This bill brings assisted living communities like nursing homes under the Office of the Inspector General in CHFS, improving regulatory oversight on par with other states.

SB 55 gives first responders a clearer indication of where stroke victims should be transported for the best possible care relative to their needs. The bill adds a fourth level of certification called “thrombectomy-capable” to hospitals caring for stroke patients. Kentucky currently has three levels of identified care: acute, primary and comprehensive. SB 55 would add thrombectomy-capable as another, signifying the facility’s capability of surgically removing blood clots.

SB 56 aims to save lives by making federally approved “opioid antagonist” drugs more widely available to the public. An opioid antagonist is a drug that can rapidly reverse a drug overdose and is currently only available to first responders.

SB 100 provides for residents of assisted-living facilities, long-term care facilities, and mental hospitals to be visited by a “compassionate caregiver” under certain health and safety protocols. A compassionate caregiver could be a family member, legal guardian, outside caregiver, friend, or volunteer who will be allowed at a resident’s bedside. The bill extends the original provision put in place by lawmakers during the recent Special Session. Prior to action by the Kentucky General Assembly, reports detailed heart wrenching stories of elderly residents passing away alone, separated from those who made their life meaningful. SB 100 considers the holistic well-being of the elderly by giving equal attention to social, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Finally, the Governor’s vetoes of respective redistricting legislation were addressed in week three. The General Assembly acted promptly, overriding the Governor’s veto and sending those bills to the Secretary of State’s Office for filing and official enactment into law. SB 2, Senate district legislation, was filed with the Secretary of State’s Office without the Governor’s signature. That bill is now enacted law and state Senate districts are now conformed to its provisions. This means, based on new district boundaries, I am no longer the state Senator for Jackson, Estill, Powell, Menifee and Bath Counties and have picked up the counties of Rockcastle, Lincoln and Casey.

To all of you in Bath, Estill, Jackson, Menifee and Powell Counties, please know how much I appreciate the trust you placed in me to serve as your state Senator. Although it was for a short period, I cherish the relationships I have built with local leaders and constituents in those counties. Bath and Menifee Counties will be picking up a wonderful state Senator in Dr. Ralph Alvarado, who serves as chairman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Estill and Powell Counties will now be represented by the chairman of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, Sen. Brandon Smith, a veteran lawmaker who has served in Frankfort for approximately 20 years. Jackson County is now a part of Senate President Robert Stivers’ district.

In closing, I want to make you aware that January 18-21 was National Child Advocacy week. Priority Senate legislation was filed to tackle the issue of child abuse and neglect here in Kentucky.

According to the 2020 annual report released by the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, our state has led the nation three years in a row in child abuse and neglect rates. A recent story from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Journalism shined a light on a backlog of cases regarding suspicious child deaths. The statistics are horrific, and following early efforts this legislative session to strengthen education, keep students in school, and improve health care—among other measures—we must do all we can to protect our children.

I’m excited about the policy successes thus far in the 2022 Session and look forward to continued efforts to better the lives of Kentuckians. It’s an honor to represent you.

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Note: Senator Brandon J. Storm (R-London) represents the 21st District, which encompasses Bath, Estill, Jackson, Laurel, Menifee, and Powell Counties. Senator Storm is the vice-chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and serves as chair of the Senate Enrollment Committee. He also serves as a member of the Senate Standing Committees on Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor; State and Local Government; Banking and Insurance; and is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources. Additionally, Senator Storm is a member of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee; and the Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory Committee.