Beech Tree News Network

FRANKFORT— It’s easier than ever for Kentuckians to stay connected to the Kentucky General Assembly. 

The 2022 legislative session begins Jan. 4, and Kentuckians can use online resources to:

·         See the General Assembly’s daily schedule

·         Tune in to live coverage of legislative meetings

·         Find out who represents you

·         Contact lawmakers and offer feedback

·         Read bills and resolutions

·         Receive a notice when a bill advances

·         See how lawmakers voted on bills and resolutions

·         View informational materials on topics being considered by committees

·         Learn about the legislative process

All that and much more is available on the General Assembly Home Page: https://legislature.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx

Following the General Assembly’s work often begins with a daily look at the Legislative Calendar: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/LegislativeCalendar. The calendar shows which committees are meeting and when the Senate and House will convene.

Livestreams of legislative action can be viewed through feeds provided by Kentucky Educational Television (KET) and the Legislative Research Commission (LRC.)

KET livestreams all chamber proceedings, while committee meeting coverage is provided by both KET and LRC. For links to the livestreams, go to https://legislature.ky.gov/Public%20Services/PIO/Pages/Live-Streams.aspx.

You can find each lawmakers’ contact info, biographical info, committee assignments and sponsored legislation by clicking on the “Legislators” tab near the top of the General Assembly Home Page: https://legislature.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx. You can also look up who represents your district.

The online Legislative Record (https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislation/Pages/default.aspx) has information on every piece of legislation introduced in the Senate and House. You can read summaries, the full text of bills, resolutions, amendments and see exactly how far each piece of legislation has advanced in the process. Bills can be looked up according to bill number, sponsor or topic. If a bill has been voted on in a chamber, you can see how each lawmaker voted by clicking “Vote History” on a bill’s summary page.

Bill Watch, a bill tracking service, provided through a partnership of Kentucky.gov and LRC, sends users email notifications each time bills they are interested in takes a step forward. To sign up for Bill Watch, go to https://kentucky.gov/services/pages/billwatch.aspx.

Information about legislative committees is available at https://legislature.ky.gov/Committees/Pages/default.aspx. To view materials such as info sheets, handouts and PowerPoint presentations that are compiled for lawmakers to review at committee meetings, click on the “Meeting Materials” tab on the left side of each committee’s page.

To share feedback on an issue with lawmakers, call the General Assembly’s Message Line at 1-800-372-7181. Kentuckians with hearing loss can use Kentucky Relay by dialing 7-1-1.

A Spanish language line for legislative information will be available throughout the General Assembly’s 2022 session by calling 1-866-840-6574.

To directly reach a lawmaker’s office, call 502-564-8100. An operator will transfer the call to the office of the lawmaker you want to reach.

If you have a question about the lawmaking process or legislative resources, the LRC Public Information can be reached by calling 502-564-8100 ext. 59105.