KentuckyKentucky public colleges can dismiss faculty for financial reasons
Covered Kentucky public colleges can dismiss faculty for genuine financial reasons, with 30 days’ written notice and an opportunity to respond before their board.
What it does
Covered Kentucky public colleges can dismiss faculty for genuine financial reasons, with 30 days’ written notice and a chance to respond. Universities governed by trustees can also dismiss presidents for financial reasons.
Covered public college boards may give presidents authority to hire and dismiss faculty and other employees under board policy. Faculty notice and response protections for financial dismissals still apply.
Argument forColleges could adjust staffing to address financial problems, while notice and a chance to respond could help faculty challenge dismissal reasons.
Argument againstFaculty could lose their jobs because their program has low enrollment or financial problems, even when their own work meets expectations.
More detail
Covered public college boards can dismiss faculty for genuine financial reasons. These provisions cover faculty at universities governed by regents and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. The trustee provisions also cover presidents, professors, and teachers, including at the University of Louisville. Financial reasons include a financial crisis, low enrollment, and a mismatch between revenue and costs within a college, department, program, or major. Faculty must receive 30 days’ written notice explaining the reason and an opportunity to respond before the board, with a lawyer if desired, and present testimony. Boards must establish financial dismissal procedures, share them with faculty, and make them effective no later than October 1, 2026. The act takes effect upon becoming law.
Covered public college boards may let presidents make hiring and dismissal decisions. The permission covers faculty and other employees at the institutions governed by these statutes, including the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and the University of Louisville. Delegation must follow a policy adopted by the governing board. Faculty facing financial dismissal must still receive written notice and an opportunity to respond before the board. The act takes effect upon becoming law.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 14delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 169)Latest
- Vote recorded OVERRIDE VETO FINAL PASSAGE HB 490. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Veto Override. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 14enrolled, signed by President of the SenateTo Governor
- Apr 14enrolled, signed by Speaker of the HouseMajor
- Apr 14received in House
- Apr 14passed 32-6Major
- Apr 14veto overriddenMajor
- Apr 14posted for consideration of Governor's veto
- Apr 14to Rules (S)Minor
- Apr 14received in Senate
- Apr 14passed 80-19Major
- Apr 14veto overriddenMajor
- Apr 14posted for consideration of Governor's veto
- Apr 14taken from Rules
- Apr 14to Rules (H)Minor
- Apr 14received in House
- Apr 13VetoedMajor
- Apr 2
- Vote recorded Final Passage. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 1delivered to Governor
- Apr 1enrolled, signed by President of the SenateMajor
- Apr 1enrolled, signed by Speaker of the HouseMajor
- Apr 1passed 75-18Major
- Apr 1House concurred in Committee Substitute (1)
- Mar 31posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
- Mar 31to Rules (H)Minor
- Mar 31received in House
- Mar 273rd reading, passed 30-7 with Committee Substitute (1)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded PASS HB 490 w/ SCS 1. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 26passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day
- Mar 26placed in the Orders of the Day
- Mar 26taken from Rules
- Mar 26reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1)Minor
- Mar 25returned to Education (S)
- Mar 252nd readingMinor
- Mar 25taken from Education (S)
- Mar 24returned to Education (S)
- Mar 241st readingMinor
- Mar 24taken from Education (S)
- Mar 24to Education (S)Minor
- Feb 18to Committee on Committees (S)Minor
- Feb 18received in Senate
- Feb 173rd reading, passed 72-21 with Floor Amendment (1)Passed House
- Vote recorded Pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 13posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 17 2026
- Feb 12floor amendment (1) filedMinor
- Feb 112nd reading, to RulesMinor
- Feb 10reported favorably, 1st reading, to CalendarMinor
- Feb 3to Postsecondary Education (H)Minor
- Jan 27to Committee on Committees (H)Minor
- Jan 27introduced in HouseIntroduced
- Apr 14delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 169)Latest
EducationEconomy & Jobs