Senate Committee Advances Bill to Modernize Kentucky Public-Notice Rules
February 12, 2026 | 2026 Legislature KY, Kentucky
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State Sen. David Givens introduced Senate Bill 141 and the Senate State Local Government Committee voted to report it favorably by a 10-0 margin.
The bill, Givens said, is the product of negotiations among the Kentucky Press Association, the Kentucky League of Cities and the Kentucky Association of Counties aimed at balancing transparency, taxpayer cost and the role of local newspapers. "We have recurring conflicts" over how to deliver legal public notices, Givens said, and the groups reached agreed language to modernize the system.
Gracie Kelly of the Kentucky League of Cities outlined key provisions, saying the bill defines a published statement of ownership, aligns Kentucky law with forms newspapers already file with the U.S. Postal Service, clarifies when a newspaper is considered published in a community and provides objective rules when more than one newspaper serves an area or when no qualifying paper exists. Section 3 adds a process to cure inadvertent publication errors, and other sections set fair rates for notices and update ad-size and hearing-timeline requirements.
Jay Nolan of the Kentucky Press Association said the association will provide free, around-the-clock statewide access to public notices at kypublicnotice.com "at no cost to the state." He described the measure as a way to broaden reach while preserving the permanence of print: "Once they're in print, they're solid."
Committee members who spoke in favor said the bill preserves the role of local newspapers while modernizing public access. Several senators made brief remarks explaining their aye votes; the committee chair announced the committee had voted 10-0 to report SB141 favorably and said the bill is expected to receive a favorable recommendation on the floor.
The committee took the vote after a short presentation and discussion; no amendments or substantive opposition were recorded during the committee session. The next step for SB141 is consideration by the full Senate.
The bill, Givens said, is the product of negotiations among the Kentucky Press Association, the Kentucky League of Cities and the Kentucky Association of Counties aimed at balancing transparency, taxpayer cost and the role of local newspapers. "We have recurring conflicts" over how to deliver legal public notices, Givens said, and the groups reached agreed language to modernize the system.
Gracie Kelly of the Kentucky League of Cities outlined key provisions, saying the bill defines a published statement of ownership, aligns Kentucky law with forms newspapers already file with the U.S. Postal Service, clarifies when a newspaper is considered published in a community and provides objective rules when more than one newspaper serves an area or when no qualifying paper exists. Section 3 adds a process to cure inadvertent publication errors, and other sections set fair rates for notices and update ad-size and hearing-timeline requirements.
Jay Nolan of the Kentucky Press Association said the association will provide free, around-the-clock statewide access to public notices at kypublicnotice.com "at no cost to the state." He described the measure as a way to broaden reach while preserving the permanence of print: "Once they're in print, they're solid."
Committee members who spoke in favor said the bill preserves the role of local newspapers while modernizing public access. Several senators made brief remarks explaining their aye votes; the committee chair announced the committee had voted 10-0 to report SB141 favorably and said the bill is expected to receive a favorable recommendation on the floor.
The committee took the vote after a short presentation and discussion; no amendments or substantive opposition were recorded during the committee session. The next step for SB141 is consideration by the full Senate.
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