Kentucky lawmakers won’t be able to file proposed bills until the next legislative session starts Jan. 7. But that hasn’t stopped them from saying what they plan to submit.

During the 2024 interim, several legislators shared draft bills they plan to file during in the 2025 legislative session. While some are bills that have been filed in previous years, others are new ideas.

The only way to view pre-filed bills publicly is if lawmakers share their drafts on their own social media accounts, websites or as part of meeting materials for interim committees. That’s because legislation passed in 2022 removed the process of posting pre-filed bills on the Legislative Research Commission’s website.

Here’s a look at some of the bills lawmakers have shared or said are expected to appear during session.

Requiring bathrooms by ‘biological sex’

In August, Republican Rep. Matt Lockett shared draft language of a bill that would require more than a majority of restrooms in public schools be designated for a specific biological sex.

At an Interim Joint Committee on Education meeting, Lockett said the bill is a response to Fayette County Public Schools building gender-neutral restrooms with individual private floor-to-ceiling stalls at Britton Middle School.

His draft bill would require at least 90% of restroom facilities in school buildings that serve more than 100 students be designated for “a specific sex.”

Lockett said the bill’s goal is to protect children and provide “a facility for learning where they won’t feel threatened, embarrassed or be afraid to use the restroom.”

Prohibiting some sex offenders from Halloween activities

Rep. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, announced in October he plans to file a bill that would prohibit many people on Kentucky’s sex offender registry from participating in Halloween activities involving minors.

In the draft copy of the bill, registrants who have committed criminal offenses against minors would be prohibited from engaging in Halloween-related activities. That would include trick-or-treating, costume parties where children are present or events involving the distribution of candy to kids.

The bill would apply to 14 days before and after Oct. 31 of each year. Violating the restrictions would result in a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class D felony for subsequent offenses.

Making fluoridation in water optional

Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, is renewing the push to make fluoridation in water optional for local districts.

The bill Hart said he plans to file again next session would eliminate the state’s water fluoridation mandate. Last year’s legislative session was the first time Hart’s bill received a committee hearing, but it didn’t make it across the finish line.

Hart said the bill wouldn’t ban the use of fluoride but would protect the state from liability related to “risks” stemming from fluoride exposure, citing data from a report released by the National Toxicology Program.

Meanwhile, prominent health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and American Academy of Pediatrics, say adding small amounts of fluoride to public drinking water helps strengthen teeth, with research showing fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by 25% in children and adults.

Holding parents accountable for gun violence involving minors

Republican Rep. Kim Banta, with Democratic Rep. Tina Bojanowski as co-sponsor, plans to file a bill that would hold parents and guardians accountable for gun violence carried out by a minor in their care.

The Kentucky Lantern reported that Banta’s bill would let individuals who are hurt or threatened by a minor using a gun sue the minor’s parents or guardians. Besides killing a person, that could also include threatening someone with a gun and shooting a neighbor’s dog.

Requiring licenses for tobacco retailers

Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, is working on a bill he believes would help keep tobacco products away from minors.

At an interim committee meeting, Higdon said his bill would require licensing for all sellers of vape or tobacco products, allowing for enforcement by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The bill also would implement stricter fines and penalties for retailers who violate the law and allow ABC officers to inspect businesses without a warrant.

Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.