House Bill 542

Actions | Amendments
Last Action 03/09/26: to Committee on Committees (S)
Title AN ACT relating to eminent domain and declaring an emergency.
Bill Documents Current
Introduced
Fiscal Impact Statements Local Mandate
Additional Fiscal Impact Statements Exist
Bill Request Number 863
Sponsors M. Dossett, R. Bivens, B. Chester-Burton, M. Hart
Summary of Original Version Amend KRS 382.850 to require a condemnor in an eminent domain action involving property subject to a conservation easement to provide a written report to the court justifying the condemnation due to lack of feasible alternative locations; allow the court to dismiss the condemnation action if the lack of alternative locations is not demonstrated; amend KRS 262.850 to require a condemnor in an eminent domain action involving property located in an agricultural district to provide a written report to the court justifying the condemnation due to lack of feasible alternative locations; allow the court to dismiss the condemnation action if the lack of alternative locations is not demonstrated; amend KRS 416.550 prohibit a condemnor from engaging in false, intimidating, or misleading negotiation tactics; allow a property owner of potentially condemned property to obtain an independent appraisal within 60 days of an initial offer for purchase; reduce the indepdent appraisal period to 30 days if the property owner refuses the initial offer for purchase; prohibit the filing of a condemnation action within the independent appraisal period; establish a penalty of dismissal of the condemnation action, payment of attorney's fees, and a bar on future condemnation actions for violations; amend KRS 416.560 to specify requirements for contents of notice of entry to owners of property; establish penalty for failure to give notice; require condemnor to give notice of a material change to the project; require condemnor to use only current data for surveys; provide a copy of a survey to the property owner within 15 days of completion; allow the property owner to petition a local legislative body for a public meeting regarding the proposed taking; amend KRS 416.610 to require the condemnor to take measures to ensure access to property during on-site work on a project where only a portion of the property has been condemned; amend KRS 416.660 to include preexisting improvements on property and the value of agricultural improvements in the determination of fair market value of condemned property; amend KRS 416.570, 416.600, 416.630, 416.640, and 416.650 to conform; EMERGENCY.
Index Headings of Original Version Agriculture - Agricultural districts, eminent domain, feasible alternative locations, requirement
Agriculture - Conservation easements, eminent domain, feasible alternative locations, requirement
Civil Actions - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Civil Procedure - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Effective Dates, Emergency - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Eminent Domain And Condemnation - Procedures, establishment
Environment And Conservation - Conservation easements, eminent domain, feasible alternative locations, requirement
Notices - Eminent domain, notice to owner of property, requirements, penalty
Property - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Public Utilities - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Real Estate - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Local Mandate - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Jump to Proposed Amendments House Committee Substitute 1 with Fiscal Impact Statements
Votes Vote History

Actions

Top | Amendments
02/03/26
  • introduced in House
  • to Committee on Committees (H)
02/10/26
  • to Judiciary (H)
03/04/26
  • reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
03/05/26
  • 2nd reading, to Rules
  • posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 06 2026
03/06/26
  • 3rd reading, passed 90-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
03/09/26
  • received in Senate
  • to Committee on Committees (S)

Proposed Amendments

Top | Actions
Amendment House Committee Substitute 1
Fiscal Impact Statement Local Mandate to House Committee Substitute 1
Summary Retain original provisions, except define "feasible alternative location"; require that the written report submitted to the court regarding feasible alternative locations be a sworn document; allow a property owner to continue to challenge the necessity of the condemnation and offer his or her own feasible alternative locations for the project; include counties, water districts, and water associations in the list of entities excepted from the feasible alternative locations requirement; require condemnors to pay costs, expenses, and attorney's fees for actions dismissed for improper negotiation tactics; require all parties to use certified appraisers for any appraisal of the property unless the value of the property to be taken is less than $25,000; require condemnors to take into consideration the value of the property determined by the property owner's appraisal in negotiating a purchase price; require the condemnor to host and secure a site in the county where the project is located for a public meeting; provide that the sole purpose of a public meeting shall be to accept comments from the public regarding a proposed project; provide that a property owner may only request a public meeting if a public meeting has not previously been held; provide that this Act shall not be interpreted to conflict with any laws applicable to takings by federal entities.
Index Headings Agriculture - Agricultural districts, eminent domain, feasible alternative location, definition
Agriculture - Conservation easements, eminent domain, feasible alternative location, definition
Civil Actions - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Civil Procedure - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment
Eminent Domain And Condemnation - Procedures, establishment
Environment And Conservation - Conservation easements, eminent domain, feasible alternative location, definition
Notices - Eminent domain, notice to property owner, requirements, penalty
Property - Eminent domain, procedures, establishment

Last updated: 3/9/2026 7:15 PM (EDT)