Breakdown of HB 1 - Reopen Kentucky
House Bill 1 pertains to reopening the economy in 2021, it is a temporary band-aid on the current situation which the legislature will revisit next session. Here are the basics of what it does. We fully expect the Governor to veto HB 1, and the General Assembly will have to overturn his veto.
It allows a business, nonprofit, or school to reopen (including in-person services) as long as it has a plan for doing so per the CDC or Executive Branch (Governor), whichever is least restrictive.
Allows for employers to not be liable for penalties and interest associated with unemployment as many businesses were not open or not operating at full capacity or had employees for a significant portion of 2020.
Requires long-term care facilities to allow residents to have approved designated visitors who provided care to the resident prior to the pandemic. The visitor and long-term care facility must have procedures outlined for such visits. This is a much-needed item as many of the elderly have declined in health just due to lack of contact with family, and allows for family to make sure proper care is still provided to their loved one in a long-term car facility.
Parental rights shall not be restricted, modified suspended due to the pandemic.
Government agencies cannot exceed current guidelines (CDC or Executive Branch) that impact the operations of entities to stay open to in-person services and fully operational.
