Gov. Beshear Signs Legislation on Good Friday To Support Kentuckians With Special Needs

Senate Bills 69 and 85 and House Bill 562 deal with education recognition, research and financial planning for Kentuckians with special needs

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 3, 2026) - On Good Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bills 69 and 85 and House Bill 562 to better support families who have children with special needs.

"I'm proud we're able to do some good for Kentucky families this Good Friday by signing three pieces of legislation that will celebrate children with special needs and better support their future and their families," said Gov. Beshear. "Senate Bills 69 and 85 will help fund research and provide a way for families to financially plan for the future, while House Bill 562 will allow students with special needs to earn a diploma for their hard work and education accomplishments. These are children of God and they deserve all the opportunities Kentucky has to offer, and we're doing what we can to deliver."

Senate Bill 69 establishes the Autism Spectrum Disorder Trust Fund, which will help fuel research of and support for Kentuckians living with autism.

Senate Bill 85 creates a special needs trust in the Kentucky state retirement system for families to financially plan for children or other family members who have special needs.

House Bill 562 requires the Kentucky Department of Education to create a diploma for students with special needs who otherwise would not have received one.

Other 2026 Bill Signings
In March, Gov. Beshear signed several bills to support education and safety for Kentuckians. These pieces of legislation included Senate Bill 2, directing school districts to not increase administrator pay greater than the percentage pay increase provided to classroom teachers; Senate Bill 5 encouraging schools to purchase locally grown food; Senate Bill 46, which makes changes to student transportation for increased safety; and House Bill 657, which protects consumers by requiring national and state background checks for specialty providers.

In February, Gov. Beshear signed Senate Bill 172, which helped lower the cost of utilities for Kentucky families.

Earlier this month, the Governor signed Senate Bill 145 related to regulations for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. He also signed Senate Bill 11 into law, establishing a residential safe room rebate program and fund to protect eligible Kentuckians from severe weather.

The Governor also stood with Kentucky public schools in March and vetoed House Bill 1. Click here for the full veto message.

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