A RESOLUTION adopting the Rules of Procedure for the 2026 Regular Session of the House of Representatives.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Lindsey Burke

HR 4 sets the 2026 Kentucky House Rules, outlining how business is conducted, including leadership, committee process, floor debate, amendments, ethics, and timing.

to Appropriations & Revenue (H)

#generalassembly

Summary of HR 4 (2026 Regular Session, Kentucky)

Purpose and Intent

HR 4 adopts the Rules of Procedure for the 2026 Regular Session of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

The measure functions as a procedural framework outlining how the House will conduct its business during the 2026 session.

Key Provisions and Changes

Establishes the formal rules governing:

Organization and leadership roles within the House (e.g., Speaker, Majority/Minority leadership expectations).
Meeting schedules, order of business, and sequence of legislative steps (readings, committee referrals, floor consideration).
Rules for introducing, debating, amending, and voting on bills and resolutions.
Committee structure, jurisdiction, and procedures for reporting legislation. -points of order, parliamentary procedure, and how disputes are resolved on the floor.
Rules related to ethics, conflicts of interest, and conduct during proceedings.
Procedures for emergency actions or special sessions, if applicable.

Codifies process for handling bills, including:

Referral to appropriate committees.
Timelines for committee hearings, markup, and reporting out.
Requirements for floor amendments and debate restrictions (e.g., time limits, germane amendments).

Addresses procedural timelines and calendar management to ensure orderly passage of legislation.

Affected Entities

Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives (including the Speaker and committee chairs).

House staff and officers responsible for procedural administration.

Lobbyists, advocates, and members of the public who participate in the legislative process (by interacting with committees and floor proceedings under the new rules).

Any external bodies interacting with the House in terms of procedural compliance (e.g., ethics bodies if rules reference conduct standards).

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Introduced on January 6, 2026, and assigned to the Committee on Committees (H) on the same day; subsequently moved to Appropriations & Revenue (H) for consideration, with the action history indicating active processing leading up to formal adoption.

The bill is a housekeeping measure that typically becomes effective upon adoption of the Rules by the House, or on a specified effective date contained in the resolution (not provided in the summary text).

Serves as a framework document for the 2026 session, potentially affecting how quickly and smoothly bills move through committees and onto the floor, subject to any amendments adopted during the rulemaking process.

Notes for Readers

As a rules resolution, HR 4 does not create new substantive policy but reorganizes how the House conducts its business.

The exact textual provisions and any nuanced procedural changes would be found in the filed Rules document attached to or accompanying HR 4, including any changes from prior sessions.