Normal Effective Dates

Legislation from Sessions of the Kentucky General Assembly

Updated September 25, 2026

Section 55 of the Kentucky Constitution provides that "[n]o act, except general appropriation bills, shall become a law until ninety days after the adjournment of the session at which it was passed, except in cases of emergency, when, by the concurrence of a majority of the members elected to each House of the General Assembly, by a yea and nay vote entered upon their journals, an act may become a law when approved by the Governor; but the reasons for the emergency that justifies this action must be set out at length in the journal of each House."

Below, the effective date for legislation (other than appropriation bills) that does not contain an emergency or special effective date is set out for each legislative session from 1970. The source of this date is also given. "OAG" stands for a formal opinion of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

NOTE: In years when only one extraordinary session was called, it is still referred to as "First".

Effective dates of legislation by legislative session, 1970 to present
Session	Effective Date
2026 Regular Session	July 15, 2026, per OAG 26-03
2025 Regular Session	June 27, 2025, per OAG 25-05
2024 Regular Session	July 15, 2024, per OAG 24-04
2023 Regular Session	June 29, 2023, per OAG 23-03
2022 First Extraordinary Session	Act had an emergency clause
2022 Regular Session	July 14, 2022, per OAG 22-04
2021 First Extraordinary Session	All Acts had emergency clauses
2021 Regular Session	June 29, 2021, per OAG 21-02
2020 Regular Session	July 15, 2020, per OAG 20-08
2019 First Extraordinary Session	Act had an emergency clause
2019 Regular Session	June 27, 2019, per OAG 19-005
2018 Regular Session	July 14, 2018, per OAG 18-007
2017 Regular Session	June 29, 2017, per OAG 17-007
2016 Regular Session	July 15, 2016, per OAG 16-002
2015 Regular Session	June 24, 2015, per OAG 15-008
2014 Regular Session	July 15, 2014, per OAG 14-001
2013 Regular Session	June 25, 2013, per OAG 13-005
2012 First Extraordinary Session	July 20, 2012, per OAG 12-007
2012 Regular Session	July 12, 2012, per OAG 12-006
2011 Regular Session	June 8, 2011, per OAG 11-002
2010 First Extraordinary Session	August 28, 2010, per OAG 10-004
2010 Regular Session	July 15, 2010, per OAG 10-002
2009 Regular Session	June 25, 2009, per OAG 09-003
2008 Regular Session	July 15, 2008, per OAG 08-001
2007 Second Extraordinary Session	Act had emergency clause
2007 Regular Session	June 26, 2007, per OAG 07-002
2006 First Extraordinary Session	All Acts had emergency clauses
2006 Regular Session	July 12, 2006, per OAG 06-001
2005 Regular Session	June 20, 2005, per OAG 05-004
2004 First Extraordinary Session	Act had an emergency clause
2004 Regular Session	July 13, 2004, per OAG 04-002
2003 Regular Session	June 24, 2003, per OAG 03-002
2002 Regular Session	July 15, 2002, per OAG 02-3
2001 Regular Session	June 21, 2001, per OAG 01-4
2000 Regular Session	July 14, 2000, per OAG 00-4
1998 Regular Session	July 15, 1998, per OAG 96-19
1997 First Extraordinary Session	August 29, 1997, per OAG 97-23
1996 First Extraordinary Session	All Acts had emergency clauses
1996 Regular Session	July 15, 1996, per OAG 96-19
1995 Third Extraordinary Session	November 3, 1995, per OAG 95-32
1995 Second Extraordinary Session	April 28, 1995, per OAG 95-8
1995 First Extraordinary Session	April 7, 1995, per OAG 95-8
1994 Second Extraordinary Session	December 26, 1994, per OAG 95-8
1994 First Extraordinary Session	September 21, 1994, per OAG 95-8
1994 Regular Session	July 15, 1994, per OAG 94-30
1993 First Extraordinary Session	May 18, 1993, per OAG 93-25
1992 Regular Session	July 14, 1992, per OAG 92-72
1991 First Extraordinary Session	May 24, 1991, per OAG 91-38
1990 Regular Session	July 13, 1990, per OAG 89-56
1988 First Extraordinary Session	March 15, 1989, per OAG 89-1
1988 Regular Session	July 15, 1988, per OAG 88-21
1987 First Extraordinary Session	January 21, 1988, per OAG 87-74
1986 Regular Session	July 15, 1986, per OAG 86-6
1985 First Extraordinary Session	October 18, 1985, per OAG 85-113
1984 Regular Session	July 13, 1984, per OAG 84-164
1982 Regular Session	July 15, 1982, per OAG 82-308 and 82-15
1980 Regular Session	July 15, 1980, per OAG 80-44
1979 First Extraordinary Session	May 12, 1979, per Foreword of Acts volume
1978 Regular Session	June 17, 1978, per Foreword of Acts volume
1976 First Extraordinary Session	March 19, 1977, per Foreword of Acts volume
1976 Regular Session	June 19, 1976, per Foreword of Acts volume
1974 Regular Session	June 21, 1974, per Foreword of Acts volume
1972 Regular Session	June 16, 1972, per OAG 72-195
1970 Regular Session	June 18, 1970, per OAG 70-145