2026 Regular Session - Day 45 - HB 576 | Rep. Robert Duvall

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, please have the Clerk report House Committee Sub to House Bill 576. House Committee Substitute 1 to House Bill 576. Mr. Speaker, the Committee Sub removes the Appropriation and Emergency Clause, and I'd like to move adoption. Motion is for the adoption of House Committee Substitute 1. Is there any discussion of the Committee Substitute? Seeing none, those in favor signify by voting aye. Those opposed, nay. House Committee Substitute 1 is adopted. Mr. Speaker, please have the Clerk report Floor Amendment 1 to House Bill 576. House Floor Amendment 1 to House Bill 576. This amendment enhances the original bill by adding student retention upon graduating from our universities, and it also adds a targeted marketing campaign to engage potential new residents. Mr. Speaker, I move adoption of the floor amendment. Motion is for the adoption of House Floor Amendment 1. Is there any discussion of the floor amendment? Seeing none, those in favor signify by voting aye. Those opposed, nay. House Floor Amendment 1 is adopted. General McMorrin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 576 establishes the Kentucky Talent Recruitment Grant Program. Simply put, this is a workforce bill mainly focused on attracting out-of-state talent. This legislation was brought before the Workforce Attraction and Retention Task Force during the 2024 interim. Right now, Kentucky is facing a pressing math problem. We currently have a 152,000 job gap in our commonwealth. We cannot solve this shortage of this magnitude simply by shuffling our existing workforce from one county to another. To sustain our economic momentum, we need net new residents. Unlike long-term workforce development pipelines that take years to mature, talent attraction has an immediate impact. It brings ready-to-work individuals right into our tax base to fill local vacancies. These new Kentuckians are 100% incremental taxpayers. They bring new purchasing power to our main streets, new students to our schools, and new revenue to our local and state governments. House Bill 576 provides the necessary seed money to tackle this issue head-on at the local level. People don't just move to a state, they move to a community. This bill creates a grant program to allow cities, counties, and local nonprofits to apply for up to $500,000 grant funding to launch targeted recruitment programs. These grants are used by groups who are focused on economic development, workforce investment, talent development, and community development. One of our main targets is the out-of-state talent, specifically households making an income of at least $60,000. Some key points that make this the right decision for Kentucky. One, there is skin in the game, so communities are required to provide a 20% local match. They must be financially invested in welcoming these new residents. And number two, there is local control. Local leaders know their needs best, and this framework allows them to tailor the programs that fit their specific community, whether they're a small town or a big city. The return on investment projections show that a state investment in a household pays for itself in less than 18 months. We have an opportunity today to make a low-risk, high-reward investment in Kentucky's population and workforce. Also included is an emphasis to make sure that we keep our post-secondary graduates as lifelong Kentucky residents. We also want to embrace regional marketing strategies to introduce the world to Kentucky's beauty, our abundant natural resources, and our friendly people. House Bill 576 will show others why we are so proud to be called Kentuckians. Mr. Speaker, I move passage of House Bill 576 as amended by the House Committee Sub 1, House Floor Amendment 1.