---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to the public defender system."
description: "Amend KRS 31.030 to remove references to local plans and local counsel; amend KRS 31.211 to remove references to public advocate fees being held in a local public advocate fund; require that the funds be deposited with the Department of Public Advocacy; amend KRS 31.215 to remove references to attorneys participating in a public advocacy plan; amend KRS 31.219 to remove reference to public advocacy plans; amend KRS 31.235 to remove references to district plans; repeal KRS 31.050, 31.060, 31.065, 31.071, and 31.085; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2023RS"
identifier: "HB 568"
citation: "Kentucky HB 568 (2023RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Attorneys", "Criminal Procedure", "Effective Dates", "Delayed", "Public Advocate"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 47
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2023-02-22T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2023-03-30T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/2b91af80-06ab-4066-a03a-695422396b34"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/23RS/hb568.html"
source_hash: "01579042a97496912cb05cb1ab4ba3fbc4cedc483f2a9d79c87981f0327a76f3"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky HB 568 (2023RS) — AN ACT relating to the public defender system.

Amend KRS 31.030 to remove references to local plans and local counsel; amend KRS 31.211 to remove references to public advocate fees being held in a local public advocate fund; require that the funds be deposited with the Department of Public Advocacy; amend KRS 31.215 to remove references to attorneys participating in a public advocacy plan; amend KRS 31.219 to remove reference to public advocacy plans; amend KRS 31.235 to remove references to district plans; repeal KRS 31.050, 31.060, 31.065, 31.071, and 31.085; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/23RS/hb568/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 144** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/23RS/documents/0144.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/23RS/hb568/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- Veto Override Final Passage HB 568 — **pass** (pass) · lower
- Veto Override — **pass** (pass) · lower
- Pass — **pass** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage — **pass** (pass) · lower
- PASS HB 568 W/ scs1 — **pass** (pass) · lower

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in House `introduction`
- **2023-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** to Judiciary (H) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-01T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2023-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2023-03-03T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 07, 2023
- **2023-03-09T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 77-19 `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-10T05:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2023-03-10T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Committee on Committees (S)
- **2023-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** 1st reading `reading-1`
- **2023-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** returned to Committee on Committees (S)
- **2023-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** to Judiciary (S) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Judiciary (S)
- **2023-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading `reading-2`
- **2023-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** returned to Judiciary (S)
- **2023-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** floor amendments (1) and (2) filed `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) `committee-passage`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 16, 2023
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading `reading-3`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** Floor amendments (1) and (2) withdrawn
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** passed 30 -6 with Committee Substitute (1) `passage`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** to Rules (H) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Rules
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** House concurred in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** passed 77-20 `passage`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2023-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Vetoed `executive-veto`
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** to Rules (H) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Rules
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** veto overridden `veto-override-passage`
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** passed 79-19 `passage`
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** to Rules (S) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** veto overridden `veto-override-passage`
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** passed 30 -6 `passage`
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2023-03-29T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2023-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2023-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 144) `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/2b91af80-06ab-4066-a03a-695422396b34`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).