---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to teacher certification and declaring an emergency."
description: "Amend KRS 161.048 to modify the Option 7 alternative teacher certification pathway; remove some initial candidate requirements; allow provisional certification upon qualifying and enrolling in an approved institute; establish the conditions for receiving a professional certificate."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2024RS"
identifier: "SB 265"
citation: "Kentucky SB 265 (2024RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Education", "Elementary and Secondary", "Occupations and Professions", "State Agencies", "Teachers"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["M. Deneen", "S. West"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 23
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2024-02-23T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2024-04-09T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7fde454c-2fd3-4d62-a48f-1e93fe944233"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/24RS/sb265.html"
source_hash: "a37d8f9b4b074235904db0105eb3144868303e311163b3728f2d6a659d60d3ea"
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 SB 265 (2024RS) — AN ACT relating to teacher certification and declaring an emergency.

Amend KRS 161.048 to modify the Option 7 alternative teacher certification pathway; remove some initial candidate requirements; allow provisional certification upon qualifying and enrolling in an approved institute; establish the conditions for receiving a professional certificate.

## 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/24RS/sb265/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 124** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/24RS/documents/0124.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/24RS/sb265/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- FINAL PASS SB 265 W/ hcs1 hfa1 — **pass** (pass) · upper
- PASS SB 265 W/ scs1 scta1 — **pass** (pass) · upper
- Pass — **pass** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- M. Deneen — primary (person)
- S. West — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2024-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-26T05:00:00+00:00** to Education (S) `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-29T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-01T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2024-03-01T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 06, 2024
- **2024-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title) `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-03-07T05:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2024-03-07T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-08T05:00:00+00:00** to Education (H) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-21T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-22T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2024-03-25T04:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 27, 2024
- **2024-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 90-0 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage for concurrence in House Floor Amendment (1) and Committee Substitute (1)
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** Senate concurred in House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2024-04-09T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 124) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7fde454c-2fd3-4d62-a48f-1e93fe944233`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).