---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to battery stewardship."
description: "Create new sections of Subchapter 50 of KRS Chapter 224 to define terms; prohibit the disposal of covered batteries in solid waste disposal or recycling containers; require the Energy and Environment Cabinet to establish the Covered Battery Stewardship Program; provide for the purposes of the program, including fostering the creation of voluntary battery stewardship organizations; provide for the collaboration with stakeholders in establishing the Covered Battery Stewardship Program; require the cabinet to maintain on its website a list of covered battery collection sites and contact information for transporters of covered batteries; establish the registration process and requirements for voluntary battery stewardship organizations; establish minimum requirements for voluntary battery stewardship plans to be submitted to the cabinet for approval; require each voluntary battery stewardship organization to submit an annual report to the cabinet detailing its covered battery collection, recovery, and educational outreach efforts beginning June 30, 2027."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2026RS"
identifier: "SB 49"
citation: "Kentucky SB 49 (2026RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Environment And Conservation", "Notices", "Reports Mandated", "Safety", "State Agencies", "Waste Management"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["G. Elkins", "R. Girdler", "S. Rawlings"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 26
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2026-04-10T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/539509f8-7e9c-4d45-8aca-b2370359357a"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/sb49.html"
source_hash: "837bd9bbed9e58ee464877a998b96947630e61c82a7c74994c7d058eab232b1d"
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 49 (2026RS) — AN ACT relating to battery stewardship.

Create new sections of Subchapter 50 of KRS Chapter 224 to define terms; prohibit the disposal of covered batteries in solid waste disposal or recycling containers; require the Energy and Environment Cabinet to establish the Covered Battery Stewardship Program; provide for the purposes of the program, including fostering the creation of voluntary battery stewardship organizations; provide for the collaboration with stakeholders in establishing the Covered Battery Stewardship Program; require the cabinet to maintain on its website a list of covered battery collection sites and contact information for transporters of covered batteries; establish the registration process and requirements for voluntary battery stewardship organizations; establish minimum requirements for voluntary battery stewardship plans to be submitted to the cabinet for approval; require each voluntary battery stewardship organization to submit an annual report to the cabinet detailing its covered battery collection, recovery, and educational outreach efforts beginning June 30, 2027.

## 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/26RS/sb49/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 87** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/26RS/documents/0087.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb49/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- FINAL PASSAGE OF SB 49 w/ HCA 1 — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- PASS SB 49 — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Pass — **86–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- G. Elkins — primary (person)
- R. Girdler — primary (person)
- S. Rawlings — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-12T05:00:00+00:00** to Natural Resources & Energy (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-14T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-15T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2026-01-16T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, January 20, 2026
- **2026-01-20T05:00:00+00:00** passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day `passage`
- **2026-01-21T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 37-0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2026-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-17T04:00:00+00:00** to Natural Resources & Energy (H) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-19T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Amendment (1) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-20T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2026-03-20T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026
- **2026-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 86-0 with Committee Amendment (1) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** to Rules (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Rules
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage for concurrence in House Committee Amendment (1)
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** passed over and retained for concurrence in House Committee Amendment (1) `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** Senate concurred in Committee Amendment (1)
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** passed 38-0 `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2026-04-10T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 87) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/539509f8-7e9c-4d45-8aca-b2370359357a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).