---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to the licensure of military-connected individuals."
description: "Amend KRS 12.245 to include military orders documenting a military assignment transfer to Kentucky as valid proof of military service; ensure occupational licensing compacts in Kentucky take precedence for a United States military service member, Reserves or National Guard member, veteran, or their spouse."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2024RS"
identifier: "HB 397"
citation: "Kentucky HB 397 (2024RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Compacts", "Interstate", "Licensing", "Military Affairs and Civil Defense", "Occupations and Professions", "Veterans"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["M. Koch", "S. Bratcher"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 21
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2024-01-29T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2024-04-09T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7a352835-c067-4837-81c7-6419c9f861c1"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/24RS/hb397.html"
source_hash: "ffe61ebf9288cd9d19d01a31b4735c48631c203186bbf5b367475cc610c69a5d"
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 397 (2024RS) — AN ACT relating to the licensure of military-connected individuals.

Amend KRS 12.245 to include military orders documenting a military assignment transfer to Kentucky as valid proof of military service; ensure occupational licensing compacts in Kentucky take precedence for a United States military service member, Reserves or National Guard member, veteran, or their spouse.

## 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/hb397/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 137** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/24RS/documents/0137.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/24RS/hb397/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- PASS HB 397 — **pass** (pass) · lower
- Pass — **pass** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- M. Koch — primary (person)
- S. Bratcher — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-29T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in House `introduction`
- **2024-01-29T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-07T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-08T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2024-02-21T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, February 22, 2024
- **2024-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 95-0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-02-28T05:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2024-02-28T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-11T04:00:00+00:00** to Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (S) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-21T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-22T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill `reading-2`
- **2024-03-25T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 26, 2024
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** passed over and retained in the Consent Orders of the Day `passage`
- **2024-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** passed over and retained in the Consent Orders of the Day `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 38-0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2024-04-09T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 137) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7a352835-c067-4837-81c7-6419c9f861c1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).