House Advances Legislation to Strengthen Workplace Safety

UPDATE: House Bill 306 passed the House on Tuesday, January 27, by a vote of 83-7. The bill moves to the Senate for consideration.

At the first House Judiciary Committee meeting of the 2026 legislative session on January 21, Rep. Michael Meredith and Kentucky Chamber Public Affairs Manager Annie Santos testified on House Bill 306, legislation that would clarify Kentucky’s criminal trespass laws as they apply to workplaces.

During testimony, Meredith said House Bill 306 is intended to clarify how the law applies to workplace violence by defining what counts as a workplace and when threatening or disruptive behavior can be treated as criminal trespass.

Under House Bill 306, repeat criminal trespass violations within a three-year period would carry stronger penalties. This includes raising second-degree criminal trespass from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor and increasing third-degree criminal trespass from a violation to a Class B misdemeanor.

Santos said addressing workplace violence has been a long-standing priority for the Kentucky Chamber, and that House Bill 306 represents a reasonable approach to strengthening safety for employers and employees.

House Bill 306 passed the House committee by a vote of 15–0, with two members passing. The bill will now move to the full House for consideration.

Hear from Rep. Meredith in a recent interview with The Bottom Line.

Stay tuned for continued coverage throughout the 2026 legislative session.