Kentucky 2025 Regular Session

Kentucky Senate Bill SB134 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version

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AN ACT relating to comprehensive universities.  1 
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2 
Section 1.   KRS 164.295 is amended to read as follows: 3 
(1) The six (6) state comprehensive universities: 4 
(a) Shall provide, upon approval of the Council on Postsecondary Education, 5 
associate and baccalaureate programs of instruction; 6 
(b) Shall provide, upon approval of the Council on Postsecondary Education, 7 
graduate programs of instruction at the master's-degree level in education, 8 
business, and the arts and sciences, specialist degrees, and programs beyond 9 
the master's-degree level to meet the requirements for teachers, school 10 
leaders, and other certified personnel; and 11 
(c) Shall provide research and service programs directly related to the needs of 12 
their primary geographical areas. 13 
(2) A comprehensive university may provide: 14 
(a) Programs of a community college nature in their own community comparable 15 
to those listed for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, as 16 
provided in KRS 164.580; 17 
(b) Upon approval of the Council on Postsecondary Education, an advanced 18 
practice doctoral program in nursing in compliance with KRS 314.111 and 19 
314.131; and 20 
(c) Upon approval of the Council on Postsecondary Education, one (1) or more 21 
additional advanced practice doctoral programs. 22 
(3) The Council on Postsecondary Education, in consultation with the Advisory 23 
Conference of Presidents pursuant to KRS 164.021, shall develop criteria and 24 
conditions upon which an advanced practice doctoral degree program may be 25 
approved. The criteria shall include but not be limited to a determination of the 26 
academic and workforce needs for a program, consideration of whether the program 27  UNOFFICIAL COPY  	25 RS BR 1630 
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can be effectively delivered through a collaborative effort with an existing program 1 
at another public university within the Commonwealth, and the capacity of a 2 
university to effectively offer the program. A university requesting approval of an 3 
advanced practice doctoral program shall be required to provide assurance that 4 
funding for the program will not impair funding of any existing program at any 5 
other public university. 6 
(4) The council shall promulgate administrative regulations setting forth the agreed-on 7 
criteria and conditions identified under subsection (3) of this section. 8 
(5) The council shall review advanced practice doctorates consistent with its review 9 
schedule for all other academic programs. 10 
(6) A comprehensive university shall not: 11 
(a) Offer the terminal degrees of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Musical Arts; 12 
doctor's degrees required for professional practice and licensure in medicine, 13 
veterinary medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, pharmacy, law, or optometry; or 14 
the primary degree required for professional practice and licensure in 15 
architecture. The existing school of law at Northern Kentucky University is 16 
exempted from the requirements of this paragraph and: 17 
1. Eastern Kentucky University may offer doctor of osteopathic medicine 18 
degrees required for professional practice and licensure in medicine; 19 
2. Murray State University may offer doctor's degrees required for 20 
professional practice and licensure in veterinary medicine; and 21 
3. Western Kentucky University may offer up to five (5) research 22 
doctoral degree programs, including but not limited to Doctor of 23 
Philosophy degree programs, in areas that the council determines 24 
directly affect the workforce and economy of Kentucky; or 25 
(b) Describe itself in official publications or in marketing materials as a research 26 
university or research institution. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed 27  UNOFFICIAL COPY  	25 RS BR 1630 
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as precluding a comprehensive university from conducting basic, applied, or 1 
translational research. 2