Legislative Task Force Releases Health Recommendations
By Jeff Jobe
Jobe Publishing News Services
FRANKFORT — A legislative task force created earlier this year has unanimously approved a series of recommendations aimed at improving health outcomes across Kentucky ahead of the 2026 General Assembly.
The Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force was established by House Speaker David Osborne and Senate President Robert Stivers and will present its findings to legislative leadership before lawmakers convene on January 6, 2026.
The panel’s recommendations focus on three areas: access to healthy foods, physical health and wellness, and addressing chronic disease through functional medicine.
The task force is co-chaired by State Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, and Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville.
Among the recommendations are expanding “Food is Medicine” programs, improving the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to support healthier food purchases, enhancing school meal programs, and increasing public education on avoiding ultra-processed foods.
Additional proposals include strengthening physical education requirements, increasing transparency in school wellness policies, expanding public awareness of healthy lifestyles, reducing exposure to environmental toxins, and increasing provider education and insurance coverage related to functional medicine.
The task force will formally present its recommendations to legislative leadership in the coming weeks. Full materials are available through the Legislative Research Commission at legislature.ky.gov.
