Kentucky will rebate storm safe rooms — but only if you open yours to the neighbourhood
Kentucky will rebate storm safe rooms — but only if you open yours to the neighbourhood
2026-09-10 · Kentucky · Regulation
What happened. Kentucky created a residential safe room rebate programme. Senate Bill 11 was signed by the Governor on 23 March 2026 and became 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 5, adding a new section to KRS Chapter 39A administered by the Division of Emergency Management.1
It is a small statute with an unusual condition, and the condition is the story. A Kentucky homeowner qualifies for the rebate only if the safe room is built to be shared.
Who qualifies
The definitions do the work:
“‘Qualified homeowner’ means a resident of this state who has constructed a residential safe room with the intent to open it to others within their community in the event of a weather-related emergency…”
And the structure itself:
“‘Residential safe room’ means a structure that is: 1. a. Stand alone and adjacent to a qualified homeowner's primary residence; or b. An internal safe room within or affixed to the qualified homeowner's primary residence; 2. Designed and constructed to meet or exceed the standards contained in the most current editions of the International Code Council Inc.'s, ICC 500 and FEMA P-361, in adherence to FEMA funding criteria; and 3. Made available and opened to the community during a weather-related emergency.”
The rebate is paid from a new residential safe room rebate fund in the State Treasury, made up of gifts, grants, federal money including FEMA funds, and other public and private funds. Unspent balances and interest carry forward rather than lapsing. Applicants must supply certification from the manufacturer or a design professional attesting that the safe room and its components meet FEMA standards.
The reporting duty that will make this visible
By 1 April each year the Division must report to the Legislative Research Commission, for referral to the Appropriations and Revenue committees, the number of applications by county, the number and amount of rebates requested and issued by county, the reasons for denial or adjustment, and the fund's opening and closing balances.
That is an unusually granular public record for a small programme, and it means county-level uptake will be a matter of public record from the first reporting cycle.
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Related Kentucky HOA Topics
- 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 5 (SB 11) — enrolled Act creating the residential safe room rebate programme ↩
- SB 11, Kentucky General Assembly 2026 Regular Session — bill record ↩
- Strause v. Bradford Grove Homeowners Ass'n, No. 2024-CA-0788-MR (Ky. App. 22 Aug. 2025) (not to be published) ↩
- Strunk v. Taylor, No. 2025-CA-0830-MR (Ky. App. 1 May 2026) (not to be published) ↩
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