House Bill 186 — filed by Somerset Republican House member Shane Baker — would also block individuals with citizenship in other countries from becoming mayors, city council members, soil and water conservation district supervisors, or members of county fiscal courts or school boards.
Candidates for mayor or city council would also need to meet a one-year residency requirement.
Vice Mayor Dan Wu, who was born in China but moved to the US as a child, told the Lexington Herald-Leader the bill is a "culture war distraction."
Gov. Andy Beshear said he's not read the bill, but added, "my first question is just constitutionality. That's something that anybody should look at because typically requirements for any office are set out by the Constitution."
State office eligibility requirements are laid out in the Kentucky Constitution, but officials are looking into the language regarding local eligibility rules.