26RS SB 343

Senate Bill 343

Actions

Last Action	03/02/26: to Committee on Committees (S)
Title	AN ACT relating to the Department of Workers' Claims and declaring an emergency.
Bill Documents	Introduced
Bill Request Number	1402
Sponsor	P. Wheeler
Summary of Original Version	Create a new section of KRS Chapter 342 to establish the Department of Workers' Claims to be administratively attached to the Office of the Governor; amend KRS 342.122 to provide that the combined budgets of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, Workers' Compensation Nominating Committee, Department of Workplace Standards, and the proportional support for general administration and approved indirect cost allocation to the Education and Labor Cabinet, shall not exceed 75% of the total combined budget submitted by the Workers’ Compensation Funding Commission and that the Workers’ Compensation Funding Commission, the Department of Workers’ Claims, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the Workers’ Compensation Nominating Committee, the Department of Workplace Standards, excluding the Division of Wages and Hours contained within the Department of Workplace Standards, and the Education and Labor Cabinet, shall each submit a budget which shall be combined by the Workers’ Compensation Funding Commission and reflected in the enacted budget of the Commonwealth; amend KRS 342.228 to require the commissioner of the Department of Workers' Claims to have specified knowledge and experience in the areas of public administration, administrative law, and workers' compensation by having a minimum of 8 years of legal practice experience in the area of workers' compensation; amend KRS 342.230 to authorize the commissioner to fill all positions in the Department for Workers' Claims with KRS Chapter 18A employees; amend KRS 151B.015 to remove the Department of Workers' Claims from the Education and Labor Cabinet; amend various other sections to conform; provide that all records, equipment, staff, budgets, and unexpended funds associated with the Department of Workers' Claims shall be transferred as part of the reorganization; provide that all administrative regulations, decisions, and actions of the department that have not been repealed or rescinded shall continue in effect after the effective date of the Act, unless and until they are amended, repealed, or rescinded by the department after the effective date of this Act; EMERGENCY.
Index Headings of Original Version	Effective Dates, Emergency - Department of Workers' Claims, reorganization Funds - Special Fund, Department of Workers' Claims, reorganization Reorganization - Education and Labor Cabinet, Department of Workers' Claims, reorganization Reorganization - Department of Workers' Claims, Office of the Governor, reorganization State Agencies - Education and Labor Cabinet, Department of Workers' Claims, reorganization State Agencies - Department of Workers' Claims, Office of the Governor, reorganization Workers Compensation - Department of Workers' Claims, reorganization Governor - Department of Workers' Claims, Office of the Governor, reorganization Labor And Industry - Department of Workers' Claims, reorganization Workforce - Department of Workers' Claims, reorganization