KY SB 343
enactedAN ACT relating to the Department of Workers' Claims and declaring an emergency.
Kentucky · 2026 Regular Session · upper
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Quick answers
Did KY SB 343 pass?
Yes. KY SB 343 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-04-09): became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 61)
What is KY SB 343 about?
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 Workersâ Compensation Funding Commission and that the Workersâ Compensation Funding Commission, the Department of Workersâ Claims, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the Workersâ 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 Workersâ 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provide that all administrative regulations, decisions, and actions of the department that have not been repealed or rescinded shall continue in effect after the effective date of the Act, unless and until they are amended, repealed, or rescinded by the department after the effective date of this Act; EMERGENCY.
Who sponsors KY SB 343?
P. Wheeler is the primary sponsor of KY SB 343.
Description
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 Workersâ Compensation Funding Commission and that the Workersâ Compensation Funding Commission, the Department of Workersâ Claims, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the Workersâ 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 Workersâ 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.
- Introduced
- 2026-03-02
- Latest action
- 2026-04-09 — became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 61)
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- P. Wheelerprimary
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-04-09
became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 61)
became-law
2026-04-08
filed without Governor's signature with the Secretary of State
2026-03-27
delivered to Governor
2026-03-27
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
passage
2026-03-27
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
passage
2026-03-27
received in Senate
2026-03-27
3rd reading, passed 95-0
passage,reading-3
2026-03-24
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 25 2026
2026-03-20
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-03-19
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
committee-passage
2026-03-17
to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
referral-committee
2026-03-11
to Committee on Committees (H)
referral-committee
2026-03-11
received in House
2026-03-10
3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Floor Amendment (1)
passage,reading-3
2026-03-09
floor amendment (1) filed
amendment-introduction
2026-03-06
posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 10 2026
2026-03-06
2nd reading, to Rules
reading-2
2026-03-05
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
committee-passage
2026-03-04
to Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor (S)
referral-committee
2026-03-02
to Committee on Committees (S)
referral-committee
2026-03-02
introduced in Senate
introduction
Versions
Documents
Votes
PASS SB 343 w/ SFA 1
2026-03-10 · pass · 37-0
Member-level votes (38)
- Berg: yes
- Girdler: yes
- Mills: yes
- Stivers: yes
- Boswell: yes
- Givens: yes
- Neal: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Carpenter: yes
- Herron: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Tichenor: yes
- Carroll: yes
- Higdon: yes
- Nunn: yes
- Webb: yes
- ChambersArmstrong: yes
- Howell: yes
- Raque Adams: yes
- West: yes
- Clemons: yes
- Madon: yes
- Rawlings: yes
- Wheeler: yes
- Deneen: yes
- Mays Bledsoe: yes
- Reed: yes
- Williams: yes
- Douglas: yes
- McDaniel: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Elkins: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Smith: yes
- Wise: yes
- Funke Frommeyer: yes
- Storm: not voting
Pass
2026-03-27 · pass · 95-0
Member-level votes (100)
- Aull: yes
- Dietz: yes
- Hancock: yes
- McCool: yes
- Sharp: yes
- Baker: yes
- Doan: yes
- Hart: yes
- McPherson: yes
- Smith: yes
- Banta: yes
- Donworth: yes
- Heavrin: yes
- Meade: yes
- Stalker: yes
- Bauman: yes
- Dossett: yes
- Hodgson: yes
- Meredith: yes
- Stevenson P: yes
- Bivens: yes
- Dotson: yes
- Holloway: yes
- Miles: yes
- Tackett Laferty: yes
- Blanton: yes
- Duvall: yes
- Huff T: yes
- Moore: yes
- Tate: yes
- Bojanowski: yes
- Elliott: yes
- Imes: yes
- Moser: yes
- Thomas: yes
- Bowling: yes
- Fister: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Neighbors: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Branscum: yes
- Flannery: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Nemes: yes
- Tipton: yes
- Bratcher S.: yes
- Fleming: yes
- King: yes
- Osborne: yes
- Truett: yes
- Bray: yes
- Freeland: yes
- Koch: yes
- Payne: yes
- Upchurch: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Fugate: yes
- Kulkarni: yes
- Petrie: yes
- Watkins: yes
- Brown: yes
- Gentry: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Pollock: yes
- Wesley: yes
- Burke: yes
- Gooch: yes
- Lewis C: yes
- Proctor: yes
- Whitaker: yes
- Callaway: yes
- Gordon: yes
- Lewis S: yes
- Rabourn: yes
- White: yes
- Calloway: yes
- Griffee: yes
- Lockett: yes
- Raymer: yes
- Williams: yes
- Chester-Burton: yes
- Grossberg: yes
- Maddox: yes
- Riley: yes
- Willner: yes
- Clines: yes
- Grossl: yes
- Marzian: yes
- Roarx: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Decker: yes
- Hale: yes
- Massaroni: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Witten: yes
- Camuel: not voting
- Hampton: not voting
- Lawrence: not voting
- Lewis D: not voting
- Rudy: not voting
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-08-21T21:05:44.493618Z
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