Kentucky Senate Bill 343

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Completed Legislative Action
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: Passed on April 9 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-04-09 - became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 61)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [PDF]

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provide that all administrative regulations, decisions, and actions of the department that have not been repealed or rescinded shall continue in effect after the effective date of the Act, unless and until they are amended, repealed, or rescinded by the department after the effective date of this Act; EMERGENCY.

AN ACT relating to the Department of Workers' Claims and declaring an emergency.

Sen. Phillip Wheeler [R]

2026-03-27 - House - House: Veto Override RCS# 344 (Y: 95 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 5) [PASS]
2026-03-10 - Senate - Senate: Third Reading RSN# 3904 (Y: 37 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-04-09	Senate	became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 61)
2026-04-08	Senate	filed without Governor's signature with the Secretary of State
2026-03-27	Senate	delivered to Governor
2026-03-27	Senate	enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
2026-03-27	Senate	enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
2026-03-27	Senate	received in Senate
2026-03-27	House	3rd reading, passed 95-0
2026-03-24	House	posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 25 2026
2026-03-20	House	2nd reading, to Rules
2026-03-19	House	reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
2026-03-17	House	to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
2026-03-11	House	to Committee on Committees (H)
2026-03-11	House	received in House
2026-03-10	Senate	3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Floor Amendment (1)
2026-03-09	Senate	floor amendment (1) filed
2026-03-06	Senate	posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 10 2026
2026-03-06	Senate	2nd reading, to Rules
2026-03-05	Senate	reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
2026-03-04	Senate	to Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor (S)
2026-03-02	Senate	to Committee on Committees (S)
2026-03-02	Senate	introduced in Senate

Type	Source
Summary	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/sb343.html
Text	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb343/orig_bill.pdf
Text	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb343/bill.pdf
Text	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/26RS/documents/0061.pdf
Amendment	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/SB343/SFA1.pdf
Roll Call	https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/sb343/vote_history.pdf