# Kentucky SB 343: AN ACT relating to the Department of Workers' Claims and declaring an emergency. Kentucky SB 343, AN ACT relating to the Department of Workers' Claims and declaring an emergency., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Phillip Wheeler (Republican); status became law, last action 2026-04-09 (became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 61)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB343-2026RS - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Kentucky SB 343 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to the Department of Workers' Claims and declaring an emergency. - Status: became law - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-03-02 - Last action: 2026-04-09, became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 61) - Sponsor: Phillip Wheeler (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Effective Dates, Emergency, Funds, Reorganization, State Agencies, Workers Compensation, Governor, Labor And Industry, Workforce - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (132 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Faster workers’ comp appeals and judges: benefit, medium. A three‑member Workers’ Compensation Board decides appeals within 60 days after the last brief. Board members meet appeals‑court judge standards and get similar pay and conduct rules. Up to 19 Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) serve four‑year terms and must have at least five years of related practi… - Data sources for treatment pilot: benefit, low. A substance‑abuse treatment pilot must use Medicaid claims data, the controlled‑substances monitoring system, and workers’ claims data. The pilot starts only if funding is available. - New Workers’ Claims Department under Governor: benefit, low. The law creates a Department of Workers’ Claims attached to the Governor’s office. It sets up five divisions for hearings, claims, compliance, funds, and medical services. The Governor appoints a commissioner, and the Senate must confirm. Division directors need the Governor’s approval. Most staff… - Stronger checks on self‑insured employers: benefit, low. The commissioner reviews each year whether financial and security rules for self‑insured employers are strong enough and reports to lawmakers. A legislative committee reviews these rules every year. Five staff were added on July 1, 1994 to audit and monitor self‑insured employers. - Workers’ comp premium assessments through 2029: mixed, medium. For 1997, the law set a 9% assessment on workers’ comp premiums. From 1998 through December 31, 2029, a yearly assessment is set to pay off the Special Fund’s unfunded liability. All assessments go to the Funding Commission’s benefit reserve and replace other assessments or taxes on workers’ comp p… - Rules for old Special Fund claims: mixed, low. The Special Fund covers only injuries or exposures on or before December 12, 1996. Later injuries, later‑manifesting cumulative trauma, or later last exposures are not covered. If your employer settled and a judge later assigns some liability to the Special Fund, the Fund pays its share over the ma… - Workers’ comp rule 803 KAR 25:190 void: mixed, low. The proposed amendment to 803 KAR 25:190 is available to the public at the LRC regulations compiler’s office. If the amendment was not adopted by April 14, 2022, it expired on that date. If it was adopted by then, the regulation is null, void, and unenforceable as of April 14, 2022. From January 4,… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Phillip Wheeler (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-27 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 95 | 0 | | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 37 | 0 | | ## Actions (21) - 2026-04-09: became law without Governor's Signature (Acts Ch. 61) - 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 (Senate) - 2026-03-27: enrolled, signed by President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-27: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-27: 3rd reading, passed 95-0 (House) - 2026-03-24: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 25 2026 (House) - 2026-03-20: 2nd reading, to Rules (House) - 2026-03-19: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar (House) - 2026-03-17: to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H) (House) - 2026-03-11: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2026-03-11: received in House (House) - 2026-03-10: 3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Floor Amendment (1) (Senate) - 2026-03-09: floor amendment (1) filed (Senate) - 2026-03-06: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 10 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-06: 2nd reading, to Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-05: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar (Senate) - 2026-03-04: to Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-02: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-02: introduced in Senate (Senate) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-03-10: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb343/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-03-10: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb343/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 197: AN ACT providing funding and establishing conditions for state government agencies and institutions, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergen… (became law) - SB 133: AN ACT relating to the fiscal reporting of local entities. (signed) - HB 869: AN ACT relating to fiscal matters and declaring an emergency. (signed) - SB 324: AN ACT relating to the entertainment industry. (signed) - SB 66: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle. (signed) - HB 826: AN ACT relating to education. (signed) ## Sources - [Current (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb343/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb343/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related - [SB 197: AN ACT providing funding and establishing conditions for state government agenc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB197-2026RS) - [SB 133: AN ACT relating to the fiscal reporting of local entities.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB133-2026RS) - [HB 869: AN ACT relating to fiscal matters and declaring an emergency.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB869-2026RS) - [SB 324: AN ACT relating to the entertainment industry.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB324-2026RS) - [SB 66: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB66-2026RS) - [HB 826: AN ACT relating to education.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB826-2026RS) - [Kentucky bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/kentucky/bills) - [Kentucky state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/kentucky) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB343-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).