---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to workers' compensation. Amend KRS 342.020 to limit the time period of payment of medical expenses for certain permanent partial disabilities to 780 weeks but provide a mechanism to apply for extended benefits; limit the number of drug screens for which the employer will be liable; amend KRS 342.035 to specify circumstances upon which utilization review can be waived; mandate promulgation of treatment guidelines and a pharmaceutical formulary; clarify that a fee shall not be charged when an injured worker requests the initial copy of medical records; amend KRS 342.040 to indicate that interest will not accrue when the delay in payment of benefits was caused by the employee; amend KRS 342.125 to clarify that the four-year period in which to reopen a claim begins on the date of the original order granting or denying benefits and that subsequent orders granting or denying benefits shall not be considered an original order; amend KRS 342.185 to indicate that an application for adjustment of claim for compensation for a cumulative trauma injury must be made within five years of the last injurious exposure to the cumulative trauma; amend KRS 342.270 to require commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to promulgate regulations establishing procedures for resolution of claims; amend KRS 342.315 to include pulmonary specialist as an examiner; amend KRS 342.316 to change procedure for filing occupational disease claims; amend KRS 342.320 to change calculation of attorney fees and increase limitation on amount of fees; amend KRS 342.610 to indicate that the employee must show that the voluntary introduction of a substance into his or her body that causes a disturbance of mental or physical capacities was not the proximate cause of his or her injury; amend KRS 342.700 to allow the recovery in subrogation of indemnity and medical expenses paid to or on behalf of the employee, less a pro rata share of the employee's legal expenses; amend KRS 342.730 to increase average weekly wage caps; set time limits for total disability benefits paid to certain professional athletes; allow payment of temporary total disability benefits to be offset by gross income minus applicable taxes paid to an employee during a period of light-duty work or work in an alternative job position; provide an offset against temporary total disability benefits for salary continuation or wholly employer-funded disability retirement plans; indicate that benefits shall terminate when a plaintiff reaches age 67 or two years after the date of injury, whichever shall last occur; amend KRS 342.7305 to require employment for a minimum of one year in order to be the responsible employer in a hearing loss claim; amend KRS 342.732 to set forth parameters for retraining; delete provisions of KRS 342.792 requiring the commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to adopt regulations regarding the \"B\" reader process; amend KRS 342.794 to require commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to maintain a list of \"B\" readers who are pulmonary specialists; amend KRS 342.990 to conform; specify the applicability of substantive changes to claims arising on or after effective date of Act and remedial changes to all claims irrespective of injury date."
description: "AN ACT relating to workers' compensation. Amend KRS 342.020 to limit the time period of payment of medical expenses for certain permanent partial disabilities to 780 weeks but provide a mechanism to apply for extended benefits; limit the number of drug screens for which the employer will be liable; amend KRS 342.035 to specify circumstances upon which utilization review can be waived; mandate promulgation of treatment guidelines and a pharmaceutical formulary; clarify that a fee shall not be charged when an injured worker requests the initial copy of medical records; amend KRS 342.040 to indicate that interest will not accrue when the delay in payment of benefits was caused by the employee; amend KRS 342.125 to clarify that the four-year period in which to reopen a claim begins on the date of the original order granting or denying benefits and that subsequent orders granting or denying benefits shall not be considered an original order; amend KRS 342.185 to indicate that an application for adjustment of claim for compensation for a cumulative trauma injury must be made within five years of the last injurious exposure to the cumulative trauma; amend KRS 342.270 to require commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to promulgate regulations establishing procedures for resolution of claims; amend KRS 342.315 to include pulmonary specialist as an examiner; amend KRS 342.316 to change procedure for filing occupational disease claims; amend KRS 342.320 to change calculation of attorney fees and increase limitation on amount of fees; amend KRS 342.610 to indicate that the employee must show that the voluntary introduction of a substance into his or her body that causes a disturbance of mental or physical capacities was not the proximate cause of his or her injury; amend KRS 342.700 to allow the recovery in subrogation of indemnity and medical expenses paid to or on behalf of the employee, less a pro rata share of the employee's legal expenses; amend KRS 342.730 to increase average weekly wage caps; set time limits for total disability benefits paid to certain professional athletes; allow payment of temporary total disability benefits to be offset by gross income minus applicable taxes paid to an employee during a period of light-duty work or work in an alternative job position; provide an offset against temporary total disability benefits for salary continuation or wholly employer-funded disability retirement plans; indicate that benefits shall terminate when a plaintiff reaches age 67 or two years after the date of injury, whichever shall last occur; amend KRS 342.7305 to require employment for a minimum of one year in order to be the responsible employer in a hearing loss claim; amend KRS 342.732 to set forth parameters for retraining; delete provisions of KRS 342.792 requiring the commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to adopt regulations regarding the \"B\" reader process; amend KRS 342.794 to require commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to maintain a list of \"B\" readers who are pulmonary specialists; amend KRS 342.990 to conform; specify the applicability of substantive changes to claims arising on or after effective date of Act and remedial changes to all claims irrespective of injury date."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2018RS"
identifier: "HB 2"
citation: "Kentucky HB 2 (2018RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["A. Koenig", "A. Wuchner", "B. Rowland", "D. Osborne", "D. St. Onge", "J. DeCesare", "M. Castlen", "R. Mills", "S. Wells", "T. Herald"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 36
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2018-02-12"
last_action: "2018-03-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/be95616f-9c25-477c-989d-cd9250b6d83d"
source_url: "http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/18RS/HB2.htm"
source_hash: "38a129bc3c85f2148be198053754d381130ea12cf2b3836370bb9e236fe485e5"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky HB 2 (2018RS) — AN ACT relating to workers' compensation. Amend KRS 342.020 to limit the time period of payment of medical expenses for certain permanent partial disabilities to 780 weeks but provide a mechanism to apply for extended benefits; limit the number of drug screens for which the employer will be liable; amend KRS 342.035 to specify circumstances upon which utilization review can be waived; mandate promulgation of treatment guidelines and a pharmaceutical formulary; clarify that a fee shall not be charged when an injured worker requests the initial copy of medical records; amend KRS 342.040 to indicate that interest will not accrue when the delay in payment of benefits was caused by the employee; amend KRS 342.125 to clarify that the four-year period in which to reopen a claim begins on the date of the original order granting or denying benefits and that subsequent orders granting or denying benefits shall not be considered an original order; amend KRS 342.185 to indicate that an application for adjustment of claim for compensation for a cumulative trauma injury must be made within five years of the last injurious exposure to the cumulative trauma; amend KRS 342.270 to require commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to promulgate regulations establishing procedures for resolution of claims; amend KRS 342.315 to include pulmonary specialist as an examiner; amend KRS 342.316 to change procedure for filing occupational disease claims; amend KRS 342.320 to change calculation of attorney fees and increase limitation on amount of fees; amend KRS 342.610 to indicate that the employee must show that the voluntary introduction of a substance into his or her body that causes a disturbance of mental or physical capacities was not the proximate cause of his or her injury; amend KRS 342.700 to allow the recovery in subrogation of indemnity and medical expenses paid to or on behalf of the employee, less a pro rata share of the employee's legal expenses; amend KRS 342.730 to increase average weekly wage caps; set time limits for total disability benefits paid to certain professional athletes; allow payment of temporary total disability benefits to be offset by gross income minus applicable taxes paid to an employee during a period of light-duty work or work in an alternative job position; provide an offset against temporary total disability benefits for salary continuation or wholly employer-funded disability retirement plans; indicate that benefits shall terminate when a plaintiff reaches age 67 or two years after the date of injury, whichever shall last occur; amend KRS 342.7305 to require employment for a minimum of one year in order to be the responsible employer in a hearing loss claim; amend KRS 342.732 to set forth parameters for retraining; delete provisions of KRS 342.792 requiring the commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to adopt regulations regarding the "B" reader process; amend KRS 342.794 to require commissioner of Department of Workers' Claims to maintain a list of "B" readers who are pulmonary specialists; amend KRS 342.990 to conform; specify the applicability of substantive changes to claims arising on or after effective date of Act and remedial changes to all claims irrespective of injury date.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB 2 (As Introduced)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB2/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **HFA1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB2/HFA1.pdf)
3. **HFA2** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB2/HFA2.pdf)
4. **HFA3** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB2/HFA3.pdf)
5. **Most Recent Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB2/bill.pdf)
6. **SCS1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB2/SCS1.pdf)
7. **SFA1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB2/SFA1.pdf)
8. **SFA2** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB2/SFA2.pdf)

## Sponsors

- A. Koenig — primary (person)
- A. Wuchner — primary (person)
- B. Rowland — primary (person)
- D. Osborne — primary (person)
- D. St. Onge — primary (person)
- J. DeCesare — primary (person)
- M. Castlen — primary (person)
- R. Mills — primary (person)
- S. Wells — primary (person)
- T. Herald — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-02-12** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2018-02-13** To Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H) `referral-committee`
- **2018-02-13** Posted in committee
- **2018-02-15** Reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar `reading-1`
- **2018-02-16** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2018-02-16** Posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, February 20, 2018
- **2018-02-16** Floor amendment (1) filed `amendment-introduction`
- **2018-02-20** 3rd reading `reading-3`
- **2018-02-20** Returned to the Orders of the Day
- **2018-02-20** Floor amendments (2) and (3) filed `amendment-introduction`
- **2018-02-21** Floor amendment (1) defeated
- **2018-02-21** Passed 55-39 with floor amendment (2)
- **2018-02-22** Received in Senate
- **2018-03-05** To State & Local Government (S) `referral-committee`
- **2018-03-19** Taken from State & Local Government (S)
- **2018-03-19** 1st reading `reading-1`
- **2018-03-19** Returned to State & Local Government (S)
- **2018-03-20** Taken from State & Local Government (S)
- **2018-03-20** 2nd reading `reading-2`
- **2018-03-20** Returned to State & Local Government (S)
- **2018-03-21** Reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1)
- **2018-03-21** Floor amendment (1) and (2) filed to Committee Substitute `amendment-introduction`
- **2018-03-22** Posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 22, 2018
- **2018-03-22** 3rd reading `reading-3`
- **2018-03-22** Floor amendment (2) defeated
- **2018-03-22** Passed 23-14 with Committee Substitutes (1) floor amendment (1)
- **2018-03-22** Received in House
- **2018-03-22** To Rules (H) `referral-committee`
- **2018-03-27** Taken from Rules (H)
- **2018-03-27** Posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute and floor amendment (1)
- **2018-03-27** House concurred in Senate Committee Substitute and floor amendment (1)
- **2018-03-27** Passed 55-39
- **2018-03-29** Enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- **2018-03-29** Enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- **2018-03-29** Delivered to Governor
- **2018-03-30** Signed by Governor (Acts, ch. 40) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/be95616f-9c25-477c-989d-cd9250b6d83d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).