Panel approves bill formalizing transfer of vocational rehabilitation and apprenticeship functions to Labor Cabinet

Senate Bill 178, sponsored by Senator Nemes, would codify an internal administrative move that transferred the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and related workforce and apprenticeship functions from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) to the Education and Labor Cabinet.

Senator Nemes told the committee the statutory language needed to be updated because the office was already operating within the Labor Cabinet after an earlier legislative reorganization. "This is needed because of something the legislature did. We moved a department or an office, I forget which, out of CHFS into the labor cabinet, and we didn't follow through with the statutory things," Nemes said. The bill places the office in statute as the "division of program policy support, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation," and renames an existing division from "business and apprenticeship" to "industry and apprenticeship," with a "division for workforce talent" positioned underneath.

Two staff members from the Education and Labor Cabinet appeared: Leslie Bridal, HR executive for the cabinet, and Jake Fouts, assistant director of fiscal management. Nemes said the money and employees already moved and that the changes largely formalize existing agency structure. "They are already doing this work. The money is already moved, and the employees from the CHFS to the labor cabinet," Nemes said.

The committee considered the measure and completed a roll call. Senator Nemes identified a drafting correction that will be handled by an amendment when time allows. Senator Thomas later recorded that he voted in favor of Senate Bill 178. The committee reported the bill favorably to the Senate.