(1) The Office of Claims and Appeals is created within the Public Protection Cabinet and shall constitute a statutory administrative office of the state government within the meaning of KRS Chapter 12.
(2) The Office of Claims and Appeals shall consist of three (3) separate and distinct administrative boards attached to the office within the meaning of KRS § 12.020:

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 49.010


(a) The Board of Tax Appeals; (b) The Board of Claims; and
(c) The Crime Victims Compensation Board.
(3) The executive director of the Office of Claims and Appeals shall be appointed by the secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet with the approval of the Governor in accordance with KRS § 12.050. The secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet is the appointing authority for the Office of Claims and Appeals, and the executive director shall be directly responsible to the secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet and shall perform the functions, powers, and duties provided by law and prescribed by the secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet. The executive director shall:
(a) Carry out the policy and program directives of the boards; (b) Be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the office;
(c) Establish appropriate organizational structures and personnel policies; (d) Prepare annual reports on the office’s and boards’ activities;
(e) Prepare budgets;
(f) Perform all other duties as directed by the secretary and the boards and necessary for the operations of the office; and
(g) Keep written records documenting the completion of training by staff for and members of the Crime Victims Compensation Board.
(4) The Office of Claims and Appeals shall be authorized to:
(a) Employ necessary staff, secure adequate office space, and execute other administrative and logistical matters as may be necessary to ensure proper functioning of the office;
(b) Promulgate, amend, and repeal suitable administrative regulations to carry out the provisions and purposes of the office’s statutory authority;
(c) Publicize widely the functions and purposes of the Office of Claims and
Appeals and its attached boards;
(d) Enter into agreements with any state agency, political subdivision of the state, postsecondary education institution, or other person or entity to enlist assistance to implement the duties and responsibilities of the office; and
(e) Ensure that staff for the Crime Victims Compensation Board receives trauma- informed training to understand the challenges faced by victims of crime,
including factors that may result in the delayed filing of a claim. Staff shall receive six (6) hours of training under this paragraph within thirty (30) days of being hired, and three (3) hours of training each year thereafter. Training pursuant to this paragraph may be developed in collaboration with organizations and agencies that specialize in victim services and victim advocacy.
(5) The principal office of the Office of Claims and Appeals shall be at Frankfort, Kentucky, and shall be open during regular working hours for the conduct of its business.
Effective: July 14, 2022
History: Amended 2022 Ky. Acts ch. 98, sec. 1, effective July 14, 2022. — Amended
2021 Ky. Acts ch. 185, sec. 12, effective June 29, 2021. — Created 2017 Ky. Acts ch.
74, sec. 1, effective June 29, 2017.