SB 129 — AN ACT relating to the reorganization of the Energy and Environment Cabinet. Amend KRS 12.020 to rename and reorganize offices within the Energy and Environment Cabinet; change the name of the Office of General Counsel to the Office of Legal Services and create Legal Division I and Legal Division II within the office; create the Office of Communication within the Office of the Secretary; change the name of the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission to the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves; remove the Division of Technical and Administrative Support from the Department for Natural Resources; change the name of the Department for Energy Development and Independence to the Office of Energy Policy; change the name of the Division of Efficiency and Conservation to the Division of Energy Assistance within the office; delete all other divisions within the office; amend KRS 56.776 to conform; amend KRS 56.777 to conform; amend KRS 132.020 to conform; amend KRS 141.0405 to conform; amend KRS 141.428 to conform; amend KRS 141.436 to conform; amend KRS 141.470 to conform; amend KRS 143.090 to conform; amend KRS 146.210 to conform; amend KRS 146.230 to specify that the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves establishes standards for pollution of waters included in the Wild Rivers System; amend KRS 146.250 to clarify how stream boundaries are defined for streams included in the Wild Rivers System; amend KRS 146.260 to require the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to study streams for inclusion in the Wild Rivers System instead of the Energy and Environment Cabinet; amend KRS 146.270 to require the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to administer the Wild Rivers System instead of the Energy and Environment Cabinet; delete requirement that management plans relating to fish and wildlife issues be jointly developed with the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources; amend KRS 146.280 to authorize the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to acquire property for the Wild Rivers System instead of the secretary; amend KRS 146.290 to authorize the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to approve permitted land uses inside of Wild River System property instead of the secretary; amend KRS 146.310 to require state agencies to inform the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves of any proceedings affecting streams in the Wild River System instead of the secretary; amend KRS 146.320 to direct the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to assist with the inclusion of Kentucky streams in the federal National Wild and Scenic Rivers System instead of the secretary; amend KRS 146.330 to allow the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to hire staff to carry out its responsibilities relating to the Wild Rivers System instead of the secretary; amend KRS 146.340 to require the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to disburse moneys from the Wild Rivers System fund for purposes of administering the Wild Rivers System; amend KRS 146.350 to extend the authority of the cabinet's Office of Legal Services to taking legal action pertaining to all programs administered by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves; amend KRS 146.415 to conform; amend KRS 146.430 to create the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves; require the executive director to determine employee duties and compensation; amend KRS 146.435 to allow entities to serve as advisors to the executive director; amend KRS 146.440 to conform; amend 146.445 to conform; amend KRS 146.450 to conform; amend KRS 146.455 to conform; amend KRS 146.460 to conform; amend KRS 146.465 to expand the programs administered by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to include the Wild Rivers System, Heritage Land Conservation, and Endangered and Threatened Plants and to conform; amend KRS 146.475 to conform; amend KRS 146.480 to conform; amend KRS 146.485 to conform and change the due date for the biennial nature preserves report to October 1 of each even-numbered year; amend KRS 146.490 to conform; amend KRS 146.495 to conform; amend KRS 146.507 to conform; amend KRS 146.510 to conform; amend KRS 146.515 to conform; amend KRS 146.520 to conform; amend KRS 146.525 to require the cabinet's Office of Legal Services or the Attorney General upon the secretary's request to bring legal actions relating to violations of the statutes administered by the Kentucky Office of Nature Preserves; amend KRS 146.530 to conform; amend KRS 146.550 to define "office" and "cabinet"; amend KRS 146.560 to make changes to the composition of the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board; require the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to provide staff support to the board instead of the cabinet; amend KRS 146.570 to require the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to administer the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation fund instead of the cabinet and to conform; amend KRS 146.605 to define "cabinet" and to conform; amend KRS 146.610 to require the quadrennial report on the Commonwealth's threatened plant species to be submitted by October 1 and to conform; amend KRS 146.990 to conform; amend KRS 149.346 to conform; amend KRS 149.348 to conform; amend KRS 151.720 to conform; amend KRS 152.712 to conform; amend KRS 152.713 to conform; amend KRS 152.714 to conform; amend KRS 152.720 to conform; amend KRS 154.27-030 to conform; amend KRS 154.27-040 to conform; amend KRS 154.27-050 to conform; amend KRS 154.27-090 to conform; amend KRS 157.455 to conform; amend KRS 160.325 to conform; amend KRS 224.10-020 to change the name of the Department for Energy Development and Independence to the Office of Energy Policy; provide that the office will be headed by an executive director; establish a Division of Energy Assistance in the Office of Energy Policy and abolish all other divisions within the office; amend KRS 224.10-022 to establish an Office of Communication within the Office of the Secretary; change the name of the Office of General Counsel to the Office of Legal Services; establish a Legal Division I and a Legal Division II within the office; amend KRS 247.920 to conform; amend KRS 353.5901 to conform; repeal KRS 146.425, relating to the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission; create a noncodified section to provide for the transfer of records, staff, property, and funds from the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission to the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves; require all rules, decisions, and actions taken by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission to stay in effect until repealed or rescinded by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.

Last action March 27, 2018 — Signed by Governor (Acts, ch. 29)