{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-151b.017","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 151B.017","heading":"Secretary -- Duties -- Permitted actions -- Administrative regulations.","body":"(1) The secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet shall be appointed by the\nGovernor pursuant to KRS 12.255 and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.\nThe sec retary shall have general supervision and direction over all activities and\nfunctions of the cabinet and its employees shall be responsible for carrying out the\nprograms and policies of the cabinet. The secretary shall be the chief executive\nofficer of the cabinet and shall have authority to enter into contracts, subject to the\napproval of the secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet, when the\ncontracts are deemed necessary to implement and carry out the programs of the\ncabinet. The secretary sha ll have the authority to require coordination and\nnonduplication of services provided under the federal Workforce Investment Act, as\namended. The secretary shall have the authority to mandate fiscal responsibility and\ndispute resolution procedures among state organizational units for services provided\nunder the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.\n(2) (a) The secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet, and the secretary's\ndesignated representatives, in the discharge of the duties of the secretary may:\n1. Administer oaths and affirmations, take depositions, certify official acts,\nand issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and parties\nand the production of books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, and\nother records considered nece ssary and relevant to the matter under\ninvestigation;\n2. Administer oaths;\n3. Examine witnesses under oath;\n4. Take verification of proof or written instruments; and\n5. Take testimony, depositions, and affidavits to carry out any law over\nwhich the cabinet has jurisdiction.\n(b) When a person fails to comply with a cabinet subpoena, the Circuit Court of\nthe county in which the person is found, resides, or has his principal place of\nbusiness may, upon application of the secretary, his or her representative, o r\nthe party requesting the subpoena, issue an order requiring compliance. In any\nproceeding brought under this section, the Circuit Court having issued the\norder of compliance may modify or set aside the subpoena.\n(c) Subpoenas issued under this section may be served by an authorized\nrepresentative of the cabinet, at any place in the state.\n(3) The secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet may delegate any duties of the\nsecretary's office to employees of the cabinet as he or she deems necessary and\nappropriate, unless otherwise prohibited by statute.\n(4) The secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet shall promulgate, administer, and\nenforce administrative regulations that are necessary to implement programs\nmandated by federal law, qualify for the receipt of federal funds, and cooperate\nwith other state and federal agencies for the proper administration of the cabinet\nand its programs, except for programs and federal funds within the authority of the\nDepartment of E ducation, the Kentucky Board of Education, and the Education\nProfessional Standards Board.\n(5) The secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet shall have the duties,\nresponsibilities, power, and authority relating to labor, wages and hours,\noccupational s afety and health of employees, child labor, workers' compensation,\nand all other matters pertaining to Kentucky labor laws and the state's regulation of\nlabor in the Commonwealth.\n(6) The secretary, in person or by representative, shall:\n(a) Investigate and ascertain the wages of all employees employed in this state;\n(b) Enter the place of business or employment of any employer of employees to\nexamine and inspect all books, registers, payrolls, and other records that have\na bearing upon the question of wage s of employees and to ascertain\ncompliance with the orders of the secretary; and\n(c) Require from the employer a full and correct statement, in writing when the\nsecretary or the secretary's representative considers it necessary, of the wages\npaid to all employees of the employer.\n(7) (a) The secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet, in person or by\nrepresentative, may prosecute any violation of any provision of any law which\nis his or her duty to administer or enforce.\n(b) 1. The secretary may enter int o reciprocal agreements with the\ncorresponding labor agency or official of any other state to collect in the\nother state claims assigned to the secretary.\n2. To the extent allowed by a reciprocal agreement, the secretary may\nmaintain actions in the courts of another state to collect claims and\njudgments for wages and assign claims and judgments to the agency or\nofficial of another state for collection.\n3. If a reciprocal agreement extends a like comity to cases arising in the\nCommonwealth, the secretary may  maintain actions in the courts of the\nCommonwealth to collect claims and judgments for wages arising in the\nother state in the same manner and to the same extent that actions are\nauthorized when arising in the Commonwealth.\n(8) The secretary of the Educat ion and Labor Cabinet shall develop and promulgate\nadministrative regulations that protect the confidential nature of all records and\nreports of the Office of Unemployment Insurance, the Career Development Office,\nand the Office of Industry and Apprenticeship Services, which directly or indirectly\nidentify a client or former client and which ensure that these records are not\ndisclosed to or by any person, except if:\n(a) The person identified gives his or her consent; or\n(b) Disclosure may be permitted under state or federal law.\n(9) Notwithstanding any other state statute or administrative regulation to the contrary,\nany information concerning individual clients or applicants in the possession of the\nDepartment of Workforce Development may be shared with any  authorized\nrepresentative of any other state or local governmental agency if the agency has a\ndirect, tangible, and legitimate interest in the individual. The agency receiving the\ninformation shall ensure the confidentiality of all information received. T he\nDepartment of Workforce Development may share information concerning a client\nor applicant with any private or quasi-private agency if the agency has:\n(a) An agreement with the cabinet ensuring the confidentiality of the information;\nand\n(b) A direct, tangible, and legitimate interest in the individual.\n(10) The secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet, with the approval of the\nGovernor, shall appoint necessary deputies, attorneys, statisticians, inspectors, and\nother employees and fix their salaries  according to law. These employees shall\nreceive their actual necessary expenses.","path":["KRS Chapter 151B"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56558","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:50:46Z","sha256":"1010aa4e65ec3d5881cb097f033e25bb8f9d87bb1a13e89b563f3492e8d2e596","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-151b.015","next":"us-ky/krs-151b.019"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}