General Assembly Committee Bill No. 361
January Session, 2011 LCO No. 2563
*02563SB00361LAB*
Referred to Committee on Labor and Public Employees
Introduced by:
(LAB)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 361
January Session, 2011
LCO No. 2563
*02563SB00361LAB*
Referred to Committee on Labor and Public Employees
Introduced by:
(LAB)
AN ACT PREVENTING THE USE OF CREDIT SCORES BY CERTAIN EMPLOYERS IN HIRING DECISIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2011) (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Employee" means any person engaged in service to an employer in a business of his employer;
(2) "Employer" means any person engaged in business who has one or more employees, including the state or any political subdivision of the state; and
(3) "Financial institution" means any state bank and trust company, national banking association, state or federally chartered savings bank, state or federally chartered savings and loan association or state or federally chartered credit union.
(b) No employer or employer's agent, representative or designee may require an employee or prospective employee to consent to the creation of a credit report that contains information about the employee's or prospective employee's credit score, credit account balances, payment history, savings or checking account balances or savings or checking account numbers as a condition of employment unless (1) such employer is a financial institution, (2) such report is required by law, or (3) the employer reasonably believes that the employee has engaged in specific activity that constitutes a violation of the law.
(c) Any employee or prospective employee may file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner alleging a violation of the provisions of subsection (a) of this section. At the request of either party, the commissioner shall hold a hearing, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes. Any employer who violates subsection (a) of this section shall be liable to the Labor Department for a civil penalty pursuant to section 31-69a of the general statutes, as amended by this act. Any party aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner may appeal the decision to the Superior Court in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes.
Sec. 2. Section 31-69a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2011):
(a) In addition to the penalties provided in this chapter and chapter 568, any employer, officer, agent or other person who violates any provision of this chapter, chapter 563a, chapter 557, section 1 of this act or subsection (g) of section 31-288 shall be liable to the Labor Department for a civil penalty of three hundred dollars for each violation of said chapters and for each violation of subsection (g) of section 31-288, except that (1) any person who violates (A) a stop work order issued pursuant to subsection (c) of section 31-76a shall be liable to the Labor Department for a civil penalty of one thousand dollars and each day of such violation shall constitute a separate offense, and (B) any provision of section 31-12, 31-13 or 31-14, subsection (a) of section 31-15 or section 31-18, 31-23 or 31-24 shall be liable to the Labor Department for a civil penalty of six hundred dollars for each violation of said sections, and (2) a violation of subsection (g) of section 31-288 shall constitute a separate offense for each day of such violation.
(b) The Attorney General, upon complaint of the Labor Commissioner, shall institute civil actions to recover the penalties provided for under subsection (a) of this section. Any amount recovered shall be deposited in the General Fund and credited to a separate nonlapsing appropriation to the Labor Department, for other current expenses, and may be used by the Labor Department to enforce the provisions of chapter 557, chapter 563a, this chapter and subsection (g) of section 31-288 and to implement the provisions of section 31-4.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2011 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2011 31-69a
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2011
New section
Sec. 2
October 1, 2011
31-69a
Statement of Purpose:
To increase job opportunities for individuals with some credit issues who are applying for jobs with employers who are not financial institutions.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist.
S.B. 361