OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sHB-6474
AN ACT CONCERNING COLLATERAL EMPLOYMENT
CONSEQUENCES OF A CRIMINAL RECORD.
Primary Analyst: DC 4/12/21
Contributing Analyst(s): MR, RDP, ME
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill makes it a discriminatory practice for employers to deny
employment to someone because of their criminal record. Currently,
someone victimized by a discriminatory practice can file a
discrimination complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and
Opportunities (CHRO), which investigates and enforces anti -
discrimination laws.
This provision is not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact to CHRO
based on the additional number of complaints expected under the
bill’s provisions. In FY 19, there were 2,028 employment cases were
filed with CHRO and in FY 20, there were 1,922 similar cases filed with
the agency. It is estimated that the additional 120 cases expected under
the bill can be handled by the 39 staff persons currently employed by
CHRO.
Sections 19 - 31 make it a discriminatory practice for the
commissioners of Consumer Protection, Emergency Services and
Public Protection, and Public Health to deny an occupational license
based solely on criminal records. This is not anticipated to result in a
fiscal impact to the state.
The bill establishes a 10-member Council on the Elimination of 2021HB-06474-R000386-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 2
Occupational License Collateral Consequences and requires it to
identify state laws that create barriers for someone to obtain an
occupational license based on their criminal records. The bill also
requires several state agencies to report certain information about their
practices and procedures for performing background checks.
The bill requires the council, by February 1, 2022, to submit a report
on its recommendations to Labor Committee. This section of the bill
has no fiscal impact as PA 17-236 prohibits transportation allowances
for council members.
The Out Years
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None