Researcher: HP Page 1 4/28/22
OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 215 (File 645, as amended by Senate "A")*
AN ACT CONCERNING ENGINEERING AND MAINTAINER
POSITIONS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Administrative Services (DAS)
commissioner and the Department of Transportation (DOT)
commissioner to take certain actions related to recruiting and hiring
engineers, engineer interns, and maintainers.
The bill requires the DAS commissioner to recruit interns for the
summer worker professional engineer job classification for DOT when
the DOT commissioner requests she do so. Both commissioners must
promote recruitment at public and independent institutions of higher
education. Starting July 1, 2023, the bill also requires the DAS
commissioner to annually increase the pay rate for this job classification
by any percentage increase in the national consumer price index for
urban wage earners and clerical workers for the previous 12-month
period.
From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, the bill requires the DAS
commissioner to engage in the ongoing successive recruitment of entry-
level engineering and maintainer one positions and transportation
maintainer two positions on DOT’s behalf. It also requires DOT to (1)
establish the duration of the application period for each recruitment and
(2) make an employment offer or reject a candidate within 120 days after
receiving a candidate’s application for these positions.
Lastly, the bill allows the DOT commissioner to consider a
candidate’s application for another open position at the department
without requiring the candidate to submit another application, as long
as the candidate meets the minimum experience and training
qualifications. 2022SB-00215-R02-BA.DOCX
Researcher: HP Page 2 4/28/22
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2022
*Senate Amendment “A” (1) requires DAS to engage in ongoing
successive recruitment of engineers and maintainers, rather than place
the positions on continuous recruitment as the underlying bill required;
(2) removes requirements that the bill’s recruitment and wage
provisions be implemented within available resources, (3) gives DOT
120 days, rather than 60 days, after a candidate’s application to make an
offer to or reject the candidate; (4) allows the DOT commissioner to
consider a candidate for another open position; and (5) makes other
minor changes and technical corrections.
BACKGROUND
Legislative History
The Senate referred the bill (File 398) to the Appropriations
Committee, which reported a substitute eliminating the appropriation
for engineer recruitment and adding provisions stating the bill’s
recruitment and wage requirements must be implemented within
available resources.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Transportation Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 35 Nay 0 (03/24/2022)
Appropriations Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 48 Nay 0 (04/18/2022)