LCO 2604 \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2022SB-00347-R01- SB.docx 1 of 6 General Assembly Raised Bill No. 347 February Session, 2022 LCO No. 2604 Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS Introduced by: (VA) AN ACT CREDITING MILITARY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE TOWARD CERTAIN LICENSES RELATED TO SUBSURFACE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: Section 1. Section 31-22u of the 2022 supplement to the general 1 statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2 (Effective October 1, 2022): 3 (a) Any member of the armed forces or National Guard or any 4 veteran, within two years of such veteran's discharge from the armed 5 forces, may submit an application for military training evaluation to the 6 Labor Department program of apprentice training set forth in section 7 31-22q. Such application shall include (1) evidence of satisfactory 8 completion of a program or course of instruction as part of military 9 training that is equivalent in content and quality to that required for a 10 specific trade in this state, and (2) if such applicant is a veteran, such 11 veteran's military discharge document or a certified copy thereof. 12 (b) (1) The Labor Commissioner shall evaluate any such application 13 Raised Bill No. 347 LCO 2604 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2022SB-00347- R01-SB.docx } 2 of 6 and determine whether the applicant's military training may be 14 substituted for (A) all or part of the term of an apprenticeship program 15 registered with the Labor Department for a specific trade, or (B) an 16 apprentice's permit issued by the Department of Public Health under 17 subsection (b) of section 20-341d for subsurface sewage disposal system 18 work. [If] 19 (2) In the case of a specific trade under subparagraph (A) of 20 subdivision (1) of this subsection, if the commissioner determines that 21 the applicant's military training is equivalent to the training required for 22 completion of [such] an apprenticeship program for such trade, the 23 commissioner shall issue such applicant a recommendation for review 24 by the appropriate examining board established under section 20-331. 25 Presentation of such recommendation, pursuant to section 20-333, as 26 amended by this act, shall allow such applicant to sit for any licensure 27 examination without [participation] such applicant having participated 28 in an apprenticeship program. If the commissioner determines that the 29 applicant's military training is equivalent to part of the training required 30 for completion of an apprenticeship program, such applicant's hours of 31 qualified military training, as determined by the commissioner, shall be 32 deducted from the hours of apprenticeship training required for the 33 specific trade, provided (A) such applicant completes the minimum 34 number of hours of apprenticeship training required under federal law, 35 and (B) prior to implementation of this provision, the Labor Department 36 obtains concurrence with such provision from the federal office of 37 apprenticeship pursuant to 29 CFR 29.13(b)(9). 38 (3) In the case of subsurface sewage disposal system work under 39 subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, if the 40 commissioner determines that the applicant's military training is 41 equivalent to the apprentice's permit issued for such work, the 42 commissioner shall issue such applicant a recommendation for review 43 by the Department of Public Health. Presentation of such 44 recommendation, pursuant to section 20-341e, as amended by this act, 45 shall allow such applicant to sit for any licensure examination without 46 Raised Bill No. 347 LCO 2604 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2022SB-00347- R01-SB.docx } 3 of 6 such applicant having been issued an apprentice's permit. 47 (c) For the purposes of this section, "veteran" and "armed forces" have 48 the same meanings as provided in section 27-103, and "military 49 discharge document" has the same meaning as provided in section 1-50 219. 51 Sec. 2. Section 20-341e of the general statutes is repealed and the 52 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2022): 53 (a) The Department of Public Health shall hold at least four 54 examinations each year, at such times and in such locations as may be 55 convenient. Notice of the time and place of each examination shall be 56 given in writing to each applicant at least ten days prior to the 57 examination. To obtain a license an applicant shall furnish such 58 evidence of competency as said department shall require. A 59 recommendation for review issued pursuant to subdivision (3) of 60 subsection (b) of section 31-22u, as amended by this act, shall be 61 sufficient to demonstrate such competency. The applicant shall satisfy 62 said department that he has the requisite skill to perform the work of a 63 subsurface sewage disposal system installer or cleaner and can comply 64 with all other requirements of this chapter. A recommendation for 65 review issued pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 31-66 22u, as amended by this act, shall be sufficient to demonstrate that an 67 applicant has such requisite skill and can comply with all other 68 requirements of this chapter and the regulations adopted under this 69 chapter. Upon application to said department for a license, the applicant 70 shall pay to said department a fee of fifty dollars for a subsurface sewage 71 disposal system installer license or twenty dollars for a subsurface 72 sewage disposal system cleaner license. Any such fee shall be waived 73 for persons who present a recommendation for review issued pursuant 74 to subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 31-22u, as amended by this 75 act. The applicant shall present himself at the next regular examination. 76 (b) The Department of Public Health shall conduct such written, oral 77 and practical examinations as it deems necessary to test the knowledge 78 Raised Bill No. 347 LCO 2604 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2022SB-00347- R01-SB.docx } 4 of 6 of the applicant for a subsurface sewage disposal system installer's 79 license on sewage disposal system construction and installation or to 80 test the knowledge of the applicant for a subsurface sewage disposal 81 system cleaner on subsurface sewage disposal system cleaning and 82 servicing. The department shall allow any applicant who has not been 83 issued an apprentice's permit, but who presents a recommendation for 84 review pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 31-22u, as 85 amended by this act, to sit for any such examination. 86 (c) When an applicant has qualified for a license, the department shall 87 issue to such person a license entitling him to engage in the work or 88 occupation of subsurface sewage disposal system installer or subsurface 89 sewage disposal system cleaner until the date for renewal under section 90 19a-88. All fees collected by said department shall be promptly 91 transmitted to the State Treasurer. 92 Sec. 3. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 20-333 of the 2022 93 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is 94 substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2022): 95 (a) To obtain a license under this chapter, an applicant shall have 96 attained such applicant's eighteenth birthday and shall furnish such 97 evidence of competency as the appropriate board or the Commissioner 98 of Consumer Protection shall require. A recommendation for review 99 issued pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 31-22u, as 100 amended by this act, shall be sufficient to demonstrate such 101 competency. The applicant shall satisfy such board or the commissioner 102 that such applicant possesses a diploma or other evidence of graduation 103 from the eighth grade of grammar school, or possesses an equivalent 104 education to be determined on examination and has the requisite skill 105 to perform the work in the trade for which such applicant is applying 106 for a license and can comply with all other requirements of this chapter 107 and the regulations adopted under this chapter. A recommendation for 108 review issued pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 31-109 22u, as amended by this act, shall be sufficient to demonstrate that an 110 applicant [possesses] has such requisite skill and can comply with all 111 Raised Bill No. 347 LCO 2604 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2022SB-00347- R01-SB.docx } 5 of 6 other requirements of this chapter and the regulations adopted under 112 this chapter. For any application submitted pursuant to this section that 113 requires a hearing or other action by the applicable examining board or 114 the commissioner, such hearing or other action by the applicable 115 examining board or the commissioner shall occur not later than thirty 116 days after the date of submission for such application. Upon application 117 for any such license, the applicant shall pay to the department a 118 nonrefundable application fee of ninety dollars for a license under 119 subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (a) and subdivision (4) of 120 subsection (e) of section 20-334a, or a nonrefundable application fee of 121 one hundred fifty dollars for a license under subdivision (1) of 122 subsection (a), subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (b), subdivision (1) 123 of subsection (c) and subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) of subsection (e) of 124 section 20-334a. Any such application fee shall be waived for persons 125 who present a recommendation for review issued pursuant to 126 subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 31-22u, as amended by this 127 act. 128 (b) The department shall conduct such written, oral and practical 129 examinations as the appropriate board, with the consent of the 130 commissioner, deems necessary to test the knowledge of the applicant 131 in the work for which a license is being sought. The department shall 132 allow any applicant [,] who has not participated in an apprenticeship 133 program, but who presents a recommendation for review issued 134 pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 31-22u, as 135 amended by this act, to sit for any such examination. Any person 136 completing the required apprentice training program for a 137 journeyman's license under section 20-334a shall, within thirty days 138 following such completion, apply for a licensure examination given by 139 the department. If an applicant does not pass such licensure 140 examination, the commissioner shall provide each failed applicant with 141 information on how to retake the examination and a report describing 142 the applicant's strengths and weaknesses in such examination. Any 143 apprentice permit issued under section 20-334a to an applicant who fails 144 three licensure examinations in any one-year period shall remain in 145 Raised Bill No. 347 LCO 2604 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2022SB-00347- R01-SB.docx } 6 of 6 effect if such applicant applies for and takes the first licensure 146 examination given by the department following the one-year period 147 from the date of such applicant's third and last unsuccessful licensure 148 examination. Otherwise, such permit shall be revoked as of the date of 149 the first examination given by the department following expiration of 150 such one-year period. 151 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: Section 1 October 1, 2022 31-22u Sec. 2 October 1, 2022 20-341e Sec. 3 October 1, 2022 20-333(a) and (b) VA Joint Favorable