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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 410
February Session, 2024
AN ACT CONCERNING PAID INTERNSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 31-23 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 1
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 2
October 1, 2024): 3
(a) No minor under sixteen years of age shall be employed or 4
permitted to work in any manufacturing, mechanical, mercantile or 5
theatrical industry, restaurant or public dining room, or in any bowling 6
alley, shoe-shining establishment or barber shop, [provided] except the 7
Labor Commissioner may authorize such employment of any minor 8
between the ages of fourteen and sixteen who (1) is (A) enrolled in [(1)] 9
a public school in a work-study program as defined and approved by 10
the Commissioner of Education and the Labor Commissioner or in a 11
program established pursuant to section 10-20a, or [(2)] (B) participating 12
in a paid internship as defined and approved by the Commissioner of 13
Education and the Labor Commissioner, or (2) is participating in a 14
summer work-recreation program sponsored by a town, city or borough 15
or by a human resources development agency which has been approved 16
by the Labor Commissioner, or both, and provided the prohibitions of 17
this section shall not apply to any minor over the age of fourteen who is 18
under vocational probation pursuant to an order of the Superior Court 19 Substitute Bill No. 410
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as provided in section 46b-140 or to any minor over the age of fourteen 20
who has been placed on vocational parole by the Commissioner of 21
Children and Families. 22
(b) (1) A minor who has reached the age of fifteen and is participating 23
in a paid internship as defined and approved by the Commissioner of 24
Education and the Labor Commissioner, or who will reach the age of 25
fifteen during the same school year in which such minor is participating 26
in such paid internship, shall be permitted to work (A) not more than 27
one hundred twenty hours during such school year, and (B) during 28
school hours, provided such hours are approved by the superintendent 29
of schools. Minors participating in a paid internship shall be 30
compensated at the current minimum fair wage, as defined in section 31
31-58, as amended by this act. 32
(2) Each person who employs a minor under the age of eighteen years 33
in a paid internship shall obtain a certificate stating the age of such 34
minor as provided in section 10-193, as amended by this act. Such 35
certificates shall be kept on file at the place of employment and shall be 36
available at all times during business hours to the inspectors of the 37
Labor Department. 38
[(b)] (c) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this 39
section, a minor who has reached the age of fourteen may be employed 40
or permitted to work as a caddie or in a pro shop at any municipal or 41
private golf course, and a minor who has reached the age of fifteen may 42
be employed or permitted to work as a staff member at a youth camp, 43
as defined in section 19a-420, as a lifeguard or in any mercantile 44
establishment as a bagger, cashier or stock clerk, provided such 45
employment is (A) limited to periods of school vacation during which 46
school is not in session for five consecutive days or more except that 47
such minor employed in a retail food store may work on any Saturday 48
during the year; (B) for not more than forty hours in any week; (C) for 49
not more than eight hours in any day; and (D) between the hours of 50
seven o'clock in the morning and seven o'clock in the evening, except 51
that from July first to the first Monday in September in any year, any 52 Substitute Bill No. 410
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such minor may be employed until nine o'clock in the evening. Any 53
minor who has reached the age of fifteen and is employed or works as a 54
staff member at a youth camp or as a lifeguard shall be supervised by a 55
person of at least eighteen years of age. 56
(2) (A) Each person who employs a fourteen-year-old minor as a 57
caddie or in a pro shop at any municipal or private golf course pursuant 58
to this section shall obtain a certificate stating that such minor is fourteen 59
years of age or older, as provided in section 10-193, as amended by this 60
act, and (B) each person who employs a fifteen-year-old minor as a staff 61
member at a youth camp, as a lifeguard or in any mercantile 62
establishment pursuant to this subsection shall obtain a certificate 63
stating that such minor is fifteen years of age or older, as provided in 64
section 10-193, as amended by this act, except that no such certificate 65
shall be required for such minor employed by a municipality as a staff 66
member at a youth camp or as a lifeguard. Such certificate shall be kept 67
on file at the place of employment and shall be available at all times 68
during business hours to the inspectors of the Labor Department. 69
(3) The Labor Commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance 70
with the provisions of chapter 54, as the commissioner deems necessary 71
to implement the provisions of this subsection. 72
[(c)] (d) No minor under the age of eighteen years shall be employed 73
or permitted to work in any occupation which has been or shall be 74
pronounced hazardous to health by the Department of Public Health or 75
pronounced hazardous in other respects by the Labor Department. This 76
section shall not apply to (1) the employment or enrollment of minors 77
sixteen years of age and over as registered apprentices or registered 78
preapprentices in a bona fide registered apprenticeship program or 79
registered preapprenticeship program in manufacturing or mechanical 80
establishments, technical education and career schools or public 81
schools, (2) the employment of such minors who have graduated from 82
a public or private secondary or technical education and career school 83
in any manufacturing or mechanical establishment, (3) the employment 84
of such minors who are participating in a manufacturing or mechanical 85 Substitute Bill No. 410
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internship, registered apprenticeship or registered preapprenticeship in 86
any manufacturing or mechanical establishment, [or] (4) the enrollment 87
of such minors in a cooperative work-study program approved by the 88
Commissioner of Education and the Labor Commissioner or in a 89
program established pursuant to section 10-20a, or (5) the participation 90
of such minors in a paid internship as defined and approved by the 91
Commissioner of Education and the Labor Commissioner. No provision 92
of this section shall apply to agricultural employment, domestic service, 93
street trades or the distribution of newspapers. For purposes of this 94
subsection, (A) "internship" means supervised practical training of a 95
high school student or recent high school graduate that is comprised of 96
curriculum and workplace standards approved by the Department of 97
Education and the Labor Department, (B) "cooperative work-study 98
program" means a program of vocational education, approved by the 99
Commissioner of Education and the Labor Commissioner, for persons 100
who, through a cooperative arrangement between the school and 101
employers, receive instruction, including required academic courses 102
and related vocational instruction by alternation of study in school with 103
a job in any occupational field, provided these two experiences are 104
planned and supervised by the school and employers so that each 105
contributes to the student's education and to his employability. Work 106
periods and school attendance may be on alternate half days, full days, 107
weeks or other periods of time in fulfilling the cooperative work-study 108
program, (C) "apprentice" means a person (i) employed under a written 109
agreement to work at and learn a specific trade, and (ii) registered with 110
the Labor Department, and (D) "preapprentice" means a person, student 111
or minor (i) employed under a written agreement with an 112
apprenticeship sponsor for a term of training and employment not 113
exceeding two thousand hours or twenty-four months in duration, and 114
(ii) registered with the Labor Department. 115
[(d)] (e) Each person who employs a minor under the age of eighteen 116
years shall obtain a certificate stating the age of such minor as provided 117
in section 10-193, as amended by this act. Such certificates shall be kept 118
on file at the place of employment and shall be available at all times 119 Substitute Bill No. 410
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during business hours to the inspectors of the Labor Department. 120
Sec. 2. Section 31-23a of the general statutes is repealed and the 121
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 122
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and [(b)] (c) of 123
section 31-23, as amended by this act, in effect prior to June 2, 2008, any 124
minor who reached the age of fifteen and was employed, on or after 125
October 1, 2007, as a bagger, cashier or stock clerk shall be deemed to 126
have been lawfully employed, provided such employment was in 127
accordance with the provisions of subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, 128
of subdivision (1) of subsection [(b)] (c) of said section 31-23. Any person 129
who employed such minor shall not be deemed (1) to have violated the 130
provisions of subsection (a) of said section 31-23, or (2) subject to the 131
penalties of section 31-15a or 31-69a. 132
Sec. 3. Section 31-24 of the general statutes is repealed and the 133
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 134
Except in technical education and career schools or in public schools 135
teaching manual training, no child under sixteen years of age shall be 136
employed or permitted to work in adjusting or assisting in adjusting any 137
belt upon any machine, or in oiling or assisting in oiling, wiping or 138
cleaning machinery, while power is attached, or in preparing any 139
composition in which dangerous acids are used, or in soldering, or in 140
the manufacture or packing of paints, dry colors or red or white lead, or 141
in the manufacture, packing or storing of gun or blasting powder, 142
dynamite, nitroglycerine compounds, safety fuses in the raw or 143
unvarnished state, electric fuses for blasting purposes or any other 144
explosive, or in the manufacture or use of any dangerous or poisonous 145
gas or dye, or composition of lye in which the quantity thereof is 146
injurious to health, or upon any scaffolding, or in any heavy work in any 147
building trade or in any tunnel, mine or quarry, or in operating or 148
assisting to operate any emery, stone or buffing wheel; and, except as 149
otherwise provided in subsection [(b)] (c) of section 31-23, as amended 150
by this act, no child under sixteen years of age shall be employed or 151 Substitute Bill No. 410
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permitted to work in any capacity requiring such child to stand 152
continuously. 153
Sec. 4. Section 10-193 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 154
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 155
October 1, 2024): 156
(a) The superintendent of schools of any local or regional board of 157
education, or an agent designated by such superintendent, or the 158
supervisory agent of a nonpublic school shall, upon application and in 159
accordance with procedures established by the State Board of 160
Education, furnish, to any person desiring to employ a minor under the 161
age of eighteen years (1) in any manufacturing, mechanical or theatrical 162
industry, restaurant or public dining room, or in any bowling alley, 163
shoe-shining establishment or barber shop, a certificate showing that 164
such minor is sixteen years of age or older, (2) in any mercantile 165
establishment, as a staff member at a youth camp, as defined in section 166
19a-420, who will not be employed by a municipality, or as a lifeguard 167
who will not be employed by a municipality, a certificate showing that 168
such minor is fifteen years of age or older, [and] (3) at any municipal or 169
private golf course, a certificate showing that such minor is fourteen 170
years of age or older, and (4) in a paid internship as defined and 171
approved by the Commissioner of Education and the Labor 172
Commissioner pursuant to section 31-23, as amended by this act, a 173
certificate showing that such minor is fifteen years of age or older or will 174
reach the age of fifteen during the school year in which such minor is 175
participating in such paid internship. 176
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be construed to 177
apply to any person desiring to employ a minor through a youth 178
development program of a regional workforce development board. 179
(c) The State Board of Education shall establish procedures governing 180
the issuance of such certificates. 181
Sec. 5. Subsection (i) of section 31-58 of the general statutes is repealed 182
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 183 Substitute Bill No. 410
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(i) "Minimum fair wage" in any industry or occupation in this state 184
means: 185
(1) A wage of not less than six dollars and seventy cents per hour, and 186
effective January 1, 2003, not less than six dollars and ninety cents per 187
hour, and effective January 1, 2004, not less than seven dollars and ten 188
cents per hour, and effective January 1, 2006, not less than seven dollars 189
and forty cents per hour, and effective January 1, 2007, not less than 190
seven dollars and sixty-five cents per hour, and effective January 1, 2009, 191
not less than eight dollars per hour, and effective January 1, 2010, not 192
less than eight dollars and twenty-five cents per hour, and effective 193
January 1, 2014, not less than eight dollars and seventy cents per hour, 194
and effective January 1, 2015, not less than nine dollars and fifteen cents 195
per hour, and effective January 1, 2016, not less than nine dollars and 196
sixty cents per hour, and effective January 1, 2017, not less than ten 197
dollars and ten cents per hour, and effective October 1, 2019, not less 198
than eleven dollars per hour, and effective September 1, 2020, not less 199
than twelve dollars per hour, and effective August 1, 2021, not less than 200
thirteen dollars per hour, and effective July 1, 2022, not less than 201
fourteen dollars per hour, and effective June 1, 2023, not less than fifteen 202
dollars per hour. On October 15, 2023, and on each October fifteenth 203
thereafter, the Labor Commissioner shall announce the adjustment in 204
the minimum fair wage which shall become the new minimum fair 205
wage and shall be effective on January first immediately following. On 206
January 1, 2024, and not later than each January first thereafter, the 207
minimum fair wage shall be adjusted by the percentage change in the 208
employment cost index, or its successor index, for wages and salaries 209
for all civilian workers, as calculated by the United States Department 210
of Labor, over the twelve-month period ending on June thirtieth of the 211
preceding year, rounded to the nearest whole cent. 212
(2) In no event shall the minimum fair wage be less than the amount 213
established under subdivision (1) of this subsection, or one-half of one 214
per cent rounded to the nearest whole cent more than the highest federal 215
minimum wage, whichever is greater, except as may otherwise be 216
established in accordance with the provisions of this part. 217 Substitute Bill No. 410
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(3) All wage orders in effect on October 1, 1971, wherein a lower 218
minimum fair wage has been established, are amended to provide for 219
the payment of the minimum fair wage herein established except as 220
hereinafter provided. 221
(4) Whenever the highest federal minimum wage is increased, the 222
minimum fair wage established under this part shall be increased to the 223
amount of said federal minimum wage plus one-half of one per cent 224
more than said federal rate, rounded to the nearest whole cent, effective 225
on the same date as the increase in the highest federal minimum wage, 226
and shall apply to all wage orders and administrative regulations then 227
in force. 228
(5) The rates for all persons under the age of eighteen years, except 229
emancipated minors and persons under the age of eighteen years 230
participating in a paid internship as defined and approved by the 231
Commissioner of Education and the Labor Commissioner pursuant to 232
section 31-23, as amended by this act, shall be not less than eighty-five 233
per cent of the minimum fair wage for the first ninety days of such 234
employment, or ten dollars and ten cents per hour, whichever is greater, 235
and shall be equal to the minimum fair wage thereafter, except in 236
institutional training programs specifically exempted by the 237
commissioner. 238
(6) After two consecutive quarters of negative growth in the state's 239
real gross domestic product, as reported by the Bureau of Economic 240
Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce, the Labor 241
Commissioner shall report his or her recommendations, in writing, to 242
the Governor regarding whether any scheduled increases in the 243
minimum fair wage pursuant to this section should be suspended. Upon 244
receiving the report, the Governor may submit his or her 245
recommendations regarding the suspension of such minimum fair wage 246
increases to the General Assembly. 247
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
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Section 1 October 1, 2024 31-23
Sec. 2 October 1, 2024 31-23a
Sec. 3 October 1, 2024 31-24
Sec. 4 October 1, 2024 10-193
Sec. 5 October 1, 2024 31-58(i)
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 1(d), "as defined and" was added after "internship" for
consistency; and in Section 4(a), "as defined and approved by the
Commissioner of Education and the Labor Commissioner pursuant to
section 31-23, as amended by this act" was added after "internship" for
consistency.
LAB Joint Favorable Subst.