Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01312 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 4616 1 of 4
	3	+	LCO No. 4616 1 of 4
4	4
5	5		General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1312
6	6		January Session, 2025
7	7		LCO No. 4616
8	8
9	9
10		-	Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC
11		-	EMPLOYEES
	10	+	Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
12	11
13	12
14	13		Introduced by:
15	14		(LAB)
	15	+
16	16
17	17
18	18
19	19		AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LABOR
20	20		DEPARTMENT.
21	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	22		Assembly convened:
23	23
24	24		Section 1. Subdivision (3) of subsection (h) of section 31-225a of the 1
25	25		general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
26	26		thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 3
27	27		(3) The statement of charges provided for in subdivision (2) of this 4
28	28		subsection shall constitute notice to the employer that it has been 5
29	29		determined that the benefits reported in such statement were properly 6
30	30		payable under this chapter to the claimants for the weeks and in the 7
31	31		amounts shown in such statements. If the employer contends that 8
32	32		benefits have been improperly charged due to fraud or error, a written 9
33	33		protest setting forth reasons therefor shall be filed with the 10
34	34		administrator [within sixty] not later than forty days of the date the 11
35	35		quarterly statement was provided. An eligibility issue shall not be 12
36	36		reopened on the basis of such quarterly statement if notification of such 13
37		-	eligibility issue had previously been given to the employer under the 14 Raised Bill No. 1312
	37	+	eligibility issue had previously been given to the employer under the 14
	38	+	provisions of section 31-241, and he or she failed to file a timely appeal 15
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 1312
38	40
39	41
40		-	LCO 4616 2 of 4
41	42
42		-	provisions of section 31-241, and he or she failed to file a timely appeal 15
	43	+	LCO No. 4616 2 of 4
	44	+
43	45		therefrom or had the issue finally resolved against him or her. 16
44	46		Sec. 2. Subsection (c) of section 31-2e of the general statutes is 17
45	47		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 18
46	48		1, 2025): 19
47	49		(c) Not later than October 1, 2021, the Labor Commissioner shall 20
48	50		designate an Unemployed Workers' Advocate, who shall [serve at the 21
49	51		pleasure of the commissioner,] be in the classified service and shall 22
50	52		devote full-time to manage the daily activities and duties of the Office 23
51	53		of the Unemployed Workers' Advocate. The Unemployed Workers' 24
52	54		Advocate shall have the necessary qualifications to perform the duties 25
53	55		of said office, including, but not limited to, having expertise and 26
54	56		experience in the fields of unemployment compensation benefits and 27
55	57		advocacy for the rights of unemployed individuals. Within available 28
56	58		appropriations, the Unemployed Workers' Advocate shall appoint and 29
57	59		employ such assistants, employees and personnel as deemed necessary 30
58	60		for the efficient and effective administration of the activities of the office. 31
59	61		Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Each physician or advanced 32
60	62		practice registered nurse having knowledge of any person whom such 33
61	63		physician or advanced practice registered nurse suspects is suffering 34
62	64		from an illness related to the exposure of lead, phosphorus, arsenic, 35
63	65		brass, wood alcohol or mercury or their compounds, anthrax or 36
64	66		compressed air, or any other disease contracted as a result of the nature 37
65	67		of the occupation of such person, shall, not later than forty-eight hours 38
66	68		of discovery of such suspected occupational disease, provide the Labor 39
67	69		Department, in a form and manner prescribed by the department, a 40
68	70		report stating (1) the name, address and occupation of such person, (2) 41
69	71		the name, address and business of such person's employer, (3) the 42
70	72		nature of the disease, and (4) any other information required by the 43
71	73		department. Any physician or advanced practice registered nurse who 44
72	74		fails to provide the report required pursuant to this section or who fails 45
73	75		to send such report within the time period prescribed by this section 46
74		-	may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than ten dollars by the Labor 47 Raised Bill No. 1312
	76	+	may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than ten dollars by the Labor 47
	77	+	Raised Bill No. 1312
75	78
76	79
77		-	LCO 4616 3 of 4
	80	+
	81	+	LCO No. 4616 3 of 4
78	82
79	83		Commissioner. No report made pursuant to the provisions of this 48
80	84		section shall be admissible as evidence in any civil action or for a 49
81	85		workers' compensation claim under chapter 568 of the general statutes. 50
82	86		(b) The Labor Commissioner may investigate and make 51
83	87		recommendations regarding the elimination or prevention of 52
84	88		occupational diseases reported by a physician or advanced practice 53
85	89		registered nurse pursuant to this section, provided no information 54
86	90		obtained by the commissioner upon investigation shall be admissible as 55
87	91		evidence in any civil action or for a workers' compensation claim under 56
88	92		chapter 568 of the general statutes. 57
89	93		Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 31-53a of the general statutes is 58
90	94		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 59
91	95		passage): 60
92	96		(a) The State Comptroller or the contracting authority acting 61
93	97		pursuant to section 31-53 is hereby authorized and directed to pay to 62
94	98		mechanics, laborers and workers from any accrued payments withheld 63
95	99		under the terms of a contract terminated pursuant to subsection (b) of 64
96	100		section 31-53 any wages found to be due such mechanics, laborers and 65
97	101		workers pursuant to section 31-53. The Labor Commissioner is further 66
98	102		authorized and directed to distribute a list to all departments of the state 67
99	103		and political subdivisions of the state giving the names of persons or 68
100	104		firms whom the Labor Commissioner has found to have (1) disregarded 69
101	105		their obligations under section 31-53 and section 31-76c to employees 70
102	106		and subcontractors on public works projects, (2) been barred from 71
103	107		federal government contracts in accordance with the provisions of the 72
104	108		Davis-Bacon Act, 49 Stat. 1011 (1931), 40 USC 276a-2, or (3) submitted 73
105	109		false, misleading or materially inaccurate information under subsection 74
106	110		(d) of section [21-53d] 31-53d. 75
107	111		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
108	112		sections:
109	113
110	114		Section 1 October 1, 2025 31-225a(h)(3)
111		-	~~Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 31-2e(c)~~ Raised Bill No. 1312
	115	+	Raised Bill No. 1312
112	116
113	117
114		-	LCO 4616 4 of 4
115	118
	119	+	LCO No. 4616 4 of 4
	120	+
	121	+	Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 31-2e(c)
116	122		Sec. 3 from passage New section
117	123		Sec. 4 from passage 31-53a(a)
118	124
119		-	LAB Joint Favorable
	125	+	Statement of Purpose:
	126	+	To (1) reduce the amount of time an employer can protest
	127	+	unemployment benefits that such employer contends to have been
	128	+	improperly charged, (2) change the position of the Unemployed
	129	+	Workers' Advocate to classified service, (3) require physicians and
	130	+	advanced practice registered nurses to report suspected occupational
	131	+	diseases to the Labor Department, and (4) make technical changes to the
	132	+	labor statutes.
	133	+
	134	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	135	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	136	+	underlined.]
120	137