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general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 18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