HB 5478 — AN ACT CONCERNING TECHNICAL AND MINOR CHANGES TO THE LABOR DEPARTMENT STATUTES.

General Assembly   RaisedSubstitute Bill No.

5478 February Session, 2018   LCO*_____HB05478LAB___032118____* No.AN ACT CONCERNING TECHNICAL AND MINOR CHANGES TO THE LABOR DEPARTMENT STATUTES.

2273   *02273_______LAB* Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES   Introduced by:

  (LAB)   AN ACT CONCERNING TECHNICAL AND MINOR CHANGES TO THE LABOR DEPARTMENT STATUTES.

Work periods and school attendance may be on alternate half days, full days, weeks or other periods of time in fulfilling the cooperative work-study program, (C) "apprentice" hasmeans thea sameperson meaning(i) asemployed providedunder ina sectionwritten 31-21magreement to work at and includeslearn a personspecific trade, and (ii) registered with the Labor Department, and (D) "preapprentice" means a person, student or minor (i) employed under a written agreement with an apprenticeship sponsor for a term of training and employment not exceeding two thousand hours or twenty-four months in duration, and (ii) registered with the Labor Department.

(a) On receipt of a complaint for nonpayment of wages or a violation of the provisions of subsection (g) of section 31-288, the Labor Commissioner, [the director of minimum wage and wage enforcement agents of the Labor Department] the director of Wage and Workplace Standards or the commissioner'sdirector's designee, shall have power to enter, during usual business hours, the place of business or employment of any employer to determine compliance with the wage payment laws or subsection (g) of section 31-288, and for such purpose may examine payroll and other records and interview employees, call hearings, administer oaths, take testimony under oath and take depositions in the manner provided by sections 52-148a to 52-148e, inclusive.

(b) For an individual not included in subsection (a) of this section, the individual's total unemployment benefit rate for his benefit year commencing after September 30, 1967, shall be an amount equal to one twenty-sixth, rounded to the next lower dollar, of the average of his total wages, as defined in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 31-222, paid during the two quarters of his current benefit year's base period in which such wages were highest but not less than fifteen dollars nor more than one hundred fifty-six dollars in any benefit year commencing on or after the first Sunday in July, 1982, nor more than [sixty](1) fiftysixty per cent rounded to the next lower dollar of the average wage of [productionproduction and related]related workers in the state in any benefit year commencing on or after the first Sunday in October, 1983, and (2) fifty per cent rounded to the next lower dollar of the average wage of all workers in the state in any benefit year commencing on or after the first Sunday in October, 1983,2018, and provided the maximum benefit rate in any benefit year commencing on or after the first Sunday in October, 1988, shall not increase more than eighteen dollars in any benefit year, such increase to be effective as of the first Sunday in October of such year.

The average wage of [production and related] all workers in the state shall be determined by (1)(A) the administrator, on or before August fifteenth annually, as of the year ended the previous [June thirtieth] March thirty-first to be effective during the benefit year commencing on or after the first Sunday of the following October, and [shall be so determined in accordance with the standards for the determination of average production wages established by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics] (2)(B) the Connecticut Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages or by such other method, as determined by the administrator, that accurately reflects the average wage of all workers in the state.

Section 17b-733 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):

The Office of Early Childhood shall be the lead agency for child care services, as described in section 19a-77, in Connecticut.

The office shall:

(1) Identify, annually, existing child care services and maintain an inventory of all available services;

(2) provide technical assistance to corporations and private agencies in the development and expansion of child care services for families at all income levels, including families of their employees and clients;

(3) study and identify funding sources available for child care services including federal funds and tax benefits;

(4) study the cost and availability of liability insurance for providers of child care services;

(5) encourage providers of child care services to obtain accreditation;

(6) develop a range of financing options for child care services, including the use of a tax-exempt bond program, a loan guarantee program and the establishment of a direct revolving loan program;

(7) promote the colocation of child care services and school readiness programs pursuant to section 4b-31;

(8) establish a performance-based evaluation system;

(9) develop for recommendation to the Governor and the General Assembly measures to provide incentives for the private sector to develop and support expanded child care services;

(10) provide, within available funds and in conjunction with the temporary family assistance program, as defined in section 17b-680, and administered by the Department of Social Services, child care services to public assistance recipients;

(11) develop and implement, with the assistance of the Early Childhood Cabinet, established pursuant to section 10-16z, a coordinated and comprehensive state-wide early childhood care and education system of professional development for providers and staff of early childhood care and education programs, including child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes that provide child care services, that makes available to such providers and their staff, within available appropriations, scholarship assistance, career counseling and training and advancement in career ladders;

[, as defined in section 4-124bb;] (12) plan and implement a unit cost reimbursement system for state-funded child care services such that, on and after January 1, 2008, any increase in reimbursement shall be based on a requirement that such centers meet the staff qualifications, as defined in subsection (b) of section 10-16p;

(13) develop, within available funds, initiatives to increase compensation paid to providers of child care services for educational opportunities, including, but not limited to, (A) incentives for educational advancement paid to persons employed by child care centers receiving state or federal funds, and (B) support for the establishment and implementation by the Labor Commissioner of apprenticeship programs for child care center workers pursuant to sections 31-22m to 31-22q, inclusive, which programs shall be jointly administered by labor and management trustees;

(14) evaluate the effectiveness of any initiatives developed pursuant to subdivision (13) of this section in improving staff retention rates and the quality of education and care provided to children;

and (15) report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on the status of child care services in Connecticut.

Such report shall include (A) an itemization of the allocation of state and federal funds for programs providing child care services;

(B) the number of children served under each program so funded;

(C) the number and type of such programs, providers and support personnel;

(D) state activities to encourage partnership between the public and private sectors;

(E) average payments issued by the state for both part-time and full-time child care;

(F) the range of family income and percentages served within each range by such programs;

and (G) the age range of children served.

Sec.

12.

Section 31-2d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):

Any order or regulation of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness affecting the functions, powers, duties and obligations set forth in this section and sections 4-124w, 4-124z, [4-124bb,] 4-124ff, 4-124gg, 4-124hh, 4-124tt and 4-124vv which is in force on July 1, 2011, shall continue in force and effect as an order or regulation of the Labor Department until amended, repealed or superseded pursuant to law.

Where any orders or regulations of said office and said department conflict, the Labor Commissioner may implement policies and procedures consistent with the provisions of this section and sections 4-124w, 4-124z, [4-124bb,] 4-124ff, 4-124gg, 4-124hh, 4-124tt, 4-124vv, 10-95h, 10a-11b, 10a-19d, 31-3h and 31-3k while in the process of adopting the policy or procedure in regulation form, provided notice of intention to adopt regulations is printed in the Connecticut Law Journal not later than twenty days after implementation.

The policy or procedure shall be valid until the time final regulations are effective.

Sec.