SB 407 — AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COVERAGE FOR STUDENTS OF REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTERS.

Senate GeneralBill Assembly File No.

352407 FebruarySpecial Session,Act 2024 Senate Bill No.

40724-16 Senate,AN AprilACT 9,ESTABLISHING 2024A TheTASK CommitteeFORCE onTO LaborSTUDY andWORKERS’ PublicCOMPENSATION EmployeesCOVERAGE reportedFOR throughSTUDENTS SEN.OF REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTERS.

KUSHNER of the 24th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT GRANTING VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STUDENTS ACCESS TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

Subparagraph(Effective (A)from ofpassage) subdivision(a) (9)There is established a task force to study workers' compensation coverage for students of sectionregional 31-275agricultural science and technology education centers who are enrolled in (1) a public work-study as defined and approved by the Commissioner of Education and the 2024Labor supplementCommissioner or a program established pursuant to section 10-20a of the general statutesstatutes, isor repealed(2) andan internship,asdefinedinsection31-23ofthegeneralstatutes.Suchstudy shall include, but need not be limited to, an examination of the followingcurrent ispolicies substitutedand inpractices lieuof thereofregional (Effectiveagricultural Octoberscience 1,and 2024):technology education centers regarding workers' compensation coverage for such students and potential changes to state law concerning workers' compensation coverage for such students.

(9)(b) (A)The "Employee"task meansforce anyshall personconsist who:of the following members:

(i)(1) HasThe enteredchairpersons intoand orranking worksmembers under any contract of servicethe orjoint apprenticeshipstanding withcommittee anof employer, whether the contractGeneral contemplatedAssembly thehaving performancecognizance of dutiesmatters withinrelating orto withoutlabor theand state;public employees;

(ii)IsSenate aBill soleNo. proprietor or businesspartner who acceptstheprovisions of this chapter in accordance with subdivision (10) of this section;

(iii)407 Is(2) electedOne toappointed serveby asthe aspeaker member of the GeneralHouse Assembly of thisRepresentatives; state;

SB407(3) /One Fileappointed No.by the president pro tempore of the Senate;

352(4) 1One SB407appointed Fileby No.the majority leader of the House of Representatives;

352(5) (iv)One Isappointed aby salariedthe officermajority orleader paid member of anythe policeSenate; department or fire department;

(v)(6) IsOne aappointed volunteerby police officer, whether the officerminority isleader designated as special or auxiliary, upon vote of the legislativeHouse body of theRepresentatives; town, city or borough in which the officer serves;

(vi)and Is(7) anOne elected or appointed officialby or agent of any town, city or borough in the state,minority uponleader vote of the properSenate. authority of the town, city or borough, including the elected or appointed official or agent, irrespective of the manner in which he or she is appointed or employed.

Nothing(c) inAny thismember subdivision shall be construed as affecting any existing rights as to pensions which such persons or their dependents had on July 1, 1927, or as preventing any existing custom of paying the fulltask salaryforce ofappointed anyunder suchsubdivision person(1), during(2),(3), disability(4),(5),(6)or(7)ofsubsection(b)ofthissectionmaybeamember due to injury arising out of and in the courseGeneral ofAssembly. his or her employment;

(vii)(d) IsAll ainitial memberappointments ofto the armedtask forcesforce ofshall thebe statemade whilenot inlater thethanthirty performancedaysafter oftheeffective militarydate duty,ofthis whethersection.Any paidvacancy orshall unpaidbe forfilled suchby military duty, in accordance with the provisionsappointing ofauthority. section 27-17, 27-18 or 27-61;

[or](e) (viii)The Ischairpersons electedof tothe servejoint asstanding acommittee probatehaving judgecognizance forof amatters probaterelating districtto establishedlabor inand sectionpublic 45a-2;employees shall be the chairpersons of the task force.

orSuch (vix)chairpersons Isshall aschedule student of a regional agricultural science and technology education center who is enrolled in (I) a public work-study program as defined and approved by the Commissionerfirst meeting of Education and the Labortask Commissionerforce, orwhich ashall programbe establishedheld pursuantnot tolater sectionthan 10-20a,sixty ordays (II)after anthe internship,effective asdate definedof inthis sectionsection. 31-23.

This(f) actThe shalladministrative takestaff effectof asthe followsjoint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees shall amendserve as administrative staff of the followingtask sections:force.

Section(g) 1Not Octoberlater than January 1, 20242025, 31-275(9)(A)the LABtask Jointforce Favorableshall SB407submit /a Filereport on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and public employees, in accordance with the provisions of section 11- Special Act No.

35224-16 2 SB407of File3 Senate Bill No.

352407 The4a following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the membersgeneral ofstatutes. the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

InThe general,task fiscalforce impactsshall areterminate basedon uponthe adate varietythat ofit informationalsubmits sources,such includingreport theor analyst’sJanuary professional1, knowledge.2025, whichever is later.

WheneverApproved applicable,June agency5, data2024 isSpecial consultedAct asNo. part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA24-16 Fiscal3 Noteof State3 Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill explicitly makes students of a regional agricultural science and technology education center “employees” covered by the state workers’ compensation law, resulting in no fiscal impact to the state or municipalities.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None SB407 / File No.

352 3 SB407 File No.

352 OLR Bill Analysis SB 407 AN ACT GRANTING VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STUDENTS ACCESS TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

SUMMARY This bill explicitly makes students of a regional agricultural science and technology education center (i.e., regional vo-ag program) “employees” covered by the state workers’ compensationlaw ifthey are enrolled in a work-study program, the Connecticut Career Certification Program, or an internship.

It appears that students in a work-study program,thecareercertificationprogram,orpaidinternshiparealready covered by workers’ compensation (see BACKGROUND).

Under the workers’ compensation law, an “employee” includes any person who has entered into or works under any contract of service or apprenticeship with an employer (CGS § 31-275(9)(A)).

EFFECTIVE DATE:

October 1, 2024 BACKGROUND Connecticut Career Certification Program The career certification program law specifically says all state and federal laws relating to employment and apprenticeships, except unemployment compensation law, apply to the work experiences and that they must be paid employment, with limited exceptions (e.g., community-service type activities) (CGS § 10-20b).

Internship By law an “internship” is supervised practical training of a high school student or recent high school graduate that is comprised of curriculum and workplace standards approved by the departments of Education and Labor (CGS § 31-23(c)).

SB407 / File No.