General Assembly Governor's Bill No. 13
February Session, 2020 LCO No. 673
Referred to Committee on GENERAL LAW
Introduced by:
SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist.
SEN. DUFF, 25th Dist.
REP. ARESIMOWICZ, 30th Dist.
REP. RITTER M., 1st Dist.
AN ACT EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN LICENSED
OCCUPATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
1 Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2020) (a) On or before July 1,
2 2021, each state agency responsible for issuing occupational or
3 professional licenses, permits, certifications or registrations shall report
4 to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management regarding the
5 extent to which such licenses, permits, certifications or registrations may
6 be issued or renewed online. Such report shall contain an inventory of
7 the forms, system requirements, frequency of such renewals and the
8 resources required to facilitate such online issuances or renewals.
9 (b) On or before July 1, 2022, each state agency responsible for issuing
10 occupational or professional licenses, permits, certifications or
11 registrations shall provide online renewal options for such licenses,
12 permits, certifications or registrations for members of any occupation or
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13 profession with more than fifty licensees, permittees, certificate holders
14 or registrants.
15 Sec. 2. Section 31-22r of the general statutes is amended by adding
16 subsection (d) as follows (Effective October 1, 2020):
17 (NEW) (d) The Labor Department shall issue a last-year identification
18 card to any registered apprentice, upon request of the registered
19 apprenticeship sponsor, in the electrical, plumbing, heating, piping and
20 cooling, sprinkler fitter or sheet metal work trades, who establishes to
21 the satisfaction of said department that he or she has completed no less
22 than seventy-five per cent of the work experience and related
23 instruction required for that trade under section 31-22m. The
24 department may charge the registered apprenticeship sponsor a fee not
25 to exceed fifty dollars for such card.
26 Sec. 3. Section 20-332b of the general statutes is repealed and the
27 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2020):
28 (a) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall amend existing
29 regulations of Connecticut state agencies adopted pursuant to section
30 20-332 to specify the following allowable hiring ratios regarding
31 apprentices, journeymen and contractors for the following trades:
T1 TRADE
T2 Electrical, Plumbing, Heating, Piping and Cooling,
T3 Sprinkler Fitter and Sheet Metal Work
T4
T5 Apprentices Licensees
T6 (Journeymen or Contractors)
T7 1 1
T8 2 2
T9 3 3
T10 4 6
T11 5 9
T12 6 12
T13 7 15
T14 8 18
T15 9 21
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T16 10 24
T17
T18 Ratio continues at 3 Journeypersons
T19 To 1 Apprentice
32 (b) In addition to the registered apprentices permitted under the
33 allowable hiring ratios regarding apprentices specified in subsection (a)
34 of this section, a registered apprenticeship sponsor may hire (1) one last-
35 year apprentice, provided such apprentice bears a last-year apprentice
36 identification card issued pursuant to section 31-22r, as amended by this
37 act, or (2) one preapprentice, as defined in subparagraph (D) of
38 subdivision (4) of subsection (c) of section 31-23. Regardless of any
39 established hiring ratio, the work site ratio shall not be less than one full-
40 time licensee instructing and supervising the work of each apprentice in
41 a specific trade.
42 Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2020) Notwithstanding any other
43 provision of the general statutes, any initial or didactic training,
44 continuing related instruction or similar classroom-based education
45 required prior to the issuance or renewal of an occupational or
46 professional license, permit, certification or registration may be
47 completed via the Internet or distance learning. Nothing in this section
48 shall be construed to apply to educational requirements that include
49 hands-on or clinical training, site visits or other experiential learning
50 opportunities.
51 Sec. 5. (Effective October 1, 2020) Not later than November 1, 2020, the
52 Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority shall
53 submit a report, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes,
54 to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management regarding:
55 (1) State, federal, private and other financing programs available to
56 Connecticut residents pursuing postsecondary occupational education,
57 including, but not limited to, coding bootcamps;
58 (2) The unmet need for financing programs for students or potential
59 students in postsecondary occupational education after accounting for
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60 Pell grants or other state or federal funding;
61 (3) Recommendations for the provision of such financing programs
62 by the authority, within its available resources and at no additional cost
63 to the state, to students, alumni and their families;
64 (4) Recommendations for the use of income-based repayment and
65 income-share agreements in such financing programs; and
66 (5) Recommendations for financing programs that prioritize access to
67 postsecondary occupational programs with strong long-term outcomes.
68 Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2020) The Departments of
69 Administrative Services, Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Correction,
70 Emergency Services and Public Protection and Public Health, the Labor
71 Department and the Office of Early Childhood, upon the submission of
72 the report from the Council on the Collateral Consequences of a
73 Criminal Record established by public act 19-142, shall review such
74 report and, within ninety days of its submission, recommend to the
75 Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management measures to reduce
76 or eliminate barriers to participation in licensed occupations, including
77 by eliminating blanket policies that deny applicants an individualized
78 assessment and establishing a preclearance assessment of criminal
79 history for those looking to enter such occupations. Such
80 recommendations shall assess the feasibility of centralizing and
81 standardizing background checks performed by state government
82 agencies and shall address any related issues of delegation of authority
83 by such agencies.
84 Sec. 7. Section 20-333 of the general statutes is repealed and the
85 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2020):
86 (a) To obtain a license under this chapter, an applicant shall have
87 attained such applicant's eighteenth birthday and shall furnish such
88 evidence of competency as the appropriate board or the Commissioner
89 of Consumer Protection shall require. A recommendation for review
90 issued pursuant to section 31-22u shall be sufficient to demonstrate such
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91 competency. The applicant shall satisfy such board or the commissioner
92 that such applicant [is of good moral character,] possesses a diploma or
93 other evidence of graduation from the eighth grade of grammar school,
94 or possesses an equivalent education to be determined on examination
95 and has the requisite skill to perform the work in the trade for which
96 such applicant is applying for a license and can comply with all other
97 requirements of this chapter and the regulations adopted under this
98 chapter. A recommendation for review issued pursuant to section 31-
99 22u shall be sufficient to demonstrate that an applicant possesses such
100 requisite skill and can comply with all other requirements of this chapter
101 and the regulations adopted under this chapter. For any application
102 submitted pursuant to this section that requires a hearing or other action
103 by the applicable examining board or the commissioner, such hearing
104 or other action by the applicable examining board or the commissioner
105 shall occur not later than thirty days after the date of submission for
106 such application. Upon application for any such license, the applicant
107 shall pay to the department a nonrefundable application fee of ninety
108 dollars for a license under subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (a) and
109 subdivision (4) of subsection (e) of section 20-334a, or a nonrefundable
110 application fee of one hundred fifty dollars for a license under
111 subdivision (1) of subsection (a), subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection
112 (b), subdivision (1) of subsection (c) and subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) of
113 subsection (e) of section 20-334a. Any such application fee shall be
114 waived for persons who present a recommendation for review issued
115 pursuant to section 31-22u.
116 (b) The department shall conduct such written, oral and practical
117 examinations as the appropriate board, with the consent of the
118 commissioner, deems necessary to test the knowledge of the applicant
119 in the work for which a license is being sought. The department shall
120 allow any applicant, who has not participated in an apprenticeship
121 program but presents a recommendation for review issued pursuant to
122 section 31-22u, to sit for any such examination. Any person completing
123 the required apprentice training program for a journeyman's license
124 under section 20-334a shall, within thirty days following such
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125 completion, apply for a licensure examination given by the department.
126 If an applicant does not pass such licensure examination, the
127 commissioner shall provide each failed applicant with information on
128 how to retake the examination and a report describing the applicant's
129 strengths and weaknesses in such examination. Any apprentice permit
130 issued under section 20-334a to an applicant who fails three licensure
131 examinations in any one-year period shall remain in effect if such
132 applicant applies for and takes the first licensure examination given by
133 the department following the one-year period from the date of such
134 applicant's third and last unsuccessful licensure examination.
135 Otherwise, such permit shall be revoked as of the date of the first
136 examination given by the department following expiration of such
137 one-year period.
138 (c) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, subject to section 46a-
139 80, may deny a license or may issue a license pursuant to a consent order
140 containing conditions that shall be met by the applicant if the
141 commissioner determines that the applicant has been found guilty or
142 convicted as a result of an act which constitutes a felony under (1) the
143 laws of this state at the time of application for such license, (2) federal
144 law at the time of application for such license, or (3) the laws of another
145 jurisdiction, and which, if committed within this state, would constitute
146 a felony under the laws of this state.
147 [(c)] (d) When an applicant has qualified for a license, the department
148 shall, upon receipt of the license fee or upon waiver of such fee pursuant
149 to section 20-335, issue to such applicant a license entitling such
150 applicant to engage in the work or occupation for which a license was
151 sought and shall register each successful applicant's name and address
152 in the roster of licensed persons authorized to engage in the work or
153 occupation within the appropriate board's authority. All fees and other
154 moneys collected by the department shall be promptly transmitted to
155 the State Treasurer as provided in section 4-32.
156 Sec. 8. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2020) (a) An occupational or
157 professional license, permit certification or registration shall be issued,
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158 in the occupation or profession applied for and at a practice level
159 determined by the department having oversight of such licenses,
160 permits, certifications or registrations, to a person who establishes
161 residence in this state or who is married to an active duty member of the
162 armed forces of the United States and accompanies that member,
163 pursuant to an official permanent change of station, to a military
164 installation located in this state if:
165 (1) The person holds a valid license, permit, certification or
166 registration in at least one other state in the occupation or profession
167 applied for;
168 (2) The person has held such license, permit, certification or
169 registration for not less than two years;
170 (3) The person is in good standing in all states in which he or she
171 holds a license, permit, certification or registration and has not had a
172 license, permit, certification or registration revoked or discipline
173 imposed by any state, does not have a complaint, allegation or
174 investigation related to unprofessional conduct pending in any state,
175 and has not voluntarily surrendered a license, permit, certification or
176 registration while under investigation for unprofessional conduct in any
177 state;
178 (4) The person takes and passes any examination required of other
179 applicants for the license, permit, certification or registration;
180 (5) The person satisfies any background check or character and fitness
181 check required of other applicants for the license, permit, certification or
182 registration; and
183 (6) The person pays all fees required of other applicants for the
184 license, permit, certification or registration.
185 (b) Any person issued a license, permit, certification or registration
186 pursuant to this section shall be subject to the laws of this state and the
187 jurisdiction of the department having oversight of such license, permit,
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188 certification or registration.
189 (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any department
190 head, as defined in section 4-5 of the general statutes, may deny an
191 occupational or professional license, permit, certification or registration
192 for which such department head has responsibility if he or she finds
193 such denial is in the best interest of the state.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2020 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2020 31-22r
Sec. 3 October 1, 2020 20-332b
Sec. 4 October 1, 2020 New section
Sec. 5 October 1, 2020 New section
Sec. 6 October 1, 2020 New section
Sec. 7 October 1, 2020 20-333
Sec. 8 October 1, 2020 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
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Statutes affected:
Governor's Bill: 31-22r, 20-332b, 20-333