Senate Bill No. 345 seeks to improve workplace accommodations for breastfeeding employees and establish a task force to study heat safety standards. The bill amends Section 31-40w of the general statutes to require employers to provide reasonable break times for employees to express breast milk or breastfeed, rather than leaving this to the employee's discretion. It also mandates that employers make reasonable efforts to provide a private room for breastfeeding, which must be free from intrusion, equipped with refrigeration for milk storage, and have access to an electrical outlet. Additionally, the bill prohibits discrimination against employees exercising these rights. Furthermore, it modifies Section 31-76b to clarify that "hours worked" includes time spent waiting on the premises and time spent in mandatory security screenings.

In addition to these provisions, the bill establishes a task force to study heat safety standards in the workplace, consisting of various appointed members, including representatives from labor organizations and the Labor Commissioner. This task force will examine best practices for preventing heat illness and review existing laws in other states, with a report due by January 1, 2027. The changes introduced by the bill will take effect on October 1, 2026, for the breastfeeding provisions and the definition of "hours worked." The bill includes several insertions and deletions to current law, notably inserting requirements for reasonable break times for breastfeeding and clarifying the definition of "hours worked" to include security screening time. It anticipates a potential minimal revenue gain for the Department of Labor from civil penalties related to breastfeeding violations, although no civil penalties have been collected in recent years.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 31-40w
LAB Joint Favorable: 31-40w
File No. 351: 31-40w