Substitute House Bill No. 5003, also known as Public Act No. 26-12, introduces significant amendments to various labor and employment laws in Connecticut, particularly focusing on enhancing protections and support for employees in high-risk sectors such as healthcare and education. The bill stipulates that employees, including healthcare providers and members of educational boards, who suffer injuries from workplace assaults will receive 100% of their average weekly earnings as compensation, along with coverage for medical expenses and lost wages related to court appearances. Additionally, the bill prohibits employers from restricting employees' rights to discuss wages and mandates the provision of wage ranges to applicants and employees. It also establishes a working group to explore reporting systems for incidents of patient violence in healthcare settings.

Furthermore, the bill addresses the recruitment and retention of public safety personnel, including police officers and firefighters, by establishing a task force to study support measures such as tuition waivers and mortgage assistance. It mandates the creation of a police officer and firefighter career pipeline program to increase local interest in these careers. The bill also introduces new requirements for public works projects, ensuring that workers are paid at least the prevailing wage and that employers maintain detailed records of hours worked. Overall, the bill aims to enhance workplace protections, improve transparency in wage discussions, and support the employment rights of various worker groups, including veterans and first responders.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 10-236a, 31-51r, 7-152b, 31-57g, 5-280, 7-477, 10-153a, 7-459b, 29-222, 29-224b, 29-225, 31-3k, 31-40w
LAB Joint Favorable Substitute: 10-236a, 31-51r, 7-152b, 31-57g, 5-280, 7-477, 10-153a, 29-221, 29-222, 29-224b, 29-225, 31-3l, 31-40w, 31-13a, 31-40z
File No. 400: 10-236a, 31-51r, 7-152b, 31-57g, 5-280, 7-477, 10-153a, 29-221, 29-222, 29-224b, 29-225, 31-3l, 31-40w, 31-13a, 31-40z
APP Joint Favorable Substitute: 10-236a, 31-51r, 7-152b, 31-57g, 5-280, 7-477, 10-153a, 29-221, 29-222, 29-224b, 29-225, 31-3l, 31-40w, 31-13a, 31-40z
File No. 709: 10-236a, 31-51r, 7-152b, 31-57g, 5-280, 7-477, 10-153a, 29-221, 29-222, 29-224b, 29-225, 31-3l, 31-40w, 31-13a, 31-40z
File No. 745: 31-307, 31-40z, 31-51r, 10-153a, 29-221, 29-222, 29-224b, 29-225, 31-3l, 31-40w, 31-13a, 10-155k, 31-72, 12-81x, 10-236a
Public Act No. 26-12: 31-307, 31-40z, 31-51r, 10-153a, 29-221, 29-222, 29-224b, 29-225, 31-3l, 31-40w, 31-13a, 10-155k, 31-72, 12-81x, 10-236a