Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

Commerce Committee
                          JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
    Bill No.: SB-3
               AN ACT CONCERNING DIVERSE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, WORKER
        Title: PROTECTIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS REVITALIZATION.
 Vote Date: 3/22/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable Substitute
   PH Date: 3/18/2021
    File No.: 352
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
COMMERCE COMMITTEE
REASONS FOR BILL:
SB 3 aims to counter these obstacles brought on by COVID-19 and other economic factors
by stimulating the economy. This will be done by buttressing diverse economic opportunities,
worker protections and small business revitalization.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
David Lehman, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community
Development: acknowledges the importance of the many issues that SB  3 covers but
notes that DECD would not be able to deliver the duties of this bill unless provided additional
resources. DECD also makes a few suggestions for the language of the bill. For example, in
Section 2, DECD recommends legislators to support Governor Lamonts workforce initiatives
instead as it is very similar to Section 23 of SB  881: An Act Concerning Workforce
Development. Also, DECD notes that Section 3 is similar to Section 6 of HB  6440: An Act
Concerning the JobsCT Tax Rebate Program. Regarding Section 4, DECD recommends that
the lodging industry stakeholders, in addition to tourism and restaurants, be included as part
of the industries studied by the task force. The members of this task force should also include
representatives from these industries. Regarding Section 5, DECD suggests that any plan to
market certificate or job training programs should be done in conjunction with the credential
registry system in the Office of Higher Education. Regarding Section 7, DECD notes that the
Office of Workforce Strategy is already meeting with the Department of Veterans Affairs to
discuss opportunities to collaborate on workforce development. Lastly, DECD states that the
mico loan program described in Section 11 is best suited with their partner the Connecticut
Small Business Development Center.
Kurt Westby, Commissioner of the Department of Labor (CTDOL), addresses a few
concerns that his department has with SB  1. He states that the definition of human
investment capital in Section 1 alludes to the Individual Development Account (IDA) Reserve
fund and notes that CTDOL no longer operates a state sponsored IDA program and has
control over IDA funds. Also, he mentions that the definition of dislocated worker in Section
3 needs to be updated in order to be consistent with the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act. Lastly, he notes that there all several sections in SB  1 where CTDOL
should be included in such as Sections 4, 7, and 12. For section 4, CTDOL requests that the
Labor Commissioner serves on the task force to study the impact of the pandemic on certain
industries. For Section 7, CTDOL already provides employment services to veterans via their
American Job Centers and therefore, DECD does not need to create a plan. Lastly, Section
12 requires DECD to conduct a study to analyze the effectiveness of the Federal Bonding
Program. CTDOL notes that they currently administer fidelity bonds and would like to consult
with DECD on this study.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Kelly McConney Moore, Interim Senior Policy Counsel for the American Civil Liberties
Union of Connecticut (ACLU-CT), believes SB -3 should be more inclusive for people living
with criminal records or are incarcerated. According to Moore, these individuals are entitled to
the opportunity to access employment and dignity in the workplace. She notes that Section 3
creates a priority system within DECD to provide economic development financial assistance
to applicants who make jobs available to individuals with backgrounds including
unemployment, low-income, dislocated workers, people of color, people with disabilities, and
more. Regarding the bill language, ACLU-CT believes that Section 3 should be expanded to
people with criminal records. ACLU-CT also supports the efforts in Section 6 but
recommends these programs be directed at improving employment opportunities for
individuals with criminal records. Lastly, ACLU-CT suggests that Section 9 should make sure
the recommendations of the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development be
aimed at improving wages, conditions, and humanity for imprisoned workers.
Kellie Vallieres, Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS) and Vice
Chair of the Governors Workforce Council, supports the intent of the bill but notes that SB
- 3 requires resources that are not included in the Governors Recommended Budget. OWS
also makes a few recommended amendments for Sections 1,2, 5, 7, and 9 of the bills
language.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
None Expressed.
            Reported By
                                                         Date
           Jade Hardrick,
               Intern                                    4/6/21
                                                                             Page 2 of 2 SB-3
Statutes affected: 
Committee Bill: 12-217aaa
CE Joint Favorable Substitute: 12-217aaa
File No. 352: 12-217aaa
Public Act No. 21-188: 12-217aaa