Sec. 31-2. Powers and duties of commissioner.
Sec. 31-3i. Governor's Workforce Council: Members.
Sec. 31-3rr. Career ladder in green technology industry.
Sec. 31-3uu. Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program.
Sec. 31-2. Powers and duties of commissioner. (a) The Labor Commissioner shall collect information upon the subject of labor, the hours of labor, the earnings of laboring individuals and the means of promoting their material, social and intellectual prosperity, and may summon and examine under oath such witnesses, and may direct the production of, and examine or cause to be produced and examined, such books, records, vouchers, memoranda, documents, letters, contracts or other papers in relation thereto as he deems necessary, and shall have the same powers in relation thereto as are vested in magistrates in taking depositions, but for this purpose persons shall not be required to leave the vicinity of their residences or places of business.
(b) The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, for all programs within the jurisdiction of the Labor Department, including, but not limited to, employment and training programs in the state.
(c) The commissioner may request the Attorney General to bring an action in Superior Court for injunctive relief requiring compliance with any statute, regulation, order or permit administered, adopted or issued by the commissioner.
(d) The commissioner shall assist state agencies, boards and commissions that issue occupational certificates or licenses in (1) determining when to recognize and accept military training and experience in lieu of all or part of the training and experience required for a specific professional or occupational license, and (2) reviewing and revising policies and procedures to ensure that relevant military education, skills and training are given appropriate recognition in the certification and licensing process.
(1949 Rev., S. 3776; September, 1957, P.A. 11, S. 13; P.A. 73-164, S. 1, 5; P.A. 76-209, S. 1; P.A. 77-614, S. 479, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 122, 136; P.A. 89-292, S. 3, 6; P.A. 92-210, S. 1; P.A. 14-131, S. 12; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 212; P.A. 22-67, S. 1; P.A. 23-117, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 73-164 deleted provisions concerning bureau of labor statistics, substituted reference to “the general powers conferred upon the office of the labor commissioner under the general statutes or in accordance with federal law” for detailed listing of specific powers and made other language changes; P.A. 76-209 restored provisions re bureau of labor statistics and re specific powers of commissioner, specified that persons need not leave “the vicinity of their residences or places of business” to give depositions and made minor language changes; P.A. 77-614 deleted provisions re bureau of labor statistics and re appointment of deputy commissioner, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-303 required commission to collect and collate population and employment data, to make projections re employment and to analyze data concerning present job requirements and potential needs of new industry; P.A. 89-292 added Subsecs. (b) and (c) concerning the commissioner's responsibilities for employment and training programs; P.A. 92-210 added Subsec. (d) authorizing the commissioner to request the attorney general to bring an action in superior court; P.A. 14-131 added Subsec. (e) re duty of commissioner to assist state agencies, boards and commissions in recognizing military training and experience for professional or occupational licensure, effective July 1, 2014; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. designators (1) and (2), deleting provision re analysis of data and inclusion of statistical details in commissioner's annual report and making a technical change, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing provisions re administration of coordination of employment and training programs, implementation of Connecticut Employment and Training Commission plan and development and maintenance of comprehensive inventory of programs with provision allowing adoption of regulations for all programs within jurisdiction of Labor Department, deleted former Subsec. (c) re provision of staff and other resources to commission, and redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as Subsecs. (c) and (d), effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 22-67 amended Subsec. (b) to remove the requirements that Labor Commissioner collect and collate population and employment data and data concerning present job requirements and potential needs of new industry, effective May 23, 2022; P.A. 23-117 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting “its relation to capital,” replacing “men and women” with “individuals”, deleting “and moral” and making technical changes, effective June 27, 2023.
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Sec. 31-3i. Governor's Workforce Council: Members. (a) Pursuant to Section 101 of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, P.L. 113-128, the members of the Governor's Workforce Council shall be:
(1) The Governor;
(2) A member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, and a member of the Senate, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;
(3) Twenty-four members, appointed by the Governor, who (A) are owners of a business, chief executives or operating officers of a business, or other business executives or employers with optimum policy-making or hiring authority; (B) represent businesses or organizations representing businesses that provide employment opportunities that, at a minimum, include high-quality, work-relevant training and development in in-demand industry sectors or occupation in the state; or (C) have been nominated by state business organizations or business trade associations. At a minimum, at least one such member shall represent small businesses, as defined by the United States Small Business Administration.
(4) The Labor Commissioner, Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, Commissioner of Education, Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the Chief Workforce Officer, or their respective designees;
(5) Four representatives of labor organizations, who have been nominated by state labor federations and appointed by the Governor;
(6) An individual, appointed by the Governor, who is a member of a labor organization or a training director from a joint labor-management apprenticeship program, or, if no such joint program exists in the state, such a representative of an apprenticeship program in the state;
(7) An individual, appointed by the Governor, who is an expert in residential construction;
(8) Five members, appointed by the Governor, who represent community-based organizations that have demonstrated experience and expertise in addressing employment, training, or education, including one representative of a community action agency, as defined in section 17b-885, and one representative of a philanthropic organization;
(9) A representative from the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, a representative from The University of Connecticut and a representative from a nonprofit institution of higher education in the state, each appointed by the Governor;
(10) A representative from a regional vocational-technical school and a representative from a regional agricultural science and technology school, each appointed by the Governor;
(11) Two superintendents of a local or regional board of education, appointed by the Governor;
(12) Two chief elected officials of municipalities, appointed by the Governor; and
(13) Two members of the public, who are enrolled in or who have recently completed a nondegree workforce training program, appointed by the Governor.
(b) All appointments shall be made in a manner that reflects the diversity of the state, including, but not limited to, geographic, gender identity, racial and ethnic diversity.
(c) The Governor shall appoint the chairperson of the Governor's Workforce Council from among the members appointed pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section. The Chief Workforce Officer shall serve as the vice-chairperson of the council.
(d) The Governor's Workforce Council may establish an executive committee composed of members appointed by the chairperson. The vice-chairperson of the council shall be a member of any such executive committee. The council may delegate to the executive committee any powers of the council except those powers that are required by law to be exercised by the council. The chairperson may also appoint ad hoc committees, workgroups or task forces to assist the council as appropriate, and shall consult with the vice-chairperson and the legislative members of the council in making appointments to such ad hoc committees, workgroups or task forces.
(e) Any appointments made to the council prior to October 1, 2021, shall expire on that date.
(f) The council shall meet not less than once every calendar quarter.
(g) The Governor shall establish bylaws for the council pursuant to 20 CFR 679.110(d), which shall include, but need not be limited to, term limitations for members and how appointments will be made.
(P.A. 89-292, S. 2, 6; P.A. 97-263, S. 2; P.A. 99-195, S. 3, 15; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 215; P.A. 23-93, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 97-263 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re service of members at the pleasure of the Governor, and amended Subsec. (b) by changing the membership of the commission to 24 members, by requiring that a majority of members represent business and industry, by requiring that remaining members include representatives of education organizations and community action agency and by requiring the board to meet at least once every calendar quarter; P.A. 99-195 made technical changes, amended Subsec. (a) to require that new appointments to commission be consistent with the provisions of Subsec. (b), amended Subsec. (b) to add Subdiv. indicators and a provision in new Subdiv. (2) specifying how vacancies are to be filled six months after submission of the Connecticut workforce development plan to the U.S. Secretary of Labor and added a new Subsec. (c) to preserve the membership of persons appointed to the commission prior to June 23, 1999, effective June 23, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing Connecticut Employment and Training Commission with Governor's Workforce Council, adding reference to Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and adding Subdivs. (1) to (11) re members of and appointments to council, replaced former Subsecs. (b) and (c) re commission members and frequency of meetings with new Subsecs. (b) and (c) re diversity requirement, appointment of chairperson, and Chief Workforce Officer to serve as vice-chairperson, and added Subsecs. (d) to (g) re establishment of executive committee, appointments made prior to October 1, 2021, frequency of meeting, and establishment of bylaws, respectively; P.A. 23-93 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (7) re residential construction expert, redesignating existing Subdivs. (7) and (8) as Subdivs. (8) and (9), adding new Subdiv. (10) re representatives from regional vocational-technical and regional agricultural science and technology schools, and redesignating existing Subdivs. (9) to (11) as Subdivs. (10) to (13).
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Sec. 31-3rr. Career ladder in green technology industry. (a) As used in this section and section 10a-55g:
(1) “Green jobs” has the same meaning as provided in section 10a-55d;
(2) “Green technology” has the same meaning as provided in section 10a-55d; and
(3) “Career ladder” means a description of the progression from an entry level position to higher levels of pay, skill, responsibility or authority.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2020, the Connecticut Clean Economy Council, in consultation with the Office of Higher Education, Department of Education, Labor Department, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, regional workforce development boards and employers, shall, within available appropriations, identify a career ladder for jobs in the green technology industry, including, but not limited to, a listing of (1) careers at each level of the green technology industry and the requisite level of education and the salary offered for such career, (2) all course, certificate and degree programs in green jobs offered by technical education and career schools within the Technical Education and Career System and institutions of higher education in the state, and (3) jobs available in the green technology industry in the state. The Connecticut Clean Economy Council shall update the green jobs career ladder established pursuant to this section on an as needed basis.
(c) Not later than January 1, 2024, the Connecticut Clean Economy Council shall develop a plan for green jobs workforce training to accomplish the greenhouse gas emissions goals set forth in subsection (a) of section 22a-200a. Such plan shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) development of work-based learning programs for green jobs with workforce shortages; (2) development of certificate and degree programs related to the green technology industry at technical education and career schools and institutions of higher education in the state; (3) identification of available funding, whether from a public or private source, to fund the development of such work-based learning and certificate and degree programs and provide grants to apprentices and students; and (4) a strategy to market and recruit individuals, especially from underrepresented populations, to existing and newly developed green jobs work-based learning programs and certificate and degree programs related to the green technology industry at job centers, technical education and career schools and institutions of higher education. Not later than January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, said council shall update such plan as necessary.
(d) Not later than February 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Connecticut Clean Economy Council shall submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement the plan developed or updated pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(P.A. 19-35, S. 19; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 237; P.A. 23-61, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 19-35 effective July 1, 2019; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 replaced “Office of Workforce Competitiveness” with “Office of Workforce Strategy” and “establish” with “identify”, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 23-61 replaced “Office of Workforce Strategy” with “Connecticut Clean Economy Council”, added Subsec. (c) re development of plan for green jobs workforce training program and added Subsec. (d) re annual reporting on plan, effective July 1, 2023.
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Sec. 31-3uu. Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program. (a) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Department” means the Labor Department;
(2) “Eligible business” means a business that (A) has operations in Connecticut, (B) has been registered to conduct business for not less than twelve months, and (C) is in good standing with the payment of all state and local taxes. “Eligible business” does not include the state or any political subdivision thereof;
(3) “Control”, with respect to a corporation, means ownership, directly or indirectly, of stock possessing fifty per cent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of the stock of such corporation entitled to vote. “Control”, with respect to a trust, means ownership, directly or indirectly, of fifty per cent or more of the beneficial interest in the principal or income of such trust. The ownership of stock in a corporation, of a capital or profits interest in a partnership, limited liability company or association or of a beneficial interest in a trust shall be determined in accordance with the rules for constructive ownership of stock provided in Section 267(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, other than paragraph (3) of said Section 267(c);
(4) “Related person” means (A) a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or trust controlled by an eligible business, (B) an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or trust that is in control of an eligible business, (C) a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or trust controlled by an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or trust that is in control of an eligible business, or (D) a member of the same controlled group as an eligible business;
(5) “New employee” means a person who (A) was unemployed prior to employment with an eligible business, regardless of whether such person collected unemployment compensation benefits as a result of such unemployment, and (B) was a member of the armed forces and was honorably discharged after not less than ninety days of service, unless such person was separated from service earlier because of a service-connected disability rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. “New employee” does not include a person who was employed in this state by a related person of such eligible business during any of the twelve months prior to employment with the eligible business;
(6) “On-the-job training” means training provided by an eligible business on such business' premise; and
(7) “Armed Forces” means the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force and Space Force and any reserve component thereof, including a state National Guard performing duty as provided in Title 32 of the United States Code.
(b) (1) There is established within the Labor Department an Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program for eligible businesses. Said program shall provide grants to eligible businesses to subsidize, for the first one hundred eighty calendar days after a new employee is hired, part of the cost of on-the-job training and compensation for such new employee, in accordance with subsection (c) of this section. No business receiving a grant under this section with respect to a new employee may receive a second grant under this section or a grant under section 31-3pp with respect to the same new employee.
(2) At the discretion of the Labor Commissioner, the department may use up to four per cent of any funds allocated pursuant to section 31-3vv for the purpose of retaining outside consultants or the Workforce Investment Boards to operate the Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program, and to provide transportation to and from the workplace, if needed, for an employee for whom a grant was awarded under subsection (c) of this section.
(3) The department shall monitor, in a manner prescribed by the commissioner, such outside consultants or Workforce Investment Boards that operate the Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program. At the discretion of the Labor Commissioner, the department may use up to one per cent of any funds allocated pursuant to section 31-3vv in any fiscal year for the purpose of the marketing and operation of the Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program, and the monitoring of the outside consultants or Workforce Investment Boards retained pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(c) (1) An eligible business may apply to the department for a grant to subsidize on-the-job training and compensation for a new employee hired by such business. The Labor Commissioner, or said commissioner's designee, shall review and approve such business' description of the proposed on-the-job training as part of the grant application. No eligible business shall be eligible for a grant under this section for a new employee if such new employee is hired to replace a worker who (A) is currently employed by such eligible business, or (B) was terminated by such eligible business, unless such eligible business demonstrates just cause for such replacement or termination, if applicable.
(2) A grant awarded to an eligible business pursuant to this subsection shall be in the following amount: (A) For the first thirty calendar days a new employee is employed, one hundred per cent of the wage of such new employee, exclusive of any benefits, not to exceed twenty dollars per hour; (B) for the thirty-first to ninetieth, inclusive, calendar days, seventy-five per cent of such amount; (C) for the ninety-first to one hundred fiftieth, inclusive, calendar days, fifty per cent of such amount; and (D) for the one hundred fifty-first to one hundred eightieth, inclusive, calendar days, twenty-five per cent of such amount. A grant shall be cancelled as of the date the new employee leaves employment with the eligible business.
(d) In every fiscal year that eligible businesses are awarded unemployed armed forces member subsidized training and employment program grants pursuant to this section, the Labor Commissioner shall provide a report not later than October first of such fiscal year, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to finance, revenue and bonding, appropriations, commerce, veterans and labor. Said report shall include available data, for the fiscal year preceding such report, on (1) the number of businesses that participated in the Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, and the general categories of such businesses, and (2) the number of individuals that received employment under said program.
(e) The Labor Commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the provisions of this section.
(June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 204; P.A. 13-63, S. 1; P.A. 15-127, S. 2; P.A. 18-72, S. 34; P.A. 22-67, S. 3; P.A. 23-71, S. 6.)
History: June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 13-63 redefined “new employee” in Subsec. (a)(5), effective June 3, 2013; P.A. 15-127 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by redefining “eligible business”, amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision allowing funds to be used to provide transportation to and from the workplace for certain employees in Subdiv. (2) and adding provision re department monitoring outside consultants or Workforce Investment Boards and changing “four per cent” to “one per cent” in Subdiv. (3), and amended Subsec. (c)(1) by adding provision re ineligibility for grants for hiring new employee to replace a current employee or an employee who was terminated without just cause; P.A. 18-72 amended Subsec. (a)(5)(B) to replace “Veterans' Administration” with “United States Department of Veterans Affairs”; P.A. 22-67 amended Subsec. (d) to change the reporting requirements for the Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program grants from twice annually to not later than October first of fiscal years such grants are awarded, effective May 23, 2022; P.A. 23-71 redefined “armed forces” by adding reference to United States Space Force in Subsec. (a)(7).
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