03/15/2022
March 15,2022 Labor and Public Employees Committee, HB 5439
Public Hearing Testimony of
Heidi Lane, Legal Director
Department of Labor
Labor and Public Employees Committee
March 15, 2022
Good Morning Senator Kushner, Representative Porter, Senator Sampson, Representative Arora and members of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with testimony regarding House Bill No. 5439, AN ACT CONCERNING WAGE THEFT RESPONSIBILITY. My name is Heidi Lane and I am the Legal Director of the Connecticut Department of Labor.
The Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) supports the proposed bill, which provides that general contractors shall be liable for the wage actions and violations committed by “down-the-line” subcontractors, including where the subcontractor has no direct contract with the general contractor. This bill would afford workers protection from subcontractors that refuse to pay wages for hours worked, and allows such workers to bring a civil action in court against the general contractor to recover those unpaid wages. In addition, the bill does prescribe that a general contractor may also bring action against the subcontractor to recover the wages that the general contractor has to pay on the subcontractor’s behalf. Therefore, the proposed bill would provide additional protections to the workers of CT and support their right to pay for hours worked.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide this testimony. I am available to answer any questions you may have.
Connecticut Department of Labor • www.ct.gov/dol
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer