Public Hearing Testimony of
Danté Bartolomeo
Commissioner
Department of Labor
Labor and Public Employees Committee
February 20, 2025
Good morning Senator Kushner, Representative Sanchez, Senator Sampson, Representative Weir and members of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with written testimony regarding SB 1312: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LABOR DEPARTMENT. My name is Danté Bartolomeo, and I am the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL).
Section 1 of SB 1312 would amend Section 31-225a(3)(h) of the General Statutes, which pertains to an employer’s right to protest the payment of unemployment insurance benefits when they contend that the benefits were paid due to fraud or error. Once they have received a UI quarterly statement, employers are currently provided with a 60-day time frame for submitting this protest, yet the amended language would provide for a shorter time frame of 40 days. While it may seem counterintuitive, less time is actually beneficial for employers.
A quarterly statement outlines the employers’ benefit charges for each claimant. An improvement of ReEmployCT over our legacy system is that employer notifications are now available electronically allowing employers to quickly and easily respond. Upon receipt of an employer's protest, CTDOL is required to resolve the employer protest before the end of each quarter. By implementing a 40-day time frame, CTDOL is better positioned to resolve these protests before the next quarter begins. There is also a benefit to the employer, in that their liability expense for the contested claim will not be carried over into the next quarter.
Section 2 updates statutory language to change the Unemployed Workers’ Advocate (UWA) position from an appointed position to a permanent position. This would bring UWA position in line with similar CTDOL unit directors, who are not appointed. It would also ensure that the Unemployed Workers Advocate is, in accordance with statutory requirements, an individual who has significant experience in the unemployment insurance compensation laws; professional skills that aren't often nor easily acquired outside of CTDOL. This change will provide continuity for consumers in need of this assistance.
Per the request of the Department of Public Health, section 3 would amend Section 31-40a to reinstate a previously repealed statute required for the collection and retention of data necessary for DPH’s Occupational Illness Surveillance program.
Section 4 would amend Section 31-53a(a), which contains a scrivener’s error, referring to a statute, section 21-53d, that does not exist and is an incorrect reference regardless. The statute that should be referenced is 31-53d(d).
We consider both Section 3 and Section 4 to be technical in nature.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. I am here with CTDOL subject matter experts, and we would be happy to answer any questions.
