03/01/2023
March 2, 2023 Labor and Public Employees Committee SB 1125
Public Hearing Testimony of
Danté Bartolomeo
Commissioner
Department of Labor
Labor and Public Employees Committee
March 2, 2023
Good Afternoon, Representative Sanchez, Senator Kushner, Representative Ackert, Senator Sampson, Representative Wilson, Senator Cabrera, and members of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with written testimony regarding SB 1125: AN ACT CONCERNING APPRENTICESHIP REPORTING DATA. My name is Danté Bartolomeo and I am the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor.
SB 1125 requires employers (also referred to as sponsors) of apprenticeship programs registered with the CT Department of Labor (CTDOL) to submit information pertaining to their programs to the agency. CTDOL is unable to support SB 1125 in its current form; however, we are working with the proponents of the proposal to make the necessary changes to SB 1125 so that this agency could be supportive. Specifically, CTDOL requested that the agency be given latitude in how it gathers the requested information from employers as required by the proponent of this bill in its current form and seeks clarification that the requested information is only being gathered on apprenticeship programs for the construction trades. Additionally, CTDOL requested removing the enforcement language at Line 50 that would terminate a sponsor's registered apprenticeship program for failure to submit such information. Not only would this adversely impact the apprentices themselves, but it would also add another burden to the agency or to sponsors to hold Uniform Administrative Procedure Act (UAPA) hearings. Lastly, since CTDOL is currently working with the Department of Consumer Protection on the development of an online database that will track more information regarding apprenticeship and licensure, we requested that the July 1, 2023 effective date be extended to July 1, 2024, so that this database is potentially fully developed.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide this written testimony and for consideration of these requested changes. We are available to answer any questions you may have as you move forward with drafting this proposal.
Connecticut Department of Labor • www.ct.gov/dol
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer