02/27/2024
February 27, 2024 Labor and Public Employees Committee, SB 220
Public Hearing Testimony of
Danté Bartolomeo
Commissioner
Department of Labor
Labor and Public Employees Committee
February 27, 2024
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 this testimony regarding S.B. 220 AN ACT CONCERNING CLARIFYING THE APPEALS PROCESS UNDER THE PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE STATUTES. My name is Danté Bartolomeo and I am the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL).
CTDOL respectfully requests that the Labor and Public Employees Committee support SB 220 because current statute does not adequately explain the process of appealing a CT Paid Leave determination to Superior Court and the procedures for appeal must be laid out in statute. CTDOL is charged with processing all CT Paid Leave appeals. Recently, the CTDOL received an appeal to Superior Court from a CT Paid Leave appeal decision and, in processing the appeal, became aware that the statute failed to adequately describe the appeal procedures. This proposed language will ensure that any appeal to Superior Court from a CT Paid Leave appeal decision would be considered an appeal on the record, similar to an unemployment insurance appeal to court.
Technical Change Request
CTDOL also respectfully requests that this Committee consider changing the effective date of SB 220 from July 1, 2024, to effective “upon passage”. If SB 220 were to become law, CTDOL would like this to be effective as soon as possible since there is currently no clear path to appeal a CT Paid Leave appeal case to Superior Court.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I am here with CTDOL subject matter experts and am happy to take your questions.
Connecticut Department of Labor • www.ct.gov/dol
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer