Under The Dome 4/14/2025

This Week At the State House

The legislature is observing Spring Recess this week and will return April 22nd.

Last Week At the State House

Two bills passed the Senate Labor & Gaming Committee last week:

S.126 Sub A passed the Senate Labor and Gaming Committee and the Senate floor (30-4). Following on a National Labor Relations Board decision in November that deemed unlawful the practice of requiring employees attend meetings under threats of discipline or discharge where employers express views on unionization, the Senate passed legislation to prohibit the convening of so called “captive audience” meetings. While the proponents focused on meetings called to address unionization, S.126 SubA also affects employer-required meetings to discuss legislative policy or political campaigns. Approximately ten states have enacted laws prohibiting captive audience meetings, which have been subject to litigation, including the Connecticut law. S.126 SubA is now in the House Labor Committee. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/SenateText25/S0126A.pdf

S.949 An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations, Workplace Psychological Safety Act passed the committee 5-1. This legislation establishes an obligation on employers to keep employees safe from psychological abuse in the workplace. The definition of “psychological abuse” under this bill includes actions such as “mistreatment that has the effect of hurting, weakening, confusing, or frightening a person mentally or emotionally.” These terms are very subjective. They can mean different things to different people, leaving everyone wondering what they can and cannot do or say in the workplace. An employee may use both direct and circumstantial evidence to prove a violation occurred. The bill is scheduled for a Senate floor vote April 22nd. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/SenateText25/S0959.pdf

The following new bill has been filed:

House Bill No. 6205 Bennett, Voas, McEntee, Potter, Cruz, Morales, Cortvriend, Edwards, Speakman, Carson, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY FOR PACKAGING AND PAPER ACT (Creates the extended producer responsibility for packaging and paper program for the recycling of packaging and paper products.)

House Bill No. 6206 Spears, McEntee, Bennett, Carson, Boylan, McGaw, Cortvriend, Donovan, Handy, Kazarian, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND

SAFETY -- BEVERAGE CONTAINERS RECYCLING ACT (Establishes the Beverage Container Recycling Act)

House Bill No. 6207 McEntee, Knight, Bennett, Boylan, Carson, McGaw, Cortvriend, Donovan, Handy, Kazarian, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY (Provides extended producer responsibility for packaging and paper, recycling of beverage containers, and provides general provisions for oversight of single-stage producer organizations.)

House Bill No. 6208 Cortvriend, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT (Strikes the words "which is naturally occurring" with regard to any promulgated rules and regulations of the department of environmental management (DEM) relating to the remediation of arsenic.)

House Bill No. 6212 Baginski, J. Brien, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- GIFT CARD FRAUD (Makes offenses against gift card holders subject to the penalties for larceny.)

Senate Bill No. 959 Ciccone, Burke, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY ACT (Protects bullying/psychological abuse in workplace inflicted upon employees by employers/co-employees/provides civil remedies to affected employees/fines against employers/imprisonment/fines against co-employees.)