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HB05453 • 2026

AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY REGARDING STATE-WIDE ESSENTIAL WORKER AND FIRST RESPONDER JOB CLASSIFICATIONS.

AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY REGARDING STATE-WIDE ESSENTIAL WORKER AND FIRST RESPONDER JOB CLASSIFICATIONS.

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Public Safety and Security Committee
Last action
2026-05-04
Official status
Senate Calendar Number 545
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states the report goes to the committee with cognizance of public safety, which is confirmed.

Study on Essential Worker and First Responder Job Titles

This law requires state officials to study whether the state should create official job titles for essential workers and first responders.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires a study to see if new 'essential worker' or 'first responder' job categories are needed statewide.
  • Asks officials to check how these new titles might change employee benefits or job rules.
  • Directs the creation of clear definitions for what counts as an essential worker or first responder.
  • Looks at whether telecommunicators and public works employees should get these special classifications.
  • Sets a deadline of January 1, 2027, to finish the study and send a report to lawmakers.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Commissioner of Administrative Services
  • The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection
  • The Labor Commissioner

Limits and Unknowns

  • The study only decides if these job titles should exist; it does not create them right away.
  • It is unknown which specific jobs might qualify until the definitions are written in the report.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-04 Connecticut General Assembly

    House Passed

  2. 2026-05-04 Connecticut General Assembly

    Transmitted Pursuant To Joint Rule 17

  3. 2026-05-04 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate

  4. 2026-05-04 Connecticut General Assembly

    Senate Calendar Number 545

  5. 2026-03-31 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  6. 2026-03-31 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House

  7. 2026-03-31 Connecticut General Assembly

    House Calendar Number 227

  8. 2026-03-31 LCO

    File Number 271

  9. 2026-03-25 LCO

    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/30/26 5:00 PM

  10. 2026-03-17 PS

    Joint Favorable

  11. 2026-03-17 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  12. 2026-03-05 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/12

  13. 2026-03-04 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Public Safety and Security

Official Summary Text

To require the Commissioner of Administrative Services to (1) conduct a study regarding state-wide "essential worker" and "first responder" job classifications, and (2) submit a report on the results of such study.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
House of Representatives
HB5453 / File No. 271 1

General Assembly File No. 271
February Session, 2026 House Bill No. 5453

House of Representatives, March 31, 2026

The Committee on Public Safety and Security reported through
REP. BOYD of the 50th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on
the part of the House, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY REGARDING STATE-WIDE
ESSENTIAL WORKER AND FIRST RESPONDER JOB
CLASSIFICATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Administrative 1
Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Emergency Services 2
and Public Protection and the Labor Commissioner, shall conduct a 3
study to (1) determine whether a state -wide "essential worker" or "first 4
responder" job classification should be established, and (2) if so, (A) 5
determine what effect, if any, such classifications would have on the jobs 6
that fit within such classifications, including, but not limited to, any 7
effect on employee benefits or the requirements applicable to such jobs, 8
(B) develop definitions of such classifications, and (C) determine 9
whether telecommunicators, as defined in section 28 -30 of the general 10
statutes, and employees of public works departments, as defined in 11
section 31-57s of the general statutes, should be classified as essential 12
workers or first responders. Not later than January 1, 2027, the 13
Commissioner of Administrative Services shall submit a report, in 14
HB5453 File No. 271

HB5453 / File No. 271 2

accordance with the provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes, 15
concerning the results of such study to the joint standing committee of 16
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public 17
safety and security. 18
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section

PS Joint Favorable

HB5453 File No. 271

HB5453 / File No. 271 3

The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill, which results in no fiscal impact, requires the Department of
Administrative Services to conduct a study regarding state -wide
essential worker and first responder job classifications.
The Out Years
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None

HB5453 File No. 271

HB5453 / File No. 271 4

OLR Bill Analysis
HB 5453

AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY REGARDING STATE -WIDE
ESSENTIAL WORKER AND FIRST RESPONDER JOB
CLASSIFICATIONS.

SUMMARY
The Office of Legislative Research does not analyze Special Acts.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Safety and Security Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 29 Nay 0 (03/17/2026)