AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF APPRENTICES ON PREVAILING WAGE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.

Senate
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General Assembly File No. 575
February Session, 2026 Substitute Senate Bill No. 471

Senate, April 9, 2026

The Committee on Government Administration and Elections
reported through SEN. FLEXER of the 29th Dist., Chairperson
of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute
bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF APPRENTICES ON
PREVAILING WAGE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 31-53 of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes 1
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 2
January 1, 2027): 3
(a) Each contract for the construction, remodeling, refinishing, 4
refurbishing, rehabilitation, alteration or repair of any public works 5
project by the state or any of its agents, or by any political subdivision 6
of the state or any of its agents, including, on and after July 1, 2025, each 7
contract for off -site custom fabrication for any such public works 8
project, shall contain the following provision: "The wages paid on an 9
hourly basis to any person performing the work of any mechanic, 10
laborer or worker on the work herein contracted to be done and the 11
amount of payment or contribution paid or payable on behalf of each 12
such person to any employee welfare fund, [as defined in subsection (i) 13
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of this section, ] shall be at a rate equal to the rate customary or 14
prevailing for the same work in the same trade or occupation in the town 15
in which such public works project is being constructed. Any contractor 16
who is not obligated by agreement to make payment or contribution on 17
behalf of such persons to any such employee welfare fund shall pay to 18
each mechanic, laborer or worker as part of such person's wages the 19
amount of payment or contribution for such person's classification on 20
each pay day." For purposes of this subsection, "off -site custom 21
fabrication" means the fabrication of mechanical systems that are 22
fabricated at a site located within the state other than the location of a 23
public works project, but are fabricated specifically for such public 24
works project, including plumbing systems, heating systems, cooling 25
systems, pipefitting systems, ventilation systems or exhaust duct 26
systems. "Off-site custom fabrication" does not include components or 27
materials that are stock shelf items or readily available. 28
(b) If the commissioner, upon inspection or investigation of a 29
complaint, believes that a contractor or subcontractor has knowingly or 30
wilfully employed any mechanic, laborer or worker in the construction, 31
remodeling, refinishing, refurbishing, rehabilitation, alteration or repair 32
of any public works project for or on behalf of the state or any of its 33
agents, or any political subdivision of the state or any of its agents, at a 34
rate of wage on an hourly basis that is less than the rate customary or 35
prevailing for the same work in the same trade or occupation in the town 36
in which such public works project is being constructed, remodeled, 37
refinished, refurbished, rehabilitated, altered or repaired, or who has 38
failed to pay the amount of payment or contributions paid or payable 39
on behalf of each such person to any employee welfare fund, or in lieu 40
thereof to the person, as provided by subsection (a) of this section, such 41
contractor or subcontractor shall be issued a citation and may be fined 42
five thousand dollars for each offense. The commissioner shall maintain 43
a list of any contractor or subcontractor that, during the three preceding 44
calendar years, violates this section or enters into a settlement with the 45
commissioner to resolve any claim brought by the commissioner 46
pursuant to this section. For each contractor or subcontractor placed on 47
such list, the commissioner shall record the following information: (1) 48
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The nature of the violation; (2) the total amount of wages and fringe 49
benefits making up the violation or agreed upon in any settlement with 50
the commissioner; and (3) the total amount of civil penalties and fines 51
agreed upon by the commissioner. The commissioner shall review the 52
list on the first day of May each year for the preceding rolling three-year 53
period and may refer for debarment any contractor or subcontractor that 54
committed a violation of this section during the rolling three -year 55
period. The commissioner shall refer for debarment any contractor or 56
subcontractor that entered into one or more settlement agreements with 57
the commissioner where the sum total of all settlements within such 58
period exceeds fifty thousand dollars in back wages or fringe benefits, 59
or entered into one or more settlement agreements with the 60
commissioner where the sum total of all settlements within such period 61
exceeds fifty thousand dollars in civil penalties or fines agreed upon by 62
the commissioner. Any contractor or subcontractor the commissioner 63
refers for debarment may request a hearing before the commissioner. 64
Such hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of 65
chapter 54. In addition, if it is found by the contracting officer 66
representing the state or political subdivision of the state that any 67
mechanic, laborer or worker employed by the contractor or any 68
subcontractor directly on the site for the work covered by the contract 69
has been or is being paid a rate of wages less than the rate of wages 70
required by the contract to be paid as required by this section, the state 71
or contracting political subdivision of the state may (A) by written or 72
electronic notice to the contractor, terminate such contractor's right to 73
proceed with the work or such part of the work as to which there has 74
been a failure to pay said required wages and to prosecute the work to 75
completion by contract or otherwise, and the contractor and the 76
contractor's sureties shall be liable to the state or the contracting political 77
subdivision for any excess costs occasioned the state or the contracting 78
political subdivision thereby, or (B) withhold payment of money to the 79
contractor or subcontractor. The contracting department of the state or 80
the political subdivision of the state shall, not later than two days after 81
taking such action, notify the Labor Commissioner, in writing or 82
electronically, of the name of the contractor or subcontractor, the project 83
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involved, the location of the work, the violations involved, the date the 84
contract was terminated, and steps taken to collect the required wages. 85
(c) The Labor Commissioner may make complaint to the proper 86
prosecuting authorities for the violation of any provision of subsection 87
(b) of this section. 88
(d) For the purpose of predetermining the prevailing rate of wage on 89
an hourly basis and the amount of payment, contributions and member 90
benefits paid or payable on behalf of each person to any employee 91
welfare fund [, as defined in subsection (i) of this section,] in each town 92
where such contract is to be performed, the Labor Commissioner shall 93
adopt the rate of wages on an hourly basis in accordance with the 94
provisions of this section and section 31 -76c, and the amount , at the 95
journeyman rate, of payment, contributions and member benefits, 96
including health, pension, annuity and apprenticeship funds, as 97
recognized by the United States Department of Labor and the Labor 98
Commissioner paid or payable on behalf of each person to any 99
employee welfare fund, [as defined in subsection (i) of this section, ] as 100
established in the collective bargaining agreements or understandings 101
between employers or employer associations and bona fide labor 102
organizations for the same work in the same trade or occupation in the 103
town in which the applicable public works project, as defined in section 104
31-56a, is being constructed. For each trade or occupation for which 105
more than one collective bargaining agreement is in effect for the town 106
in which such project is being constructed, the collective bargaining 107
agreement of historical jurisdiction shall prevail. For each trade or 108
occupation for which there is no collective bargaining agreement in 109
effect for the town in which the public works project is being 110
constructed, the Labor Commissioner shall adopt and use such 111
appropriate and applicable prevailing wage rate determinations as have 112
been made by the Secretary of Labor of the United States under the 113
provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act, as amended. 114
(e) The Labor Commissioner shall determine the prevailing rate of 115
wages on an hourly basis and the amount of payment or contributions 116
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paid or payable on behalf of such person to any employee welfare fund 117
[, as defined in subsection (i) of this section,] in each locality where any 118
such public work is to be constructed, and the agent empowered to let 119
such contract shall contact the Labor Commissioner, at least ten but not 120
more than twenty days prior to the date such contracts will be 121
advertised for bid, to ascertain the proper rate of wages and amount of 122
employee welfare fund payments or contributions and shall include 123
such rate of wage on an hourly basis and the amount of payment or 124
contributions paid or payable on behalf of each person to any employee 125
welfare fund, [as defined in subsection (i) of this section, ] or in lieu 126
thereof the amount to be paid directly to each person for such payment 127
or contributions as provided in subsection (a) of this section for all 128
classifications of labor in the proposal for the contract. The rate of wage 129
on an hourly basis and the amount of payment or contributions to any 130
employee welfare fund [, as defined in subsection (i) of this section, ] or 131
cash in lieu thereof, as provided in subsection (a) of this section, shall, at 132
all times, be considered as the minimum rate for the classification for 133
which it was established. Prior to the award of any contract, purchase 134
order, bid package or other designation subject to the provisions of this 135
section, such agent shall certify to the Labor Commissioner, either in 136
writing or electronically, the total dollar amount of work to be done in 137
connection with such public works project, regardless of whether such 138
project consists of one or more contracts. Upon the award of any 139
contract subject to the provisions of this section, the contractor to whom 140
such contract is awarded shall certify, under oath, to the Labor 141
Commissioner the pay scale to be used by such contractor and any of 142
the contractor's subcontractors for work to be performed under such 143
contract. 144
(f) Each employer subject to the provisions of this section, section 31-145
53c, as amended by this act , subsection (f) of section 31 -53d or section 146
31-54 shall (1) keep, maintain and preserve such records relating to the 147
wages and hours worked by each person performing the work of any 148
mechanic, laborer and worker and a schedule of the occupation or work 149
classification at which each person performing the work of any 150
mechanic, laborer or worker on the project is employed during each 151
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work day and week in such manner and form as the Labor 152
Commissioner establishes to assure the proper payments due to such 153
persons or employee welfare funds under this section, section 31-53c, as 154
amended by this act , subsection (f) of section 31 -53d or section 31 -54, 155
regardless of any contractual relationship alleged to exist between the 156
contractor and such person, provided such employer shall have the 157
option of keeping, maintaining and preserving such records in an 158
electronic format, and (2) submit monthly to the contracting agency or 159
the Department of Economic and Community Development pursuant 160
to section 31-53c, as amended by this act, or to the developer of a covered 161
project, as defined in section 31 -53d, as applicable, by mail, electronic 162
mail or other method accepted by such agency, the Department of 163
Economic and Community Development or such developer , a certified 164
payroll that shall consist of a complete copy of such records 165
accompanied by a statement signed by the employer that indicates (A) 166
such records are correct; (B) the rate of wages paid to each person 167
performing the work of any mechanic, laborer or worker and the 168
amount of payment or contributions paid or payable on behalf of each 169
such person to any employee welfare fund [, as defined in subsection (i) 170
of this section, ] are not less than the prevailing rate of wages and the 171
amount of payment or contributions paid or payable on behalf of each 172
such person to any employee welfare fund, as determined by the Labor 173
Commissioner pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, and not less 174
than those required by the contract to be paid; (C) the employer has 175
complied with the applicable provisions of this section, section 31 -53c, 176
as amended by this act , subsection (f) of section 31 -53d and section 31 -177
54; (D) each such person is covered by a workers' compensation 178
insurance policy for the duration of such person's employment, which 179
shall be demonstrated by submitting to the contracting agency the name 180
of the workers' compensation insurance carrier covering each such 181
person, the effective and expiration dates of each policy and each policy 182
number; (E) the employer does not receive kickbacks, as defined in 41 183
USC 52, from any employee or employee welfare fund; and (F) pursuant 184
to the provisions of section 53a-157a, the employer is aware that filing a 185
certified payroll which the employer knows to be false is a class D felony 186
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for which the employer may be fined up to five thousand dollars, 187
imprisoned for up to five years, or both. This subsection shall not be 188
construed to prohibit a general contractor from relying on the 189
certification of a lower tier subcontractor, provided the general 190
contractor shall not be exempted from the provisions of section 53a-157a 191
if the general contractor knowingly relies upon a subcontractor's false 192
certification. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1 -210, the 193
certified payroll shall be considered a public record and every person 194
shall have the right to inspect and copy such records in accordance with 195
the provisions of section 1-212. The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) 196
of section 31 -59 and sections 31 -66 and 31 -69 that are not inconsistent 197
with the provisions of this section, section 31 -53c, as amended by this 198
act, or 31 -54 apply to this section. Failing to file a certified payroll 199
pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection is a class D felony for 200
which the employer may be fined up to five thousand dollars, 201
imprisoned for up to five years, or both. 202
(g) Any contractor who is required by the Labor Department to make 203
any payment as a result of a subcontractor's failure to pay wages or 204
benefits, or any subcontractor who is required by the Labor Department 205
to make any payment as a result of a lower tier subcontractor's failure 206
to pay wages or benefits, may bring a civil action in the Superior Court 207
to recover no more than the damages sustained by reason of making 208
such payment, together with costs and a reasonable attorney's fee. 209
(h) (1) For any public works contract, as defined in section 46a -68b, 210
entered into or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, where the total cost 211
of construction on a public works project exceeds ten million dollars, the 212
total on -site hours worked by employees who are subject to the 213
provisions of this section, by trade or occupation, who are paid an 214
hourly wage and directly employed by a contractor or subcontractor, 215
shall include work performed by apprentices meeting the requirements 216
of subdivision (3) of this subsection, in a percentage not less than as 217
required by subdivision (5) of this subsection. 218
(2) The requirements of this section shall apply separately to each 219
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contractor or subcontractor employing employees in an apprenticeable 220
trade who are performing work pursuant to a public works contract and 221
shall not be applied on an aggregate or project-wide basis. 222
(3) Apprentices performing work under this subsection shall be 223
enrolled in bona fide apprenticeship programs which have had at least 224
one apprentice complete the program within the preceding five years 225
and that are (A) registered with and approved by the Labor 226
Department's office of apprenticeship training; or (B) registered with 227
and approved by the United States Department of Labor. 228
(4) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require that an 229
apprenticeship program qualify as an employee welfare benefit plan 230
under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as 231
amended from time to time. 232
(5) The required minimum percentage of total on -site hours 233
performed by apprentices pursuant to a public works contract pursuant 234
to this subsection shall be phased in as follows: 235
(A) One year after January 1, 2027: Five per cent; 236
(B) Two years after January 1, 2027: Ten per cent; and 237
(C) Three years after January 1, 2027: Fifteen per cent. 238
(6) All use of apprentices under this subsection shall be in accordance 239
with all applicable apprentice -to-journeyperson ratios established by 240
state or federal law. 241
(7) The Labor Commissioner may grant a limited waiver of the 242
requirements of this subsection upon making a finding, in writing, that 243
no responsible and qualified bidder maintaining or participating in an 244
apprenticeship program is reasonably available for a specific trade or 245
scope of work. Any such waiver shall be limited to such trade or scope 246
and shall not apply to the entire public works project unless the 247
commissioner makes a written finding for each affected trade. All 248
documentation of any such waivers granted shall be retained as part of 249
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the public record for the contract. 250
(8) Any construction manager, general contractor or subcontractor 251
for a public works contract subject to the provisions of this subsection 252
who fails to maintain or participate in a bona fide apprenticeship 253
program and who is not otherwise exempt pursuant to a waiver granted 254
under subdivision (7) of this subsection, shall not be deemed a 255
responsible and qualified bidder. 256
(9) The Labor Commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance 257
with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this 258
subsection. 259
[(h) (1)] (i) The provisions of this section shall not apply where [(A)] 260
(1) the combined total cost or total bond authorization for all work to be 261
performed by all contractors and subcontractors in connection with new 262
construction of any public works project is less than one million dollars, 263
or [(B)] (2) the combined total cost of all work to be performed by all 264
contractors and subcontractors in connection with any remodeling, 265
refinishing, refurbishing, rehabilitation, alteration or repair of any 266
public works project is less than one hundred thousand dollars. 267
[(2) On and after October 31, 2017, and prior to July 1, 2019, the 268
provisions of this subdivision shall not apply where the work to be 269
performed by any contractor or subcontractor in connection with new 270
construction, remodeling, refinishing, refurbishing, rehabilitation, 271
alteration or repair of any public works project funded in whole or in 272
part by any private bequest that is greater than nine million dollars but 273
less than twelve million dollars for a municipality in New Haven 274
County with a population of not less than twelve thousand and not 275
more than thirteen thousand, as determined by the most recent 276
population estimate by the Department of Public Health. 277
(3) On and after July 1, 2019, and prior to January 1, 2020, the 278
provisions of this subdivision shall not apply where the work to be 279
performed by any contractor or subcontractor in connection with new 280
construction, remodeling, refinishing, refurbishing, rehabilitation, 281
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alteration or repair of any public works project funded in whole or in 282
part by any private bequest that is greater than nine million dollars but 283
less than twenty-two million dollars for a municipality in New Haven 284
County with a population of not less than twelve thousand and not 285
more than thirteen thousand, as determined by the most recent 286
population estimate by the Department of Public Health.] 287
[(i)] (j) As used in this section and sections 31-53c, as amended by this 288
act, and 31 -54, (1) "employee welfare fund" means any trust fund 289
established by one or more employers and one or more labor 290
organizations or one or more other third parties not affiliated with the 291
employers to provide from moneys in the fund, whether through the 292
purchase of insurance or annuity contracts or otherwise, benefits under 293
an employee welfare plan; provided such term [shall] does not include 294
any such fund where the trustee, or all of the trustees, are subject to 295
supervision by the Banking Commissioner of this state or any other state 296
or the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States or the Board of 297
Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and (2) "benefits under an 298
employee welfare plan" means one or more benefits or services under 299
any plan established or maintained for persons performing the work of 300
any mechanics, laborers or workers or their families or dependents, or 301
for both, including, but not limited to, medical, surgical or hospital care 302
benefits; benefits in the event of sickness, accident, disability or death; 303
benefits in the event of unemployment, or retirement benefits. 304
Sec. 2. (NEW) ( Effective January 1, 2027 ) (a) Any contractor or 305
subcontractor who fails to comply with the requirements concerning 306
usage of apprentices in subsection (h) of section 31 -53 of the general 307
statutes, as amended by this act, shall be subject to a civil penalty 308
assessed by the Labor Commissioner. Such civil penalty shall be 309
calculated based on the number of apprentice hours required but not 310
performed under a public works contract, as defined in section 46a-68b 311
of the general statutes, but shall not exceed two hundred dollars per 312
hour of noncompliance. In determining whether to assess a penalty 313
under this section, the commissioner shall consider whether the 314
contractor or subcontractor made a good faith effort to comply with 315
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such requirements concerning usage of apprentices, including any 316
documentation of efforts to obtain apprentices from approved 317
programs. 318
(b) Any civil penalty collected pursuant to this section shall be 319
deposited into a workforce training or apprenticeship related account, 320
as determined by the Labor Commissioner, for the purpose of 321
supporting registered apprenticeship programs. 322
(c) The Department of Administrative Services, or any other 323
awarding authority, as defined in section 4b -91 of the general statutes, 324
may withhold payment under a public works contract until either the 325
contractor or subcontractor complies with the requirements of 326
subsection (h) of section 31 -53 of the general statutes, as amended by 327
this act, or has paid any civil penalty imposed under this section. 328
(d) Any contractor or subcontractor found to have wilfully or 329
repeatedly violated the requirements concerning usage of apprentices 330
in subsection (h) of section 31-53 of the general statutes, as amended by 331
this act, may, in addition to any civil penalty, be subject to a temporary 332
disqualification from bidding on public works contracts for a period not 333
exceeding one year. 334
Sec. 3. Subsection (d) of section 10a -109n of the 2026 supplement to 335
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 336
thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 337
(d) For the purposes of part III of chapter 557, a project undertaken 338
by the university shall be deemed to be a state public works project and 339
consist of public buildings. For purposes of subsection (h) of section 31-340
53, as amended by this act, any project undertaken by the university 341
exceeding ten million dollars shall require contractors and 342
subcontractors to comply with the requirements of said subsection. 343
Sec. 4. Section 10a -153 of the general statutes is repealed and the 344
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 345
The constituent units of the state system of higher education shall 346
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comply with (1) the provisions of section 4a -60g when undertaking 347
remodeling, alteration, repair or enlargement projects pursuant to the 348
provisions of sections 4b -51, 4b -52, 4b -55 and 4b -91, and (2) the 349
provisions of subsection (h) of section 31 -53, as amended by this act, 350
concerning usage of apprentices for any construction contract with a 351
value exceeding ten million dollars. 352
Sec. 5. Subdivision (7) of subsection (c) of section 4a-100 of the general 353
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 354
(Effective January 1, 2027): 355
(7) A statement of whether (A) the applicant has been disqualified 356
pursuant to this section, section 4b-95, [this section or section] 31-57c or 357
31-57d or section 2 of this act , (B) the applicant is disqualified or 358
prohibited from being awarded a contract pursuant to section 31 -57b, 359
(C) the applicant has been disqualified by another state, (D) the 360
applicant has been disqualified by a federal agency or pursuant to 361
federal law, (E) the applicant's registration has been suspended or 362
revoked by the Department of Consumer Protection pursuant to section 363
20-341gg, (F) the applicant has been disqualified by a municipality, and 364
(G) the matters that gave rise to any such disqualification, suspension or 365
revocation have been eliminated or remedied; and 366
Sec. 6. Subsection (i) of section 4a -100 of the general statutes is 367
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 368
1, 2027): 369
(i) The commissioner may not issue or renew a prequalification 370
certificate to any contractor or substantial subcontractor (1) who is 371
disqualified pursuant to section 31-57c or 31-57d or section 2 of this act, 372
or (2) who has a principal or key personnel who, within the past five 373
years, has a conviction or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere 374
for or has admitted to commission of an act or omission that reasonably 375
could have resulted in disqualification pursuant to any provision of 376
subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of subsection (d) of section 31-57c, [or] 377
subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of subsection (d) of section 31 -57d, or 378
section 2 of this act, as determined by the commissioner. 379
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Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 31 -53b of the general statutes is 380
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 381
1, 2027): 382
(a) Each contract for a public works project entered into on or after 383
July 1, 2009, by the state or any of its agents, or by any political 384
subdivision of the state or any of its agents, described in subsection [(h)] 385
(i) of section 31 -53, as amended by this act , shall contain a provision 386
requiring that each contractor furnish proof with the weekly certified 387
payroll form for the first week each employee begins work on such 388
project that any person performing the work of a mechanic, laborer or 389
worker pursuant to the classifications of labor under section 31 -53, as 390
amended by this act, on such public works project, pursuant to such 391
contract, has completed a course of at least ten hours in duration in 392
construction safety and health approved by the federal Occupational 393
Safety and Health Administration or, has completed a new miner 394
training program approved by the Federal Mine Safety and Health 395
Administration in accordance with 30 CFR 46 or, in the case of 396
telecommunications employees, has completed at least ten hours of 397
training in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.268, and, on or after July 1, 398
2012, that any plumber or electrician subject to the continuing education 399
requirements of section 20-334d, who has completed a course of at least 400
ten hours in duration in construction safety and health approved by the 401
federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration five or more 402
years prior to the date such electrician or plumber begins work on such 403
public works project, has completed a supplemental refresher training 404
course of at least four hours in duration in construction safety and health 405
taught by a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration 406
authorized trainer. 407
Sec. 8. Subsections (b) to (e), inclusive, of section 31 -53c of the 2026 408
supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is 409
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 410
(b) On and after July 1, 2018, if the Department of Economic and 411
Community Development provides financial assistance to any business 412
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organization for any construction project of such business organization, 413
the Department of Economic and Community Development shall 414
require, as a condition of providing such financial assistance, that any 415
contract entered into by the business organization for such project shall 416
contain the following provision: "The wages paid on an hourly basis to 417
any person performing the work of any mechanic, laborer or worker on 418
the work herein contracted to be done and the amount of payment or 419
contribution paid or payable on behalf of each such person to any 420
employee welfare fund, as defined in [subsection (i) of] section 31-53, as 421
amended by this act, shall be at a rate equal to the rate customary or 422
prevailing for the same work in the same trade or occupation in the town 423
in which such construction, remodeling, refinishing, refurbishing, 424
rehabilitation, alteration or repair project is being undertaken. Any 425
contractor who is not obligated by agreement to make payment or 426
contribution on behalf of such persons to any such employee welfare 427
fund shall pay to each mechanic, laborer or worker as part of such 428
person's wages the amount of payment or contribution for such person's 429
classification on each pay day." 430
(c) Any contractor or subcontractor who knowingly or wilfully 431
employs any mechanic, laborer or worker in any project receiving 432
financial assistance from the Department of Economic and Community 433
Development for such project, at a rate of wage on an hourly basis that 434
is less than the rate customary or prevailing for the same work in the 435
same trade or occupation in the town in which such project is located, 436
or who fails to pay the amount of payment or contributions paid or 437
payable on behalf of each such person to any employee welfare fund, as 438
defined in [subsection (i) of] section 31-53, as amended by this act, or in 439
lieu thereof to the person, as provided by subsection (b) of this section, 440
shall be fined not less than two thousand five hundred dollars but not 441
more than five thousand dollars for each offense and (1) for the first 442
violation, shall be disqualified from bidding on contracts for projects for 443
which the Department of Economic and Community Development 444
provides financial assistance until the contractor or subcontractor has 445
made full restitution of the back wages owed to such persons and for an 446
additional six months thereafter, and (2) for subsequent violations, shall 447
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be disqualified from bidding on contracts for projects for which the 448
Department of Economic and Community Development provides 449
financial assistance until the contractor or subcontractor has made full 450
restitution of the back wages owed to such persons and for not less than 451
an additional two years thereafter. In addition, if it is found by the 452
contracting officer representing the business organization that any 453
mechanic, laborer or worker employed by the contractor or any 454
subcontractor directly on the site for the work covered by the contract 455
has been or is being paid a rate of wages less than the rate of wages 456
required by the contract to be paid as required by this section, the 457
business organization may (A) by written or electronic notice to the 458
contractor, terminate such contractor's right to proceed with the work 459
or such part of the work as to which there has been a failure to pay said 460
required wages and to prosecute the work to completion by contract or 461
otherwise, and the contractor and the contractor's sureties shall be liable 462
to the business organization for any excess costs occasioned the business 463
organization thereby, or (B) withhold payment of money to the 464
contractor or subcontractor. The contracting business organization shall, 465
not later than two days after taking such action, notify the Labor 466
Commissioner, in writing or electronically, of the name of the contractor 467
or subcontractor, the project involved, the location of the work, the 468
violations involved, the date the contract was terminated and steps 469
taken to collect the required wages. 470
(d) The Labor Commissioner may make complaint to the proper 471
prosecuting authorities for the violation of any provision of subsection 472
(c) of this section. 473
(e) The Labor Commissioner shall predetermine the prevailing rate 474
and the amount of payment or contributions paid or payable on behalf 475
of each person to any employee welfare fund, as defined in [subsection 476
(i) of] section 31-53, as amended by this act, in each town where such 477
contract is to be performed, in the same manner as provided in 478
subsection (d) of section 31-53, as amended by this act. 479
Sec. 9. Subsection (a) of section 31 -76o of the general statutes is 480
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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 481
1, 2027): 482
(a) For the purposes of this section, "employee welfare fund" has the 483
same meaning as provided in [subsection (i) of ] section 31 -53, as 484
amended by this act. 485
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 January 1, 2027 31-53
Sec. 2 January 1, 2027 New section
Sec. 3 January 1, 2027 10a-109n(d)
Sec. 4 January 1, 2027 10a-153
Sec. 5 January 1, 2027 4a-100(c)(7)
Sec. 6 January 1, 2027 4a-100(i)
Sec. 7 January 1, 2027 31-53b(a)
Sec. 8 January 1, 2027 31-53c(b) to (e)
Sec. 9 January 1, 2027 31-76o(a)

GAE Joint Favorable Subst.

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sSB471 / File No. 575 17

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: Potential Cost, See Below
Municipal Impact: Potential Cost

Explanation
The bill phases in requirements for the usage of apprentices on
certain prevailing wage public works projects.
Section 1 specifies a phase -in schedule for apprentice participation,
requiring that on-site hours performed by apprentices increase from 5%
in FY 28 to 15% in FY 30. Contractors and subcontractors who fail to
adhere to these requirements will not be deemed responsible and
qualified bidders. To the extent this results in a significant increase in
the number of contractors or subcontractors participating in
apprenticeship programs, there could be a potential cost to the
Department of Labor (DOL) to expand th e Office of Apprenticeship
Training (OAT) beginning in FY 27 1. For reference, the average salary
for a staff member in the OAT is $90,000.
Section 2 establishes a civil penalty for noncompliant contractors or
subcontractors of up to $200 per hour for required apprentice hours not
performed. This results in a potential revenue gain to the DOL to the
extent noncompliance occurs and penalties are paid.
Sections 1, 4, and 5 also result in a potential cost to the state

1 The OAT currently has 12 staff members and administers 1,800 employers '
apprenticeship programs.
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(including the constituent units of higher education) and municipalities
to the extent contract costs increase as a result of the new requirements.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to increases in entities participating in
apprenticeship programs, and the volume of violations and penalties
collected.

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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 471

AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF APPRENTICES ON
PREVAILING WAGE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.

SUMMARY
This bill generally requires certain public works contracts to have a
specified percentage of their work performed by apprentices. It applies
to those contracts entered into or renewed on or after January 1, 2027,
for a public works project with a total cost of construction over $10
million.
Under the bill, a “public works contract” is any agreement that is (1)
for constructing , rehabilitat ing, conver ting, exten ding, demoli shing,
repairing, changing, or improv ing real property and (2) financed in
whole or in part with at least $150,000 of state funding, such as matching
expenditures, grants, loans, insurance , or guarantees . The bill further
specifies that its requirement also applies to any UConn project
exceeding $10 million and any construction contract of the constituent
units of the state system of higher education that exceeds $10 million.
More specifically on these contracts, each trade or occupation’s total
on-site hours worked by employees who are covered by the state’s
prevailing wage law, paid an hourly wage, and directly employed by a
contractor or subcontractor must have at least (1) 5% of the on-site hours
performed by apprentices after January 1, 2028; (2) 10% of the on -site
hours performed by apprentices after January 1, 2029; and (3) 15% of the
on-site hours performed by apprentices after January 1, 20 30. The bill
specifies that th is requirement applies separately to each contractor or
subcontractor working under a public works contract, and not in an
aggregate or project-wide basis.
The bill allows the labor commissioner to grant a limited waiver of
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this requirement if no responsible and qualified bidder maintaining or
participating in an apprenticeship program is reasonably available for a
specific trade or scope of work.
The bill imposes a variety of p enalties on contractors and
subcontractors who violate its apprenticeship provisions, including civil
penalties, withholding payments for contracts, and disqualification
from bidding on certain state contracts.
Generally, the state’s prevailing wage law requires contractors and
subcontractors on certain public works projects to pay their construction
workers wages and benefits equal to those that are customary or
prevailing for the same work, in the same occupation, in the same town.
The bill further specifies that when the labor commissioner determines
the prevailing wages required on a public works project, the portion that
covers payments, contributions, and member benefits (such as health
insurance and retirem ent benefits) must be determined at the
journeyman rate. Current law does not specify a particular rate to be
used in this determination.
The bill also makes technical and conforming changes, including
removing obsolete exceptions to the prevailing wage law.
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2027
APPRENTICESHIP REQUIREMENT
The bill requires the apprentices working under the bill’s covered
contracts to be enrolled in bona fide apprenticeship programs that (1)
have had at least one apprentice complete the program within the
preceding five years and (2) are registered with the state Department of
Labor’s (DOL) Office of Apprenticeship Training or registered with and
approved by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The bill specifies that it does not require an apprenticeship program
to qualify as an employee welfare benefit plan under the federal
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). It also specifies that
the use of apprentices must comply with the applicable state or federal
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law on apprentice-to-journeyperson ratios (see BACKGROUND).
The bill allows the DOL commissioner to grant a limited waiver of
the bill’s apprenticeship requirement through a written finding that no
responsible and qualified bidder maintaining or participating in an
apprenticeship program is reasonably available for a specific trade or
scope of work. The waiver must be limited to the trade or scope of work
and not apply to the entire project unless the commissioner makes a
written finding for each affected trade. All documentation of the
waivers must be kept as part of the contract’s public record.
Under the bill, any construction manager, general contractor, or
subcontractor for a public works project subject to the bill who fails to
maintain or participate in a bona fide apprenticeship program, and is
not otherwise exempt under a waiver, cannot be deemed a responsible
and qualified bidder (presumably, under the state’s contracting laws).
The bill allows the DOL commissioner to adopt regulations to
implement these provisions.
PENALTIES
Civil Penalty
The bill subjects any contractor or subcontractor who fails to comply
with the bill’s requirements for using apprentices on a public works
contract to a civil penalty assessed by the DOL commissioner. The
penalty amount must be calculated based on the number of apprentice
hours required but not performed under the contract, up to $200 per
hour of noncompliance. The bill requires the commissioner, when
determining whether to assess a penalty, to consider whether the
contractor or subcontractor made a good faith effort to comply with the
bill’s requirements for using apprentices, including any documented
efforts to obtain apprentices from approved programs.
The bill requires the money collected from these civil penalties to be
deposited in a workforce training or apprenticeship related account, as
determined by the commissioner, to support registered apprenticeship
programs.
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Withholding Payment
The bill also allows the Department of Administrative Services
(DAS), or any other awarding authority (see BACKGROUND), to
withhold payment under a public works contract until the contractor or
subcontractor complies with the bill’s apprenticeship requirements or
has paid the civil penalty imposed. (It appears that this penalty would
only be available to projects administered by DAS, the Joint Committee
on Legislative Management, a constituent unit of the state system of
higher education, or the Military De partment, but not projects
administered by other state agencies (such as DOT) or municipalities.)
Bidding Disqualification
In addition, any contractor or subcontractor found to have willfully
or repeatedly violated the bill’s apprenticeship requirements may be
disqualified from bidding on public works contracts for up to one year
(the bill does not further specify a process for how this will be
determined).
Relatedly, and specific to DAS -administered projects, the bill (1)
prohibits the DAS commissioner from issuing or renewing a pre -
qualification certificate to any contractor or substantial subcontractor
who is disqualified for this reason and (2) requires the application for
pre-qualification to include a statement of whether the applicant has
been disqualified for this reason. In general, all contractors performing
work in specific classifications must be pre-qualified by DAS before
bidding on a state contract estimated to cost more than $1,000,000.
BACKGROUND
Apprentice Ratios
State law sets a hiring ratio that certain trades must follow. It
generally requires a certain number of licensed journeypersons or
contractors before another apprentice may be hired in the following
trades: electrical; plumbing; heating, piping, and cooli ng; sprinkler
fitter; and sheet metal work. The table below shows the number of
licensed journeypersons or contractors a company must have before
hiring apprentices. By law, however, a contractor may apply to the
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Department of Consumer Protection for ratio relief (CGS § 20-332b, as
amended by PA 25-47).
Table: Hiring Ratios of Apprentices to Licensed
Journeypersons or Contractors
Apprentices Licensees (Journeypersons or
Contractors)
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 6
5 9
6 12
7 15
8 18
9 21
10* 24*
*If there are 11 or more apprentices, the ratio continues at 1:3 (apprentice to licensees).

Awarding Authority
By law and under the bill , an “awarding authority” is DAS; and, for
contracts for the construction of or work on a building or other public
work under their respective supervision and control , the Joint
Committee on Legislative Management , a constituent unit of the state
system of higher education, or the Military Department (CGS § 4b-91).
Related Bills
SB 268 (File 76), reported favorably by the Labor and Public
Employees Committee, sets a process for the state comptroller to
withhold payment to a contractor or subcontractor who has violated the
state’s prevailing wage law.
sSB 356 (File 211), favorably reported by the Labor and Public
Employees Committee, makes changes to the record keeping
requirements for employers covered by the state prevailing wage law.
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COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 16 Nay 3 (03/20/2026)