Connecticut SB 471: AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF APPRENTICES ON PREVAILING WAGE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 471
February Session, 2026

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is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 2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
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

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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
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

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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