Connecticut SB 383: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF WORKFORCE STRATEGY RELATED TO HIGHER EDUCATION.

Bill Text

Senate Bill No. 383 
 
Public Act No. 26-85 
 
 
AN   ACT   IMPLEMENTING   THE   RECOMMENDATIONS   OF   THE 
OFFICE   OF   WORKFORCE   STRATEGY   RELATED   TO   HIGHER 
EDUCATION. 
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Section 4-124xx of the general statutes is repealed and the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 
[(a)  The  Chief  Workforce  Officer,  appointed  pursuant  to  section  4-
124w, in consultation with the Labor Commissioner, the Commissioners 
of  Social  Services,  Developmental  Disabilities,  Public  Health,  Higher 
Education and Aging and Disability Services, the Governor's Workforce 
Council,   the   Council   on   Developmental   Disabilities,   the   Autism 
Spectrum    Disorder    Advisory    Council    and    regional    workforce 
development boards, shall establish a Human Services Career Pipeline 
program to ensure a sufficient number of trained providers are available 
to serve the needs of persons in the state with an intellectual disability, 
other    developmental    disabilities,    physical    disabilities,    cognitive 
impairment  or  mental  illness  and  elderly  persons.  Such  pipeline  shall 
include  training and  certification  for  cardiopulmonary  resuscitation, 
first  aid,  medication  administration,  job  placement  and  incentives  for 
retention in the human services labor sector upon successful completion 
of the program.] 

Senate Bill No. 383 
 
Public Act No. 26-85 2 of 6 
 
[(b)] (a) The Chief Workforce Officer, appointed pursuant to section 
4-124w, shall    consult    with    the    Labor    Commissioner    and    the 
Commissioners   of   Aging   and   Disability   Services,   Developmental 
Services,  Mental  Health  and  Addiction  Services,  Public  Health and 
Social  Services,  the  Council  on  Developmental  Disabilities  and  the 
Autism  Spectrum  Disorder  Advisory  Council  to  determine:  (1)  The 
greatest  needs  for  human  services  providers to  serve  the  needs  of 
persons  in  the  state  with  an  intellectual  disability,  a  developmental 
disability, a physical disability, a cognitive impairment or a behavioral 
health disorder and elderly persons in the state, and (2) barriers to hiring 
and  retaining  qualified  providers.  The  Chief  Workforce  Officer  shall 
assist  local  and  regional  boards  of  education  in  enhancing  existing 
partnerships or establishing new partnerships with providers of human 
services  and  higher education  institutions  to  provide  a  pathway  to  a 
diploma,  credential,  certificate  or  license  and  a  job  providing  human 
services. 
[(c)] (b) The Chief Workforce Officer, in consultation with the Labor 
Commissioner,  shall  develop  a  plan  for  the  Human  Services  Career 
Pipeline program that includes, but shall not be limited to: (1) A strategy 
to  increase  the  number  of  state  residents  pursuing  careers  in  human 
services, (2) recommended salary and working conditions necessary to 
retain an adequate number of human services providers to serve state 
residents,  and  (3)  estimated  funding  needed  to  support  the  Human 
Services Career Pipeline program. Not later than July 1, [2024] 2026, the 
Chief Workforce Officer shall submit a report on the plan, in accordance 
with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of 
the   General   Assembly   having   cognizance   of   matters   relating   to 
appropriations, aging, higher education and employment advancement, 
human  services,  labor  and  public  health.  The  report  shall  include  the 
Chief Workforce Officer's recommendations for establishing the career 
pipeline and estimates of funding needed to implement the pipeline. 

Senate Bill No. 383 
 
Public Act No. 26-85 3 of 6 
 
[(d) The    Chief    Workforce    Officer    shall,    within    available 
appropriations,  establish  such  career  pipeline  and,  if  such  pipeline  is 
established,  submit  a  report,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of 
section  11-4a,  not  later  than  January  1,  2026,  and  annually  thereafter, 
regarding  the  development  and  implementation  of  the  pipeline  to  the 
joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance 
of  matters  relating  to  appropriations,  aging,  higher  education  and 
employment advancement, human services, labor and public health. For 
purposes  of  this  section,  "human  services  labor  sector"  means  persons 
trained  to  provide  services  to  persons  with  an  intellectual  disability; 
other  developmental  disabilities,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  autism 
spectrum disorder; physical disabilities; cognitive impairment or mental 
illness; and elderly persons.] 
Sec.  2.  Section  4-124mm  of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 
(a) There is e