Today is October 1st which means that it’s "New Law" Day — not in the formal sense, but because it is the effective date of many new laws passed by the Connecticut General Assembly earlier this year. You can view a list of all the bills that are effective today here.
The most important, for employers, is a new law regarding personnel files and revisions to the state’s equal pay act provisions. You can find my prior recap of the bill here.
But we’re not quite through for the year.
As part of its special September budget session, various employment law-related provisions are getting put into the so-called implementer rules. And they’re a little more expansive than you might think.
For example, House Bill 7005 (which has only passed the House so far) would create a new False Claims Act applicable to the medical assistance programs that the Department of Social Services (DSS) administers. This includes new whistleblowing protection for employees raising such claims.
Still more bills are expected to be discussed and debated tomorrow that address employment law issues, including one that would create a new Office of Administrative Hearings (which would hear some CHRO discrimination claims). Those bills have not yet been posted on the Connecticut General Assembly’s website as of today.
As this legislative year seemingly goes on and on, Yogi Berra’s phrase holds true: "It ain’t over ’til it’s over."