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Connecticut Statutes on Drug Testing

Source: Connecticut General Statutes (Rev. to 1/1/97), from the Connecticut State Library

Sec. 31-51t. Drug testing: Definitions.
     For the purposes of sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive: (1) "Employee" means any individual currently employed or formerly employed and currently being rehired by the same employer within twelve months of terminating his employment, and includes any individual in a managerial position; (2) "Employer" means any individual, corporation, partnership or unincorporated association, excluding the state or any political subdivision thereof; (3) "Prospective employee" means any individual applying for employment with an employer, other than an individual who terminated his employment with such employer within twelve months prior to such application.
(P.A. 87-551, S. 1; P.A. 94-42.)
     History: P.A. 94-42 amended the definition of "employee" to include any individual referred by the same employer within twelve months of terminating his employment and added a definition for "prospective employee".

Sec. 31-51u. Drug testing: Requirements.
     (a) No employer may determine an employee's eligibility for promotion, additional compensation, transfer, termination, disciplinary or other adverse personnel action solely on the basis of a positive urinalysis drug test result unless (1) the employer has given the employee a urinalysis drug test, utilizing a reliable methodology, which produced a positive result and (2) such positive test result was confirmed by a second urinalysis drug test, which was separate and independent from the initial test, utilizing a gas chromatography and mass spectrometry methodology or a methodology which has been determined by the Commissioner of Public Health to be as reliable or more reliable than the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry methodology. (b) No person performing a urinalysis drug test pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall report, transmit or disclose any positive test result of any test performed in accordance with subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section unless such test result has been confirmed in accordance with subdivision (2) of said subsection (a).
(P.A. 87-551, S. 2; P.A. 91-271, S. 1; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)
     History: P.A. 91-271 designated existing section as Subsec. (a), eliminated the requirement for a third urinalysis drug test and added Subsec. (b) re disclosure of test results; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.
Cited. 26 CA 553, 557, 558.

Sec. 31-51v. Drug testing: Prospective employees.
     No employer may require a prospective employee to submit to a urinalysis drug test as part of the application procedure for employment with such employer unless (1) the prospective employee is informed in writing at the time of application of the employer's intent to conduct such a drug test, (2) such test is conducted in accordance with the requirements of subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of section 31-51u and (3) the prospective employee is given a copy of any positive urinalysis drug test result. The results of any such test shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed by the employer or its employees to any person other than any such employee to whom such disclosure is necessary.
(P.A. 87-551, S. 3; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-11, S. 43, 70.)
     History: May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-11 made a technical change in Subdiv. (2) by correcting a statutory reference.

Sec. 31-51w. Drug testing: Observation prohibited.
Privacy of results. (a) No employer or employer representative, agent or designee engaged in a urinalysis drug testing program shall directly observe an employee or prospective employee in the process of producing the urine specimen. (b) Any results of urinalysis drug tests conducted by or on behalf of an employer shall be maintained along with other employee medical records and shall be subject to the privacy protections provided for in sections 31-128a to 31-128h, inclusive. Such results shall be inadmissible in any criminal proceeding. 
(P.A. 87-551, S. 4, 5.)

Sec. 31-51x. Drug testing: Reasonable suspicion required.
     Random tests. (a) No employer may require an employee to submit to a urinalysis drug test unless the employer has reasonable suspicion that the employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol which adversely affects or could adversely affect such employee's job performance. The Labor Commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to specify circumstances which shall be presumed to give rise to an employer having such a reasonable suspicion, provided nothing in such regulations shall preclude an employer from citing other circumstances as giving rise to such a reasonable suspicion. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, an employer may require an employee to submit to a urinalysis drug test on a random basis if (1) such test is authorized under federal law, (2) the employee serves in an occupation which has been designated as a high-risk or safety-sensitive occupation pursuant to regulations adopted by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to chapter 54, or (3) the urinalysis is conducted as part of an employee assistance program sponsored or authorized by the employer in which the employee voluntarily participates.
(P.A. 87-551, S. 6, 7; P.A. 91-271, S. 2.)
     History: P.A. 91-271 amended Subsec. (a) to require the labor commissioner to adopt regulations specifying circumstances giving rise to reasonable suspicion; in 1997 references to "Commissioner of Labor" were changed editorially by the Revisors to "Labor Commissioner" for consistency with customary statutory usage.

Sec. 31-51y. Drug testing: Medical screenings, regulation of employees and testing of gaming participants permitted.
     (a) Nothing in sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive, shall prevent an employer from conducting medical screenings, with the express written consent of the employees, to monitor exposure to toxic or other unhealthy substances in the workplace or in the performance of their job responsibilities. Any such screenings or tests shall be limited to the specific substances expressly identified in the employee consent form. (b) Nothing in sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive, shall restrict an employer's ability to prohibit the use of intoxicating substances during work hours or restrict an employer's ability to discipline an employee for being under the influence of intoxicating substances during work hours. (c) Nothing in sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive, shall restrict or prevent a urinalysis drug test program conducted under the supervision of the Division of Special Revenue within the Department of Revenue Services relative to jai alai players, jai alai court judges, jockeys, harness drivers or stewards participating in activities upon which pari-mutuel wagering is authorized under chapter 226.
(P.A. 87-551, S. 810.)

Sec. 31-51z. Drug testing: Enforcement.
     Damages. (a) Any aggrieved person may enforce the provisions of sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive, by means of a civil action. Any employer, laboratory or medical facility that violates any provision of sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive, or who aids in the violation of any provision of said sections shall be liable to the person aggrieved for special and general damages, together with attorney's fees and costs. (b) Any employer, laboratory or medical facility that commits, or proposes to commit, an act in violation of any provision of sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive, may be enjoined therefrom by any court of competent jurisdiction. An action for injunctive relief under this subsection may be brought by any aggrieved person, by the Attorney General or by any person or entity which will fairly and adequately represent the interests of the protected class.
(P.A. 87-551, S. 11.)

Sec. 31-51aa. Drug testing: Effect of collective bargaining agreement.
     No provision of any collective bargaining agreement may contravene or supersede any provision of sections 31-51t to 31-51aa, inclusive, so as to infringe the privacy rights of any employee.
(P.A. 87-551, S. 12.)

Sec. 31-51bb. Right of employee to pursue cause of action.
     No employee shall be denied the right to pursue, in a court of competent jurisdiction, a cause of action arising under the state or federal constitution or under a state statute solely because the employee is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Nothing in this section shall be construed to give an employee the right to pursue a cause of action in a court of competent jurisdiction for breach of any provision of a collective bargaining agreement or other claims dependent upon the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement.
(P.A. 88-275, S. 1.)
     Permits an employee, despite prior voluntary submission of a related claim to final arbitration under collective bargaining agreement, to pursue statutory cause of action in superior court. 226 C. 475, 480484, 486, 487, 489, 490, 492, 493. P.A. 88-275 cited. Id. Cited. 229 C. 801, 802. Cited. 236 C. 421, 429.