Labor Committee Recycles Old Mandate Proposals

02.06.2026

Issues & Policies

The Labor and Public Employee Committee‘s first meeting of the 2026 legislative session included a number of recycled proposals from previous sessions.

The committee approved a number of concepts for drafting as bills that will feature at public hearings in the coming weeks.

Approved concepts included several measures that the committee approved during the 2025 legislative session and ultimately were not adopted by the legislature or were vetoed.

Among the items approved Feb. 6 for bill drafting were:

Unemployment benefits for striking workers. Provides unemployment benefits to workers who are voluntarily on strike. Gov. Ned Lamont vetoed two similar measures in recent years.

Warehouse distribution center mandates. Requires warehouses to implement further safety standards and limit work productivity metrics.

Heat-related illness in the workplace requirements. Implements new workplace safety guidelines for employers operating in certain weather conditions.

General contractor liability on private construction jobs. Shifts liability for unpaid wages to employees of subcontractors to the general contractor.

Artificial intelligence regulations for businesses. Implements several new guidelines for usage of AI in the workplace.

New US DOL guidance makes it clear that federal law requires those claiming unemployment benefits "be able to work, available to work, and actively seeking work," and not "engaging in activity (e.g., picketing) to the exclusion of seeking other work." https://t.co/r0jqEvrARD
— Chris DiPentima (@ChrisDipentima) January 22, 2026

Other concepts dealing with workers’ compensation and emergency services’ personal benefits were also discussed and will be drafted as bills in the coming weeks.

CBIA opposed each of the above in the 2025 legislative session, citing additional compliance costs for employers, repetitive safety standards, and lack of clarity on the overall impact on employers.

“While we haven’t seen specific language yet, many of these concepts were introduced as bills last session and pose serious affordability, compliance, and technical issues for small businesses,” CBIA’s Paul Amarone noted.

“We look forward to working with committee leadership to find common ground and bring attention to the areas of proposed legislation that makes it more difficult for businesses to operate.”

For more information, contact CBIA’s Paul Amarone (860.244.1978).