UPFFA Legislative Notice
The Appropriations Committee Did not place the following bill on their agenda to be acted upon before their JF deadline. The bill is now dead.
H.B. No. 5037 (RAISED) LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. 'AN ACT CONCERNING WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL', to establish a rebuttable presumption that emergency rescue or public safety personnel who contract hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis or tuberculosis from their employment are eligible for workers' compensation benefits as long as they meet certain requirements.
We put in a great deal of time and effort to have this bill placed on their agenda to be acted upon. Both Committee Co-Chairs, Senator Harp and Representative Merrill were approached on the bill. President Carozza, myself and representatives from Council 4 for police unions met with Senator Harp (New Haven) on the bill. Also calls were placed by the Presidents of both the fire fighters and police unions in New Haven to Senator Harp asking her to place the bill on the agenda and to vote for it. We had the votes to pass the bill out of committee if it was placed on the agenda and called for a vote. Out of 80 bills that were on the last 2 days agendas only 3 bills on the first day's agenda were labor. Of those 3, which none were not acted on the first day, only 1 was put on the second day's agenda. For two days and 80 bills only 1 labor bill was acted on. The co-chairs of this committee appear to be very labor unfriendly and it is becoming more difficult to get a Labor bill thru this committee because of that.
Gary Keating
Director
Legislative/Political Affairs
UPFFA
