Sign Up
HB 6842 Connecticut House · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING THE MINIMUM FAIR WAGE AND PERSONS EMPLOYED AT CANNABIS ESTABLISHMENTS.

HB 6842 requires cannabis businesses (including dispensaries and producers) to enter into "labor peace agreements" with certified labor unions as a condition for final licensing or expansion. It establishes a process for unions to qualify as "bona fide" by meeting specific criteria (like representing cannabis workers or having proper governance), and mandates that the state department maintain a list of qualifying unions. The agreements must include binding arbitration for disputes, and licensees failing to comply may face immediate license suspension. This directly affects cannabis businesses seeking licenses or expansions, and unions seeking to represent cannabis workers in the state.
Issues: ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates cannabis businesses to negotiate binding labor peace agreements with certified unions, strengthening collective bargaining rights and dispute resolution for workers.95% confidence
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 30, 2025 Last action May 12, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → LAB Joint Favorable Substitute · 7 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to change its title from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill' and significantly restructured the content to focus on cannabis industry labor relations. The original text regarding general minimum wage and gratuities was removed and replaced with new provisions establishing a list of qualified labor unions for cannabis workers and requiring labor peace agreements between cannabis establishments and these unions.
Scope change
The bill's scope shifted from general minimum wage enforcement to specifically addressing labor relations within the cannabis industry, including union recognition and dispute resolution mechanisms.
TITLE

Changed bill title from 'Raised Bill No. 6842' to 'Substitute Bill No. 6842'

SCOPE

Removed general minimum wage and overtime provisions that applied to all employers

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'bona fide labor organization', 'labor peace agreement', 'cannabis establishment', 'dispensary facility', 'producer', and 'licensee'

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for labor unions to apply and meet specific criteria to be included on a state-established list

Added requirement for provisional cannabis licensees to enter into labor peace agreements with qualified labor organizations

ENFORCEMENT

Added enforcement mechanism allowing the department to suspend licenses if arbitrators find violations of labor peace agreements

TIMELINE

Changed effective dates and deadlines related to union list establishment and applications

Floor votes · House May 8, 2025

How they voted

131–12
Passed · 8 other
Total votes 151
May 8, 2025
D Democratic102
97 Yea 5
95% Yea
R Republican49
34 Yea 12 Nay 3
69% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
2
Committee
2
May 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
HOUSE PASSED
lower
Mar 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Labor and Public Employees
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.