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HB 7165 Connecticut House · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS TO THE COMMERCE STATUTES.

HB 7165 requires Connecticut contractors receiving state financial assistance exceeding $1 million for construction projects to pay prevailing wages and make welfare fund contributions for workers. It directly affects businesses and contractors working on projects funded by the Department of Economic and Community Development, excluding certain nonprofits and chambers of commerce. The law mandates contracts include wage provisions tied to local rates, with penalties including $2,500-$5,000 fines per violation, disqualification from future state contracts (6 months for first offense, 2+ years for repeat), and allows project owners to terminate contracts or withhold payments for wage violations. The Department of Labor must determine prevailing rates in each town, and violations can be reported to prosecutors.
Issues: ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates prevailing wages and welfare contributions for state-funded construction workers, strengthening wage standards and worker protections per bill's core requirements.95% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 6, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → CE Joint Favorable Substitute · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was renamed from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Substitute Bill' after committee review, indicating it has been amended and approved for further consideration. The core policy provisions regarding wage requirements for construction projects receiving state financial assistance remain substantially unchanged, though the definition of 'business organization' was expanded to include additional entity types and the project value threshold requirement was clarified.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on Connecticut's prevailing wage requirements for construction projects receiving state financial assistance, with minor adjustments to the definition of eligible business organizations.
TECHNICAL

Bill title changed from 'Raised Bill No. 7165' to 'Substitute Bill No. 7165' reflecting committee amendments and approval.

DEFINITION

Added 'Connecticut brownfield land bank or economic development agency' to the list of eligible business organizations.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that projects must be valued at not less than ten million dollars and added an exclusion for projects described in subsection (f).

Added language clarifying that contractors not obligated to pay employee welfare fund contributions must pay the equivalent amount as part of wages on each pay day.

Added new enforcement provisions allowing business organizations to terminate contracts or withhold payments when wage violations occur.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Mar 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Commerce
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.