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HB 6786 Connecticut House · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING THE HIRING RATIO FOR SKILLED TRADES.

HB 6786 (AN ACT CONCERNING THE HIRING RATIO FOR SKILLED TRADES) allows licensed contractors in electrical, plumbing, heating, piping, sprinkler fitter, or sheet metal work to temporarily hire more apprentices than standard ratios require if they meet specific criteria. Directly affecting these contractors, the bill creates a formal application process where businesses must prove they’re in good standing, have no recent wage violations, maintain a 40% apprentice completion rate for licensure, and agree to track apprentice work hours. If approved, the hiring relief applies to specific apprentices for up to six years, even if the business later fails to meet the criteria. The Labor Department must review applications within 10 business days and submit annual reports to the legislature on the program’s impact. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 29, 2025 Last action Mar 24, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Proposed Bill → Committee Bill · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to add detailed procedures for licensed contractors to request exceptions to the standard one apprentice-to-one licensee hiring ratio. The changes replace a simple mandate with a formal application process that includes specific eligibility criteria, review timelines, and reporting requirements to the legislature.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a flat hiring ratio rule to a conditional relief mechanism with defined criteria for approval and ongoing oversight.
REQUIREMENT

Added a formal application process requiring contractors to submit detailed information about their workforce and request relief from the standard hiring ratio.

ELIGIBILITY

Established five specific criteria that applicants must meet, including good standing, no wage violations, no excessive apprentice terminations, and a minimum 40% success rate for apprentices over six years.

TIMELINE

Set a ten-business-day review deadline for the Labor Commissioner and established an annual reporting requirement to the legislature by October 1, 2026.

ENFORCEMENT

Requires the Labor Commissioner to provide written explanations for denied applications and mandates notification to apprentices about their hours worked.

SCOPE

Changed the effective date to October 1, 2025, and added a six-year maximum duration for any granted hiring ratio relief.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
11
Key actions
2
Committee
4
Mar 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable Change of Reference GL
lower
Mar 19, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Commerce
lower
Mar 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
DRAFTED BY COMMITTEE
lower
Jan 29, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Commerce
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.