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SB 1371 Connecticut Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A JUST CAUSE STANDARD FOR TEACHER CONTRACT TERMINATIONS AND REQUIRING CONTRACT TERMINATION HEARINGS FOR TEACHERS THAT HAVE ATTAINED TENURE BE BEFORE A NEUTRAL HEARING OFFICER.

SB 1371 establishes a "just cause" standard for the termination of teacher contracts. This means that school districts would be required to have a specific, valid reason to end a teacher's employment. For teachers who have attained tenure, the bill mandates that any contract termination hearing must be conducted by a neutral hearing officer. This aims to provide an impartial process for tenured teachers facing potential contract termination.
Issues: ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill protects tenured teachers' due process in terminations via just cause standard and neutral hearings, strengthening educator job security.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProtects tenured teachers' job security through just cause standard and neutral hearings, advancing worker protection in employment standards.95% confidence
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action May 22, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → LAB Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
This bill changes how teacher contract terminations are handled by shifting focus from making neutral hearing officer decisions binding to requiring tenure-track teachers to have hearings before a neutral hearing officer. The bill also reorganizes the statute to separate rules for teachers with and without tenure, clarifying that non-tenured teachers need just cause for termination while tenured teachers require just cause for termination hearings before a neutral officer.
Scope change
The bill changes the scope from applying just cause standards to all teacher terminations to specifically requiring neutral hearing officer hearings for teachers who have attained tenure, while maintaining existing procedures for non-tenured teachers.
REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement from making neutral hearing officer decisions binding on all parties to requiring that tenure-track teachers have hearings before a neutral hearing officer.

ELIGIBILITY

Added explicit subsections separating rules for teachers who have not attained tenure (subsection c) from those who have attained tenure (subsection d).

TIMELINE

Modified hearing timelines and procedures, including changes to how subcommittees versus hearing officers handle cases and when decisions must be rendered.

TECHNICAL

Removed language about making neutral hearing officer decisions binding on parties and added language about requiring hearings before neutral hearing officers for tenured teachers.

Floor votes · Senate May 20, 2025

How they voted

27–8
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 36
May 20, 2025
D Democratic25
24 Yea 1
96% Yea
R Republican11
3 Yea 8 Nay
72% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
3
Committee
3
Amendments
2
May 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
SENATE PASSED
upper
May 20, 2025
Amended
SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH. B
upper
May 20, 2025
Amended
SEN. REJ. SEN. AMEND. SCH. A
upper
May 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Joint Favorable
upper
Mar 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Labor and Public Employees
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.