2022 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 31 - Labor
Chapter 557 - Employment Regulation
Section 31-51i. - *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Employer inquiries about erased criminal record prohibited. Discrimination on basis of erased criminal record, provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation prohibited. Availability of information on employment application form. Duties of consumer reporting agency issuing consumer report for employment purposes containing criminal matters of public record. Complaints.

Universal Citation:

CT Gen Stat § 31-51i. (2022)

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(a) For the purposes of this section, “employer” means any person engaged in business who has one or more employees, including the state or any political subdivision of the state.

(b) No employer shall inquire about a prospective employee's prior arrests, criminal charges or convictions on an initial employment application, unless (1) the employer is required to do so by an applicable state or federal law, or (2) a security or fidelity bond or an equivalent bond is required for the position for which the prospective employee is seeking employment.

(c) No employer or employer's agent, representative or designee may require an employee or prospective employee to disclose the existence of any arrest, criminal charge or conviction, the records of which have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a.

(d) An employment application form that contains any question concerning the criminal history of the applicant shall contain a notice, in clear and conspicuous language: (1) That the applicant is not required to disclose the existence of any arrest, criminal charge or conviction, the records of which have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a, (2) that criminal records subject to erasure pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a are records pertaining to a finding of delinquency or that a child was a member of a family with service needs, an adjudication as a youthful offender, a criminal charge that has been dismissed or nolled, a criminal charge for which the person has been found not guilty or a conviction for which the person received an absolute pardon, and (3) that any person whose criminal records have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a shall be deemed to have never been arrested within the meaning of the general statutes with respect to the proceedings so erased and may so swear under oath.

(e) No employer or employer's agent, representative or designee shall deny employment to a prospective employee solely on the basis that the prospective employee had a prior arrest, criminal charge or conviction, the records of which have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a or that the prospective employee had a prior conviction for which the prospective employee has received a provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to section 54-130a, or a certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to section 54-108f.

(f) No employer or employer's agent, representative or designee shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, or in any manner discriminate against, any employee solely on the basis that the employee had, prior to being employed by such employer, an arrest, criminal charge or conviction, the records of which have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a or that the employee had, prior to being employed by such employer, a prior conviction for which the employee has received a provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to section 54-130a, or a certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to section 54-108f.

(g) The portion of an employment application form that contains information concerning the criminal history record of an applicant or employee shall only be available to the members of the personnel department of the company, firm or corporation or, if the company, firm or corporation does not have a personnel department, the person in charge of employment, and to any employee or member of the company, firm or corporation, or an agent of such employee or member, involved in the interviewing of the applicant.

(h) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of this section, the portion of an employment application form that contains information concerning the criminal history record of an applicant or employee may be made available as necessary to persons other than those specified in said subsection (g) by:

(1) A broker-dealer or investment adviser registered under chapter 672a in connection with (A) the possible or actual filing of, or the collection or retention of information contained in, a form U-4 Uniform Application for Securities Industry Registration or Transfer, (B) the compliance responsibilities of such broker-dealer or investment adviser under state or federal law, or (C) the applicable rules of self-regulatory organizations promulgated in accordance with federal law;

(2) An insured depository institution in connection with (A) the management of risks related to safety and soundness, security or privacy of such institution, (B) any waiver that may possibly or actually be sought by such institution pursuant to section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 USC 1829(a), (C) the possible or actual obtaining by such institution of any security or fidelity bond, or (D) the compliance responsibilities of such institution under state or federal law; and

(3) An insurance producer licensed under chapter 701a in connection with (A) the management of risks related to security or privacy of such insurance producer, or (B) the compliance responsibilities of such insurance producer under state or federal law.

(i) (1) For the purposes of this subsection: (A) “Consumer reporting agency” means any person who regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or preparing consumer reports for a fee, which reports compile and report items of information on consumers that are matters of public record and are likely to have an adverse effect on a consumer's ability to obtain employment, but does not include any public agency; (B) “consumer report” means any written, oral or other communication of information bearing on an individual's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics or mode of living; and (C) “criminal matters of public record” means information obtained from the Judicial Department relating to arrests, indictments, convictions, outstanding judgments, and any other conviction information, as defined in section 54-142g.

(2) Each consumer reporting agency that issues a consumer report that is used or is expected to be used for employment purposes and that includes in such report criminal matters of public record concerning the consumer shall:

(A) At the time the consumer reporting agency issues such consumer report to a person other than the consumer who is the subject of the report, provide the consumer who is the subject of the consumer report (i) notice that the consumer reporting agency is reporting criminal matters of public record, and (ii) the name and address of the person to whom such consumer report is being issued;

(B) Maintain procedures designed to ensure that any criminal matter of public record reported is complete and up-to-date as of the date the consumer report is issued, which procedures shall, at a minimum, conform to the requirements set forth in section 54-142e.

(3) This subsection shall not apply in the case of an agency or department of the United States government seeking to obtain and use a consumer report for employment purposes if the head of the agency or department makes a written finding pursuant to 15 USC 1681b(b)(4)(A).

(j) An employee or prospective employee may file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner alleging an employer's violation of this section.

(1969, P.A. 679; P.A. 02-136, S. 2; P.A. 03-203, S. 3; P.A. 06-187, S. 87; P.A. 07-243, S. 1; Jan. Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-1, S. 35; P.A. 08-53, S. 1; P.A. 14-27, S. 5, 9; P.A. 16-83, S. 1.)

*Note: On and after January 1, 2023, this section, as amended by section 15 of public act 21-32, is to read as follows:

“Sec. 31-51i. Employer inquiries about erased criminal record prohibited. Discrimination on basis of erased criminal record, provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation prohibited. Availability of information on employment application form. Duties of consumer reporting agency issuing consumer report for employment purposes containing criminal matters of public record. Complaints. (a) For the purposes of this section, “employer” means employer, as defined in section 46a-80a.

(c) No employer or employer's agent, representative or designee may require an employee or prospective employee to disclose the existence of erased criminal history record information, as defined in section 46a-80a.

(d) An employment application form that contains any question concerning the criminal history of the applicant shall contain a notice, in clear and conspicuous language: (1) That the applicant is not required to disclose the existence of any erased criminal history record information, (2) that erased criminal history record information are records pertaining to a finding of delinquency or that a child was a member of a family with service needs, an adjudication as a youthful offender, a criminal charge that has been dismissed or nolled, a criminal charge for which the person has been found not guilty or a conviction for which the person received an absolute pardon or criminal records that are erased pursuant to statute or by other operation of law, and (3) that any person with erased criminal history record information shall be deemed to have never been arrested within the meaning of the general statutes with respect to the proceedings so erased and may so swear under oath.

(e) No employer or employer's agent, representative or designee shall deny employment to a prospective employee solely on the basis that the prospective employee has erased criminal history record information or that the prospective employee had a prior conviction for which the prospective employee has received a provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to section 54-130a, or a certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to section 54-108f.

(f) No employer or employer's agent, representative or designee shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, or in any manner discriminate against, any employee solely on the basis that the employee has erased criminal history record information or that the employee had, prior to being employed by such employer, a prior conviction for which the employee has received a provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to section 54-130a, or a certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to section 54-108f.

(i) (1) For the purposes of this subsection: (A) “Consumer reporting agency” means any person who regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or preparing consumer reports for a fee, which reports compile and report items of information on consumers that are matters of public record and are likely to have an adverse effect on a consumer's ability to obtain employment, but does not include any public agency; (B) “consumer report” means any written, oral or other communication of information bearing on an individual's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics or mode of living; and (C) “criminal matters of public record” means information obtained from the Judicial Department or any criminal justice agency, as defined in section 54-142g, relating to arrests, indictments, convictions, outstanding judgments and any other conviction information, as defined in section 54-142g.

(j) An employee or prospective employee may file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner alleging an employer's violation of subsection (a), (c), (g), (h) or (i) of this section. For any alleged violation by an employer of subsection (b), (d), (e) or (f) of this section, an employee or prospective employee may file a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities pursuant to section 46a-82 or may bring an action in the Superior Court against the employer for violating this section for declaratory or injunctive relief, damages or any other remedy available under law, at the sole election of the employee or prospective employee.”

(1969, P.A. 679; P.A. 02-136, S. 2; P.A. 03-203, S. 3; P.A. 06-187, S. 87; P.A. 07-243, S. 1; Jan. Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-1, S. 35; P.A. 08-53, S. 1; P.A. 14-27, S. 5, 9; P.A. 16-83, S. 1; P.A. 21-32, S. 15.)

History: P.A. 02-136 added new Subsecs. (a) to (e) to define “employer”, to prohibit employers from requiring disclosure by applicants or employees of erased criminal records, to require notice on employment application forms advising applicants that they are not required to disclose erased criminal records, to prohibit the denial of employment solely on the basis of an erased criminal record and to prohibit discharge or discrimination against an employee solely on the basis that the employee had criminal records erased prior to the employment, respectively, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (f) and amended said Subsec. by replacing “a job application form” with “an employment application form”, replacing “arrest record of a job applicant” with “criminal history record of an applicant or employee”, deleting former provisions re availability of arrest records and adding provisions re availability of employment application forms containing criminal history records; P.A. 03-203 added Subsec. (g) re exceptions to confidentiality of criminal history record portion of employment application, effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 06-187 amended Subsec. (d) to prohibit denial of employment solely on the basis that prospective employee had a prior conviction for which the prospective employee has received a provisional pardon pursuant to Sec. 54-130a and amended Subsec. (e) to prohibit discrimination against any employee solely on the basis that employee had, prior to being employed by such employer, a prior conviction for which the employee has received a provisional pardon pursuant to Sec. 54-130a; P.A. 07-243 added Subsec. (h) re duties of consumer reporting agency issuing consumer report used for employment purposes that includes criminal matters of public record, effective February 1, 2008; Jan. Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-1 changed effective date of P.A. 07-243, S. 1, from February 1, 2008, to May 1, 2008, effective January 25, 2008; P.A. 08-53 amended Subsec. (h) to delete erased records and pardons in definition of “criminal matters of public record” in Subdiv. (1)(C), to delete former Subdiv. (2)(B) re access to information on Judicial Department's Internet web site, to redesignate existing Subdiv. (2)(C) as new Subdiv. (2)(B) and to amend same to require procedures that, at a minimum, conform to requirements in Sec. 54-142e, effective May 1, 2008; P.A. 14-27 made a technical change in Subsec. (b) and amended Subsecs. (d) and (e) to add references to certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to Sec. 54-130a or 54-108f; P.A. 16-83 added new Subsec. (b) re inquiry re prospective employee's prior arrests, criminal charges or convictions, redesignated existing Subsecs. (b) to (h) as Subsecs. (c) to (i), added Subsec. (j) re filing complaint, and made technical and conforming changes, effective January 1, 2017; P.A. 21-32 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining “employer”, replaced references to records erased pursuant to Secs. 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a with references to erased criminal history record information in Subsecs. (c) to (f) and (i), further amended Subsec. (d) by adding reference to criminal records erased pursuant to statute or by other operation of law in Subdiv. (2), further amended Subsec. (i) by adding reference to criminal justice agency in Subdiv. (1)(C), and amended Subsec. (j) by adding reference to Subsec. (a), (c), (g), (h) or (i) re complaint filed with Labor Commissioner and adding provision re complaint filed with Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, effective January 1, 2023.

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