HB 5273 Summary

• Call center employers with 50+ full-time employees (or equivalent aggregate hours) must provide 100 days' advance notice to the Labor Commissioner before relocating 30% or more of call volume to another state or foreign country.

• Employers violating the notice requirement face civil penalties up to $10,000 per day, which the commissioner may reduce for just cause.

• Call center employers that relocate are placed on a publicly available annual list compiled by the Labor Commissioner and become ineligible for any state grants, guaranteed loans, tax benefits, or other financial support for five years.

• Employers on the relocation list must repay the unamortized value of any state financial support received in the five years before relocation, unless the commissioner waives this requirement based on state/national security, substantial job loss, or environmental concerns.

• State agencies must ensure all new contracts for call center and customer service work starting October 1, 2020, are performed entirely within Connecticut, and workers laid off due to relocation remain eligible for unemployment compensation and other state benefits.