House Bill No. 5088
               House Bill No. 5088

               PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-74


AN ACT CONCERNING  THE  DUTIES  OF  STATE SENATOR,
STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND MEMBER-ELECT.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section   2-3a  of  the  general  statutes  is
repealed and the following is substituted in  lieu
thereof:
    (a) No employer of twenty-five or more persons
shall   discriminate   against,    discipline   or
discharge any employee  because  such employee (1)
is a candidate for the office of representative or
senator in the  General  Assembly, [or because he]
(2)  HOLDS  SUCH   OFFICE,   (3)  is  [elected]  A
MEMBER-ELECT to such  office,  or [because he] (4)
loses time from  work  in  order  to perform [the]
duties  [of]  AS   such  [office]  REPRESENTATIVE,
SENATOR OR MEMBER-ELECT,  provided  the failure of
such employer to  pay  wages  or  salaries for any
such time lost shall not be considered a violation
of  this  section.   SUCH  EMPLOYEE  SHALL  SOLELY
DETERMINE THE ACTIVITIES  WHICH  CONSTITUTE DUTIES
AS SUCH REPRESENTATIVE,  SENATOR  OR MEMBER-ELECT,
AS APPLICABLE, AS  PROVIDED  IN  THIS  SECTION. No
[such] employee UNDER  THIS SECTION shall lose any
seniority status which  may  have  accrued  to him
and,  where  the  function  of  such  employee  is
performed in work  shifts,  such employee shall be
given a choice of shifts.
    (b) Any employer  violating  the provisions of
this  section  shall  reinstate  any  employee  so
discriminated against, disciplined  or  discharged
to his full  status  as an employee as of the date
of such violation  and  shall  pay  him  any wages
withheld or diminished  retroactive to the date of
such violation. In  addition,  such  employee  may
recover costs and  a  reasonable attorney's fee in
any  action  brought   under   this  section.  Any
employee nominated to  such  office  shall, within
thirty days following his nomination, give written
notice thereof to his employer.

Approved May 27, 1997