The State Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill that would give unpaid interns at both private companies and government agencies legal protections from workplace harassment and discrimination.
The bill, if approved by the House and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, would allow interns to sue in state court and file complaints with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.
It forbids employers from discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, nationality, and present or past mental or physical disabilities.
It also bans employers from firing or taking other steps against an intern who files a discrimination complaint.
A number of states, including New York, Illinois and California, have passed similar laws over the past year. The laws are a response to a 2013 federal court case in New York in which a judge ruled that an intern that alleged sexual harassment by her employer was not technically an employee, and therefore could not sue.
Bill takes aim at non-disparagement clauses
A second bill passed by the Senate Thursday would forbid state entities from putting non-disparagement clauses in managerial employee’s separation agreements.
The bill, which passed by a 30-4 vote, has not yet been approved by the House.
It comes after Michael Gargano resigned as provost of the state’s system of colleges and universities in November. His separation agreement included a clause that forbade him from discussing the circumstances of his sudden departure, Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney said in written testimony.
Looney called the clauses are “an unacceptable affront to Freedom of Information and open government principles.”
