Derek Slap

Sen. Slap Encourages Public to Testify on Bill Opposing Age Discrimination in the Hiring Process

State Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford) today urged residents to submit their personal testimony in support of a bill that seeks to eliminate age discrimination in the hiring process and which will receive its public hearing via Zoom before the Aging Committee at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9.

Senate Bill 56, which seeks to deter age discrimination by prohibiting questions regarding age in preliminary employment applications, is one of 10 bills that will be heard at the public hearing. It is the third time Sen. Slap has introduced the anti-age discrimination legislation.

“Connecticut is a rapidly-aging state, with the sixth-oldest workforce in the nation. At a time when so many people are out of work, and when so many people may soon be trying to re-enter the job market, we have to ensure that older workers don’t get vetted for jobs based simply on their age. This bill is a great chance to help older workers and make Connecticut a fairer place to live and work, and I hope the public turns out to tell their stories and support this legislation,” Sen. Slap said.

“AARP CT has nearly 600,000 members in Connecticut over the age of 50. Age discrimination is very much a concern for them and even for those younger than our members,” says AARP Connecticut State Director Nora L. Duncan. “In a 2018, in an AARP survey of people age 45 and older, 61% of respondents had either seen or experienced age discrimination, with it impacting African-American women the most. With bipartisan and business support, I hope 2021 is the year that we ban the practice of asking job seekers for age-related information that is, at best, unnecessary and, at worst, discriminatory.”

Individuals who wish to testify via Zoom must register using the online testimony registration form at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3xwM3m22SrKzR2kQAkgjWg

Registration will close on Monday, February 8, at 3 p.m.; the speaker order will then be listed in randomized order and posted on the Aging Committee website on February 8 at 8 p.m. under “Public Hearing Testimony.”

You can also email written testimony in Word or PDF format to agetestimony@cga.ct.gov, or you can provide verbal testimony over the phone by calling 860-240-0090 and leaving your contact information.