(a) Except as provided in section 10a-151i, every contract to which an awarding agency is a party, every contract for a quasi-public agency project and every municipal public works contract shall contain the following provisions:

(1) The contractor agrees and warrants that in the performance of the contract such contractor will not discriminate or permit discrimination against any person or group of persons on the grounds of sexual orientation, in any manner prohibited by the laws of the United States or of the state of Connecticut, and that employees are treated when employed without regard to their sexual orientation;

(2) The contractor agrees to provide each labor union or representative of workers with which such contractor has a collective bargaining agreement or other contract or understanding and each vendor with which such contractor has a contract or understanding, a notice to be provided by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities advising the labor union or workers’ representative of the contractor’s commitments under this section, and to post copies of the notice in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment;

(3) The contractor agrees to comply with each provision of this section and with each regulation or relevant order issued by said commission pursuant to section 46a-56; and

(4) The contractor agrees to provide the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities with such information requested by the commission, and permit access to pertinent books, records and accounts, concerning the employment practices and procedures of the contractor which relate to the provisions of this section and section 46a-56.

(b) Except as provided in section 10a-151i:

(1) Any contractor who has one or more contracts with an awarding agency or who is a party to a municipal public works contract or a contract for a quasi-public agency project, where any such contract is valued at less than fifty thousand dollars for each year of the contract, shall provide the awarding agency, or in the case of a municipal public works or quasi-public agency project contract, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, with a written representation that complies with the nondiscrimination agreement and warranty under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section.

(2) Any contractor who has one or more contracts with an awarding agency or who is a party to a municipal public works contract or a contract for a quasi-public agency project, where any such contract is valued at fifty thousand dollars or more for any year of the contract, shall provide such awarding agency, or in the case of a municipal public works or quasi-public agency project contract, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, with any of the following:

(A) Documentation in the form of a company or corporate policy adopted by resolution of the board of directors, shareholders, managers, members or other governing body of such contractor that complies with the nondiscrimination agreement and warranty under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section;

(B) Documentation in the form of a company or corporate policy adopted by a prior resolution of the board of directors, shareholders, managers, members or other governing body of such contractor if (i) the prior resolution is certified by a duly authorized corporate officer of such contractor to be in effect on the date the documentation is submitted, and (ii) the head of the awarding agency, or a designee, or in the case of a municipal public works or quasi-public agency project contract, the executive director of the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities or a designee, certifies that the prior resolution complies with the nondiscrimination agreement and warranty under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section; or

(C) Documentation in the form of an affidavit signed under penalty of false statement by a chief executive officer, president, chairperson or other corporate officer duly authorized to adopt company or corporate policy that certifies that the company or corporate policy of the contractor complies with the nondiscrimination agreement and warranty under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section and is in effect on the date the affidavit is signed.

(3) No awarding agency, or in the case of a municipal public works contract, no municipality, or in the case of a quasi-public agency project contract, no entity, shall award a contract to a contractor who has not provided the representation or documentation required under subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, as applicable. After the initial submission of such representation or documentation, the contractor shall not be required to resubmit such representation or documentation unless there is a change in the information contained in such representation or documentation. If there is any change in the information contained in the most recently filed representation or updated documentation, the contractor shall submit an updated representation or documentation, as applicable, either (A) not later than thirty days after the effective date of such change, or (B) upon the execution of a new contract with the awarding agency, municipality, or entity, as applicable, whichever is earlier. Such contractor shall also certify, in accordance with subparagraph (B) or (C) of subdivision (2) of this subsection, to the awarding agency or commission, as applicable, not later than fourteen days after the twelve-month anniversary of the most recently filed representation, documentation or updated representation or documentation, that the representation on file with the awarding agency or commission, as applicable, is current and accurate.

(c) For the purposes of this section, “contract” includes any extension or modification of the contract, and “contractor” includes any successors or assigns of the contractor. For the purposes of this section, “contract” does not include a contract where each contractor is (1) a political subdivision of the state, including, but not limited to, a municipality, unless the contract is a municipal public works contract or quasi-public agency project contract, (2) any other state, as defined in section 1-267, (3) the federal government, (4) a foreign government, or (5) an agency of a subdivision, state or government described in subdivision (1), (2), (3) or (4) of this subsection.

(d) The contractor shall include the provisions of subsection (a) of this section in every subcontract or purchase order entered into in order to fulfill any obligation of a contract with the state, and in every subcontract entered into in order to fulfill any obligation of a municipal public works contractor contract for a quasi-public agency project, and such provisions shall be binding on a subcontractor, vendor or manufacturer unless exempted by regulations or orders of the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. The contractor shall take such action with respect to any such subcontract or purchase order as the commission may direct as a means of enforcing such provisions, including sanctions for noncompliance in accordance with section 46a-56; provided, if such contractor becomes involved in, or is threatened with, litigation with a subcontractor or vendor as a result of such direction by the commission regarding a state contract, the contractor may request the state of Connecticut to enter into any such litigation or negotiation prior thereto to protect the interests of the state and the state may so enter.

(P.A. 91-58, S. 16; 91-407, S. 8, 42; P.A. 07-142, S. 10; P.A. 09-158, S. 2; P.A. 11-229, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 64; P.A. 17-130, S. 8.)

History: P.A. 91-407 deleted references to Secs. 46a-68e and 46a-68f; P.A. 07-142 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re contractor documentation supporting nondiscrimination agreement and warranty and defining “contract” and “contractor”, effective June 25, 2007; P.A. 09-158 divided existing Subsec. (a) into Subsecs. (a) and (b), amended said Subsec. (b) by inserting Subdiv. designators (1), (2) and (3), amended Subsec. (b)(1) to establish representations for contracts of less than $50,000 for each year, amended Subsec. (b)(2) requirements for documentation for contracts of $50,000 or more for any year, amended Subsec. (b)(3) to exclude certain contracts from applicability of section, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c), and made technical changes, effective June 30, 2009; P.A. 11-229 amended Subsecs. (b)(1) and (b)(2) to substitute “Any contractor who has one or more contracts with the state or a political subdivision of the state that is” for “Prior to entering into a contract”, added new Subsec. (b)(3) re requirements for representation or documentation and redesignated existing Subsec. (b)(3) as Subsec. (b)(4); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 added references to municipal public works contracts and quasi-public agency project contracts throughout, amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by replacing references to the state or political subdivision of the state with references to awarding agency, amended Subsec. (b) by adding references to commission re provision of representation or documentation, amended Subsec. (b)(4) by deleting former Subpara. (B) re quasi-public agency and redesignating existing Subparas. (C) to (F) as Subparas. (B) to (E), amended Subsec. (c) by changing “commission” to “Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities”, and made technical and conforming changes throughout; P.A. 17-130 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to add “Except as provided in section 10a-151i”, redesignated Subsec. (b)(4) re definitions as Subsec. (c) and amended same to redesignate Subparas. (A) to (E) as Subdivs. (1) to (5), redesignated Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d), and made a conforming change, effective July 1, 2017.