Lamont urges legislature to approve eliminating fees for occupational licenses

Hartford Business Journal – Monday, March 3, 2025
By David Krechevsky 

Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday urged the state legislature to approve legislation he has proposed to eliminate the fees workers in certain professions must pay when applying for or renewing an occupational license.

Eliminating the fees will remove a barrier and encourage more jobseekers to pursue careers in in-demand fields, he said

The professions affected by the governor’s proposal include nurses, dental hygienists, mental health professionals, occupational therapists, paramedics, physical therapists, physician assistants, electricians, HVAC workers, plumbers, sheet metal workers and teachers.

License fees for these occupations range from $50 to $375 per year, depending on the license. The proposal will benefit nearly 180,000 workers, saving them approximately $18.8 million in fiscal year 2026 and $25 million in fiscal year 2027, the governor said.

The licenses are administered by the state departments of Consumer Protection, Public Health and Education. Under Lamont’s proposal, workers in these professions will still be required to obtain and renew licenses, but there will be no costs associated with applying for them.

While eliminating these fees was included in Lamont’s two-year, $55.2 billion spending plan released in February, his budget also includes several proposals to reform corporate taxes that result in an increased burden on businesses of nearly $348 million over the biennium.

The Connecticut Business & Industry Association has said the governor’s budget includes the largest tax increase on businesses in the state in a decade.

The governor’s fee-eliminating proposal is included in Senate Bill 1246, which is under consideration by the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.

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