All Roll Calls
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Sponsored By: Commerce Committee
Signed by Governor
To implement the Department of Economic and Community Development's recommendations for revisions to the commerce statutes, including (1) removing references to certain Department of Economic and Community Development offices, (2) repealing or modifying certain reporting requirements, (3) repealing defunct programs, (4) addressing changes to federal funding, (5) revising the Manufacturing Innovation Fund Advisory Board membership and establishing a board absentee policy, (6) establishing a council absentee policy for the Tourism Council, (7) revising the name, charge and membership of the Minority Business Initiative Advisory Board and permitting the board to establish bylaws, (8) implementing certain revisions to the concentrated poverty statutes, and (9) rename the Small Business Express program and the small business express assistance account.
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11 provisions identified: 8 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Beginning July 1, 2026, participating public colleges cannot cut qualifying students' aid just because they receive a private scholarship. The college must participate in the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program, and students must receive a Pell grant or Willis Scholarship. When total aid is below attendance costs, the private scholarship first covers unmet need, then reduces student loans. Student loans do not count as financial aid for this rule. Colleges can reduce aid when total aid meets or exceeds attendance costs, or when student-athlete aid limits require it.
Businesses with a reinvestment contract and state-certified industrial project or segment can exchange accumulated tax credits for state payments. The applicable provision caps total state payments at $375 million. Projects or segments with potential payments of $50 million or less use a separate formula, capped at $50 million overall. It pays $1 million per research component retaining at least 100 employees and investing more than $10 million in research. Capital components spending more than $1 million qualify for payments of 40% of qualifying capital costs.
Beginning July 1, 2026, Connecticut opportunity fund loans use new eligibility criteria instead of minority ownership. Applicants must operate or live in a concentrated-poverty census tract, meet the income limit, be first-time owners, or lack traditional lending access. The income limit is adjusted gross income no higher than annual area median household income. Another route covers income-qualified applicants in municipalities with at least 60,000 residents and a concentrated-poverty census tract. The commissioner must prioritize applicants in this order: concentrated-poverty tract applicants; income-qualified applicants; first-time owners or those lacking traditional lending; then the municipality-based group. Business development entities must also favor plans creating jobs maintained for at least 12 consecutive months or closing underserved communities' and individuals' capital gaps. Priority does not guarantee a loan, and these changes set no loan amount or interest rate.
The First Generation and Emerging Business Initiative Advisory Board now focuses on fair growth and building wealth across generations. It advises on business guidance, access to capital, and access to state contracts for first-generation and emerging businesses. It also runs financial-literacy and wealth-building programs. An emerging business has been registered with Connecticut's Secretary of the State for no more than five years.
Beginning July 1, 2026, Connecticut Small Business Boost applications can receive a disabled-veteran ownership preference. Qualifying veterans must own more than 50% of the business and have a Veterans Affairs disability rating of at least 30%. The commissioner can choose whether to give preference; it does not guarantee an award. The program's self-funding goal moves from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2028. Its separate goal of keeping business defaults at 20% or less stays unchanged.
Recipients of specified Connecticut brownfield grants gain protection under listed environmental laws for contamination present when they acquired or controlled property. They must not have caused or contributed to the contamination, must not worsen it, and must report significant hazards. If they worsen contamination, liability is limited to the worsening caused by their negligent or reckless actions. This protection does not erase responsibility for their own covered conduct.
The Connecticut Clean Economy Council must submit its worker transition plan by October 1, 2026. The plan addresses moving workers from fossil-fuel jobs to clean-economy jobs. It goes to the legislature's environment, energy and technology, and commerce committees. This deadline does not itself provide worker benefits or funding.
Beginning July 1, 2026, state agencies can award larger amounts of financial assistance without a separate law. The ceiling rises from $10 million to $25 million per applicant or business project during any two-year period. Biotechnology projects move from a separate $20 million ceiling to the general $25 million ceiling. Awards above $25 million still require specific authorization by an act of the General Assembly. Agencies do not have to award the maximum.
Invest CT can accept businesses whose principal operations are outside Connecticut for requests submitted October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2026. The economic development commissioner must find that approval significantly advances the program's goals. Applicants must still meet the program's other requirements. Approval remains optional, and this change sets no allocation or tax-credit amount.
Connecticut's ban on employment promissory notes does not cover agreements to repay employer-paid federal H-1B visa-related fees. This exception applies to employers with 26 or more employees. An employee's agreement can cover repayment of some or all of a fee paid on their behalf. The law specifies no repayment amount.
Businesses authorized to exchange accumulated credits face limits during income years designated as an exclusion period in their reinvestment contracts. They cannot claim credits under sections 12-217j or 12-217n, or exchange credits under section 12-217ee, subject to stated exceptions. The restriction does not bar accumulated credits outside the contract's exchange or section 12-217j credits otherwise allowed by law. It does not otherwise change credits already allowed or statutory credit eligibility.
Commerce Committee
Affiliation unavailable
John Santanella
Democratic • House
Savet Constantine
Democratic • House
Tom Delnicki
Republican • House
Tony Hwang
Republican • Senate
All Roll Calls
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/24/2026
Senate Roll Call Vote 384
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/24/2026
CE Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/24/2026
Senate Roll Call Vote 385
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 3/24/2026
House Roll Call Vote 293 AS AMENDED
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Public Act No. 26-122
5/6/2026
File No. 561
4/9/2026
CE Joint Favorable Substitute
3/24/2026
Raised Bill
2/26/2026
Bill Analysis For File Copy 561
CE Joint Fav. Rpt
CE Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
Fiscal Note For File Copy 561
Fiscal Note for Amendment LCO 6114 (See Fiscal Note Details)
Fiscal Note for Amendment LCO 6249 (Potential Cost)
Fiscal Note for SB-307, As Amended by Senate "A" (LCO 6114), Senate "B" (LCO 6249)
House Roll Call Vote 293 AS AMENDED
Senate Roll Call Vote 384
Senate Roll Call Vote 385
Senate Schedule A LCO# 6114 (J)
Senate Schedule B LCO# 6249 (J)
Summary for Public Act No. 26-122
SB 00247, AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AUDITORS OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.
To implement the recommendations of the Auditors of Public Accounts submitted in their most recent annual report, including to require Governor or Attorney General approval for additional agreements with state employees over a certain amount, require agreements with foundations to provide when foundations will reimburse the expenses, salaries and benefits of state employees providing services for the foundation, remove the Comptroller from the Treasurer's audit, remove the State Contracting Standard Board's ability to request the auditors to conduct its audits, modify provisions concerning state agency contracts and agreements for auditing services, add a time frame for quasi-public agency annual reports to the auditors and provide that the annual comprehensive financial review of the Technical Services Revolving Fund is performed as part of the audit of the State Comptroller's annual comprehensive financial report.
SB 00220, AN ACT CONCERNING STUDENT LITERACY, ASPIRING EDUCATORS, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AS PART OF THE WORLD LANGUAGES CURRICULUM AND THE PARAEDUCATOR HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN SUBSIDY PROGRAM.
To establish and provide reading instruction and supports to all students in grades four to nine who are below proficient in reading.
SB 00191, AN ACT CONCERNING THE PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPY PILOT PROGRAM.
To expand access to and extend the psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program.
SB 00137, AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.
To implement the recommendations of the Office of Early Childhood.
HB 05563, AN ACT CONCERNING VARIOUS CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROPOSALS, CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL FOR AIRPORTS, HELIPORTS, VERTIPORTS, RESTRICTED LANDING AREAS AND OTHER AIR NAVIGATION FACILITIES, POLICE COLLABORATION WITH SOCIAL WORKERS, SURVEILLANCE PRICING, EDUCATION COST SHARING AND WITHHOLDING OF TAXES FROM LUMP SUM PAYMENTS.
To (1) modify statutory provisions relating to the offenses of organized retail theft and accessory to organized retail theft, (2) establish fostering the sale of stolen property and gift card crime as forms of larceny, (3) modify statutory provisions relating to the civil liability of a person eighteen years of age or older or an emancipated minor who takes possession of certain goods, merchandise or produce without the consent of the owner and with a certain intention, or who alters the price indicia of such goods or merchandise, and (4) modify statutory provisions concerning to whom the Department of Public Health may release information concerning acknowledgment of parentage.
HB 05509, AN ACT CONCERNING JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
To (1) require the Secretary of the State to publish a manual concerning the duties of justices of the peace, (2) prohibit misconduct by justices of the peace, (3) specify that a newly created office of justice of the peace may be filled by appointment prior to the next regular election, (4) require a forty-eight hour waiting period before the issuance of a marriage license, and (5) establish a working group concerning justices of the peace.