Bills & Legislation

AN ACT ALLOWING BOARD MEMBERS OF QUASI-PUBLIC AGENCIES TO OBTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE UNDER THE STATE EMPLOYEE PLAN.

To allow any board member of a quasi-public agency to obtain health insurance coverage under the state employee plan.

Insurance and Real Estate Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING DOG BREED AND THERAPY ANIMALS IN INSURANCE UNDERWRITING AND EVALUATING THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A PENALTY FOR MISREPRESENTING A DOG AS A SERVICE ANIMAL.

To: (1) Prohibit any homeowners insurance or tenants insurance policy from discriminating based on (A) harboring or owning any dog of a specific breed or mixture of breeds, or (B) owning any dog that is a dog trained or being trained as a service animal to assist blind, deaf or mobility impaired persons; and (2) require the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a penalty for intentional misrepresentation of a dog as a service animal to gain accommodations under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Insurance and Real Estate Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING FAILURE TO MOVE OVER FOR AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF THE OPERATOR OR OTHER OCCUPANT OF THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE.

To provide that a violation of section 14-283b that results in the death of the operator or any occupant of an emergency vehicle constitutes circumstances evincing an extreme indifference to human life in a criminal prosecution for manslaughter in the first degree.

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING A CHILD CARE SERVICES LOAN PROGRAM.

To require the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority to establish a program to provide loans for child care services.

Banking Committee

AN ACT ESTABLISHING DISASTER SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND A RELATED TAX DEDUCTION AND CREDIT.

To establish a disaster savings account and a related tax deduction and credit.

Banking Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING ONLINE PLATFORMS THAT COLLECT CONTRIBUTIONS AND AUTHORIZING STATE ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION JURISDICTION OVER VOTING AT THE MEETINGS OF CERTAIN DISTRICTS.

To exclude certain voluntary payments given by contributors to online political donation platforms from the definition of "contribution" and from the provisions regarding illegal campaign finance practices, to require the State Elections Enforcement Commission to hire additional personnel and to give the commission jurisdiction over the elections of certain districts.

Government Oversight Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING MUNICIPAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE FILINGS.

To require that all municipal campaign registration and financial disclosure statements be filed with the State Elections Enforcement Commission, instead of with town clerks, and make several conforming changes.

Government Oversight Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING MINIMUM WAGES FOR NURSING HOME WORKERS PROVIDING DIRECT CARE AND CERTAIN GROUP HOME WORKERS.

To establish minimum wages for nursing home workers and certain group home workers in programs funded by Medicaid.

Human Services Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NURSING HOME WORKFORCE STANDARDS BOARD.

To establish a board to develop minimum nursing home workforce standards for compensation and training.

Human Services Committee

AN ACT REDUCING BARRIERS TO FOOD SECURITY.

To maximize state and federal resources to reduce barriers to food security.

Human Services Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONNECTICUT PARTNERSHIP FOR LONG-TERM CARE.

To institute safeguards for participants in the Connecticut Partnership for Long-Term Care.

Human Services Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING MOTOR VEHICLE PROTECTION PRODUCTS.

To regulate the business of extended warranties for motor vehicles and vehicle theft protection product warranties in this state.

Insurance and Real Estate Committee

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A PERSONAL INCOME TAX DEDUCTION FOR MILITARY FUNERAL HONOR GUARD DETAIL COMPENSATION.

To establish a personal income tax deduction for compensation received as a result of participation in military funeral honor guard details.

Veterans' and Military Affairs Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING REQUESTS FOR HEALTH RECORDS AND THE FEES CHARGED FOR ACCESS TO SUCH RECORDS.

To establish time and cost parameters relating to requests for copies of health records.

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT PROHIBITING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.

To establish the crime of mutilation of female genitalia of minors as a class D felony.

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING UNLAWFUL DISSEMINATION OF AN INTIMATE SYNTHETICALLY CREATED IMAGE.

To criminalize unauthorized dissemination of intimate images that are digitally altered or created through the use of artificial intelligence.

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING LEGAL PROCEEDINGS CONDUCTED BY THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES.

To (1) define "employer's agent" for purposes of the state's discrimination laws, (2) make conforming statutory changes relating to an individual's status as a victim of domestic violence, (3) clarify when requests for early legal intervention can be made, (4) clarify when commission proceedings may be reopened or appealed, and (5) align state law with federal law concerning a complainant's ability to pursue a matter in state court.

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF SURVIVOR'S BENEFITS AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE TO FAMILY MEMBERS OF CORRECTION OFFICERS, COURT SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION INVESTIGATORS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION INVESTIGATORS AND OFFICE OF THE CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER INVESTIGATORS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

To provide survivor's benefits and health insurance coverage to the family members of correction officers, Court Support Services Division investigators, Criminal Justice Division investigators and Office of the Chief Public Defender investigators killed in the line of duty.

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT AUTHORIZING MUNICIPALITIES TO EXEMPT MOTOR VEHICLES FROM PROPERTY TAXATION.

To authorize municipalities to exempt motor vehicles from property taxation and transition the municipal revenue loss resulting from such exemption by phasing in an increase in the uniform assessment rate applicable to real property and personal property other than motor vehicles.

Planning and Development Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING ROAMING DOGS.

To enhance fines for unlawfully permitting a dog to roam at large.

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT SUBJECTING PEER-TO-PEER CAR SHARING TO THE SALES AND USE TAX AND REPEALING THE STATUTE REQUIRING LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL TO STUDY MILEAGE-BASED USER FEES ON STATE HIGHWAYS.

To (1) subject peer-to-peer car sharing for thirty days or less to a nine and thirty-five-hundredths sales and use tax, (2) establish a fee on each retail delivery made in the state, and (3) repeal the statute requiring legislative approval for the Department of Transportation to use state money to study a mileage-based user fee on state roads.

Transportation Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES AND DRIVERS.

To (1) require transportation network companies and third-party delivery companies to provide receipts that detail time, distance and pay rate to their drivers, (2) increase the registration fee for transportation network companies, and (3) require transportation network companies to provide real-time messaging, establish an appeals process and disclose certain information to their drivers.

Transportation Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING MEDIUM-DUTY AND HEAVY-DUTY TOWING.

To (1) require the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to establish uniform rates and charges for medium-duty and heavy-duty towing and procedures to resolve towing complaints, (2) establish the Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Advisory Council, and (3) establish a procedure to process, investigate and resolve complaints by customers of dealers and repairers.

Transportation Committee

AN ACT DEDICATING A PORTION OF THE MEALS TAX REVENUE TO ARTS, CULTURE AND TOURISM.

To dedicate a portion of the revenue generated from the meals tax to the Tourism Fund.

Commerce Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING TEACHER SALARIES.

To establish a minimum salary for teachers and require the Comptroller to distribute a grant to pay any difference between a teacher's current salary and such minimum salary.

Education Committee

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TAX CREDIT FOR EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO EMPLOYEES' CHET ACCOUNTS AND CONCERNING THE CONNECTICUT HIGHER EDUCATION TRUST AND CONNECTICUT BABY SCHOLARS FUND.

To establish a tax credit for employer contributions to employees' CHET accounts, make various changes to the Connecticut Higher Education Trust statutes and eliminate references to the Connecticut Baby Scholars Fund.

Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL DEBT.

To protect spouses from inheriting medical debt from their partners.

Human Services Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.

To expand Medicaid coverage for weight loss drugs, require approval by the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services of Medicaid state plan amendments not otherwise subject to legislative approval and require nonopioid pain management training for prescribers of opioids who receive Medicaid reimbursement.

Human Services Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE ABLE ACT.

To update the ABLE Act for qualified disability expenses in accordance with federal law.

Human Services Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING MAXIMIZING USE OF FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUNDS AND THE RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM FOR THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF ELDERLY PERSONS AND OTHERS.

To maximize use of federal supplemental nutrition assistance program funds for nutritious meals for elderly persons.

Human Services Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING TEMPORARY STATE EMPLOYEES AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

To allow temporary state employees to be considered part of the same collective bargaining unit as permanent employees in similarly situated positions.

Labor and Public Employees Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES AND THIRD-PARTY DELIVERY COMPANIES.

To (1) require transportation network companies and third-party delivery companies to provide receipts that detail time, distance and pay rate to drivers, (2) increase the registration fee for transportation network companies, and (3) require transportation network companies to provide real-time messaging, establish an appeals process and disclose certain information to their drivers.

Labor and Public Employees Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING LAW ENFORCEMENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.

To enhance recruitment and retention of police officers.

Public Safety and Security Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING MINOR REVISIONS TO DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RELATED STATUTES.

To make minor revisions to various programs of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Environment Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING VERIFICATION OF SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRANTS' ADDRESSES.

To make verification of addresses by registrants possible by telephone, extend the period for which a person must return an address verification form and decriminalize such failure if not intentional.

Judiciary Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL RECORDS.

To revise the maximum allowable fees an institution may charge for medical records requested by someone other than a patient or the patient's personal representative.

Public Health Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING ASSORTED REVISIONS TO THE EDUCATION STATUTES.

To (1) require EASTCONN to establish a pilot program to implement a uniform chart of accounts, (2) increase the retirement benefit for full-time credited service in an alliance district and reduce the penalty for early retirement, (3) from the funds appropriated for the after-school program grant program, (A) provide a grant-in-aid to an organization that provides support services to grant recipients, and (B) set aside ten per cent for towns with populations between seven thousand five hundred and twenty thousand, (4) remove the allowance for the establishment of a Connecticut School Reform Resource Center through contract with a regional educational resource center, and (5) require the Department of Education to allocate funds to the State Education Resource Center as specified in its annual budget.

Education Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING DISCONNECTED YOUTH.

To (1) increase the foundation amount for equalization aid grants and add weight for students eligible for free or reduced price meals, multilingual learners and students requiring special education, (2) add the Department of Correction and Court Support Services to P20 WIN and require data collection and sharing concerning disconnected youth, (3) require establishment of a youth success oversight board within a regional council of governments, (4) require the establishment of a program to provide school-based telehealth mental health services, and (5) require the distribution of youth employment funds to regional workforce development boards based on the percentage of disadvantaged youth in such region.

Education Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING ASPIRING EDUCATORS.

To make revisions to the laws governing the recruitment of aspiring educators.

Education Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING CURBSIDE VOTING ACCESSIBILITY FOR ELECTORS WITH DISABILITIES OR OTHER INCAPACITIES.

To require registrars of voters to designate areas for curbside voting at polling places to assist electors with disabilities and other incapacities in casting their ballots.

Government Administration and Elections Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING REFERENDA, INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES AND OTHER CAMPAIGN FINANCE CHANGES.

To (1) implement federal court rulings regarding independent expenditure political committees and contributions to such committees, (2) reflect federal case law on aggregate contribution limits for individuals, (3) more explicitly recognize referendum spending as a type of independent expenditure and make changes related to reporting and attribution requirements, (4) adjust a disclaimer requirement to address certain organization expenditures, (5) make a conforming change regarding the distribution of surplus funds by candidate committees participating in the Citizens' Election Program, (6) allow the State Elections Enforcement Commission additional time to investigate certain complaints, (7) establish in-state contributor requirements for state-wide candidates participating in said program, and (8) specify that individual contributions under said program may not exceed already-established contribution limits.

Government Administration and Elections Committee

AN ACT RENAMING THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT ACCOUNT THE DONALD E. WILLIAMS, JR. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT ACCOUNT AND INCREASING FUNDING FOR SAID ACCOUNT.

To increase the funding for the community investment account by raising the fees charged, to rename said account the Donald E. Williams, Jr. community investment account and to increase the fees remitted to town clerks by one dollar.

Government Administration and Elections Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS FOR STATE MARSHALS.

To provide certain state marshals with health insurance benefits in the same manner as other state employees.

Appropriations Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC UTILITY TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY.

To (1) deem certain public service companies a public agency for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act and not permit them to recover through rates costs of compliance with said act, (2) subject the Home Energy Solutions program to audit by the Auditors of Public Accounts, (3) modify the expertise and other requirements of utility commissioner appointments and impose revolving door and substantial conflict recusal requirements, (4) modify other processes of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, (5) prohibit certain mergers of utility companies, (6) prohibit a utility company from owning both gas and electric utilities, (7) prohibit a public utility company from imposing any fees that would discourage the adoption of grid-enhancing and energy-efficient technologies, (8) prohibit a right of first refusal to acquire property by a utility company, and (9) prohibit deceptive fees to utility end use customers.

Government Administration and Elections Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING CHANGES TO THE CITIZENS' ELECTION PROGRAM.

To (1) redefine "organization expenditure" to include campaign events at which a candidate or candidates are present, (2) move the timing of the consumer price index adjustments for individual contribution amounts and the aggregate contribution amounts candidates are required to raise, from January of the election year to (A) not later than July 3, 2025, for elections held in 2026, and (B) January of the prior year for elections held in subsequent cycles, (3) beginning with the 2030 election, allow major party candidates for Governor to apply for convention campaign grants beginning the January of the year preceding the election, (4) provide that candidates who change their party status after filing their grant applications are ineligible to receive additional grant funds, and (5) address approvals of grant applications in relation to the timing of such consumer price index adjustments.

Government Administration and Elections Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF RANKED-CHOICE VOTING IN PARTY CAUCUSES, CONVENTIONS AND PRIMARIES, INCLUDING PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARIES, AND IN CERTAIN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

To afford political parties the flexibility to use ranked-choice voting in party caucuses, conventions and primaries, including presidential preference primaries.

Government Administration and Elections Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT'S SPENDING ON ARTS AND HUMANITIES ACTIVITIES.

To provide funding for arts, culture, tourism and humanities activities and require reporting on the spending for such activities.

Appropriations Committee

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A CONNECTICUT PRECIOUS METALS WORKING GROUP AND CONCERNING THE SALES AND USE TAXES EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN COINS, BULLION AND LEGAL TENDER.

To (1) recognize gold and silver as legal tender in the state, (2) implement various initiatives to promote the ownership and use of gold and silver in trade and transactions, (3) establish the Connecticut Bullion Depository, and (4) establish the Gold Start Savings Program for children residing in a concentrated poverty census tract.

Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee