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SB 576 Connecticut Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT REQUIRING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LEARN HERE, LIVE HERE PROGRAM, INCREASING THE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE ON SUCH PROGRAM AND MAKING SUCH PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.

SB 576 creates Connecticut's "Learn Here, Live Here" program to help graduates buy homes in the state. Eligible participants include Connecticut high school or college graduates (from public/private institutions, health care training schools, or technical programs) with under $75,000 annual income, who can set aside up to $2,500 yearly from state income taxes toward a first home purchase. The program limits total annual spending to $5 million, and participants must repay funds if they leave Connecticut within five years (with declining repayment percentages over time). It requires the state to establish the program by October 2025 and implement public education about homebuying resources.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds homebuyer program via tax deferral for low-income residents, increasing state expenditure within $5M annual limit.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingCreates state-funded program enabling low-income graduates to save for home purchases, directly increasing affordable housing access through tax incentives and $5M annual funding.95% confidence
Sub-Topics: Government Spending Homeownership
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 15, 2025 Last action Apr 2, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Proposed Bill → Committee Bill · 6 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to change the Learn Here, Live Here program from a discretionary initiative to a mandatory requirement, update the program start date to 2026, and clarify repayment rules for participants who move out of state. The committee version also adds specific definitions for eligible institutions and establishes clearer timelines for program implementation and fund segregation.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a general mandate to include specific eligibility criteria for graduates and detailed repayment schedules based on how long participants remain in the state after receiving funds.
REQUIREMENT

Changed the program establishment from optional ('may') to mandatory ('shall') for the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.

TIMELINE

Updated program start dates from 2014 to 2026 and fund development deadline from 2012 to 2025.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific eligibility requirements for graduates from high schools, public/private institutions, health care training schools, and technical education schools.

ENFORCEMENT

Established a tiered repayment schedule requiring participants to repay 100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, or 20% of funds if they leave the state within 1-5 years of receiving payment.

DEFINITION

Added detailed definition of 'health care training school' to include medical, dental, chiropractic, optometry, occupational therapy, and other healing arts institutions.

FISCAL

Clarified that up to $5 million annually may be segregated into the first-time homebuyers account for all program participants combined.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
0
Committee
4
Mar 18, 2025
Senate · Reported by committee
Joint Favorable
Feb 20, 2025
Senate · Referred to committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Commerce
Feb 19, 2025
Senate · Reported by committee
DRAFTED BY COMMITTEE
Jan 15, 2025
Senate · Referred to committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Commerce
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Stephen Harding
Stephen Harding
RRepublican
CT
30