Connecticut Bills

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 545: AN ACT CONCERNING THE SATISFACTION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS QUALITY OF SERVICE STANDARDS AND PROHIBITING REMOTE RECONNECTION FEES.

SB 545 requires Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to establish and enforce quality-of-service standards for telephone companies, incumbent carriers, and certified telecom providers. These standards cover service outages, installation appointments, customer complaint response times, and repeat issues, applying to all technologies including VoIP. The bill also prohibits remote reconnection fees charged to customers. Companies must submit semiannual compliance reports and exception reports if failing standards for two consecutive months, with enforcement effective October 1, 2025. This directly affects telecom providers and their customers by mandating service transparency and eliminating specific fees.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1251: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING A DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAM FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT OF MEDICAID STATE PLAN AMENDMENTS AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING TIMELY WHEELCHAIR REPAIR STANDARDS.

SB 1251 establishes a state-run driver training program for people with disabilities who need special equipment and cannot access training through other programs. Successful participants will receive certification that allows them to skip the driving skills test for a license, with restrictions recommended by the program. The bill also requires Medicaid plan amendments to be reviewed by legislative committees before federal submission and imposes penalties on wheelchair dealers who repeatedly fail to meet timely repair standards for wheelchairs. These changes affect individuals with disabilities, Medicaid administrators, and wheelchair repair businesses.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1417: AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NURSING HOME WORKFORCE STANDARDS BOARD.

SB 1417 establishes a Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board to set minimum pay, benefits, and training requirements for nursing home workers in the state. The board, composed of state agency representatives, employer and worker advocates, and a legislative chair, will gather data on wages, benefits, and working conditions through public hearings. It will adopt minimum compensation standards by job type and regional wage data, with a waiver option for facilities facing financial hardship. These standards apply to nursing home workers (including direct care staff) and employers at Medicaid-funded facilities, but cannot take effect without prior state funding approval for any cost increases.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1035: AN ACT CONCERNING LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS.

SB 1035 replaces an existing anti-discrimination law with specific protections for pregnant employees. It prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or job applicants due to pregnancy, including refusing reasonable accommodations (like modified schedules or breaks), denying leave, or retaliating for requesting accommodations. The bill defines "reasonable accommodation" broadly (e.g., flexible hours, light duty) and specifies that employers cannot force leave if accommodations are possible. It directly affects pregnant employees and employers in Connecticut, effective October 1, 2025. (Note: The bill title mentions "nondisclosure agreements," but the actual text focuses solely on pregnancy discrimination protections, making the title inconsistent with the content.)

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1535: AN ACT CONCERNING THE SECRETARY OF THE STATE'S RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO EARLY VOTING.

SB 1535 adjusts early voting periods for Connecticut elections. For regular elections, early voting runs 15 days before to 2 days before (excluding holidays); for non-presidential primaries, it's 8 days before to 2 days before; and for presidential primaries/special elections, it's 5 days before to 2 days before (excluding March 31, 2024, and holidays). It requires unaffiliated voters to file party enrollment applications by noon the day before early voting begins, and new voters to file by noon on the day they vote. Municipalities must certify early voting locations to the Secretary of State annually by February 15, ensuring access to the state voter system. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, impacting all eligible voters participating in early voting for regular, primary, and special elections.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1517: AN ACT CONCERNING REFERENDA, INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES AND OTHER CAMPAIGN FINANCE CHANGES.

SB 1517 removes spending limits on independent campaign activities, allowing groups to make unlimited spending to support or oppose candidates or referendums without coordinating with campaigns. It directly affects political committees, businesses, and individuals making such independent expenditures. The bill requires these groups to file detailed reports within 24 hours for any spending over $1,000, with specific deadlines tied to election cycles. This changes reporting rules but does not alter contribution limits for candidate committees.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1516: AN ACT CONCERNING THE SECRETARY OF THE STATE'S RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO VOTING AND ELECTIONS IN THIS STATE.

This bill updates election administration procedures in Connecticut. It requires town clerks to submit election results to the Secretary of State within 48 hours after regular elections, identify and correct errors by 9 a.m. on the third day, and file detailed consolidated reports within 21 days. It also establishes a curbside voting process allowing voters unable to enter polling places due to incapacity to receive and mark ballots outside, with officials recording the vote without seeing the ballot choice. Additionally, it clarifies restrictions on solicitation near polling places (maintaining a 75-foot zone) while permitting nonpartisan "I Voted" stickers and school fundraising activities. The changes affect local election officials, town clerks, and voters participating in in-person voting.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1543: AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION.

SB 1543 requires Connecticut's Department of Correction to develop a plan by October 1, 2025, to improve healthcare for people incarcerated in state facilities. The bill mandates sufficient mental health therapists at each facility to provide services based on need, with strict protocols for prescribing psychotropic medications (requiring medical history review and risk-benefit assessment). It also requires annual physical exams by licensed medical professionals, initial health assessments within 14 days of intake, and placement in appropriate medical/mental health housing when clinically necessary. These provisions directly affect all people incarcerated in Connecticut correctional institutions.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1370: AN ACT REQUIRING WORKERS PERFORMING OFF-SITE CUSTOM FABRICATION FOR A PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT TO BE PAID PREVAILING WAGE RATES.

SB 1370 requires contractors working on public works projects to pay workers performing off-site custom fabrication the local prevailing wage rate. This applies to workers building specific systems (like plumbing, heating, or ventilation) at a separate location but made exclusively for a public project, excluding standard stock materials. The law expands existing prevailing wage requirements - previously covering on-site work - to include this off-site fabrication, effective July 1, 2025. It directly affects construction workers and contractors on state or local government public projects.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 611: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A MAXIMUM CHARGE FOR CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS, PERMITS AND REGISTRATIONS.

SB 611 sets maximum fees for occupational licenses, certifications, permits, and registrations in Connecticut. It directly affects professionals including certified public accountants (reducing initial fees from $150 to $100), architects, engineers, and surveyors. Key provisions include lowering initial license fees (e.g., professional engineers from $220 to $100) and annual renewal fees (e.g., class B fees from $150 to $100), effective July 1, 2025. The bill standardizes these fee structures under the Department of Consumer Protection without altering licensing requirements.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1500: AN ACT CONCERNING VERIFICATION OF SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRANTS' ADDRESSES.

SB 1500 requires individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses against minors or nonviolent offenses (released after October 1, 1998) to verify their address annually through mailed forms and update changes within five business days. It mandates these registrants to maintain registration for ten years (or for life if they have prior convictions), with specific requirements to report name changes, new addresses, employment, or educational status. The bill repeals prior registration rules and adds verification steps to ensure accuracy, while allowing courts to exempt some offenders if public safety isn't at risk. Violating address reporting requirements can result in a class D felony charge.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Connecticut · House May 12, 2025

HB 6884: AN ACT EXPANDING TAX CREDITS FOR STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS TO INCLUDE EMPLOYERS SUBJECT TO TAX UNDER CHAPTER 229.

HB 6884 expands Connecticut's tax credit program for student loan payments to include employers. It allows qualified employers (businesses subject to tax under Chapter 229) to claim a 50% credit against their state tax for payments made directly to student loan servicers on behalf of eligible employees. The credit is capped at $2,625 per employee annually, with a total annual limit of $10 million across all employers. This policy directly affects Connecticut employers and employees who meet specific criteria, such as having earned a bachelor's degree from an in-state institution within the past five years and working full-time in the state.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill results