Budget & Taxes

SB 298 reallocates state funds across multiple agencies for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It reduces $3.4 million from Temporary Family Assistance (TANF) funding for the Department of Social Services while appropriating $1.7 million to the Labor Department for unemployment program IT upgrades and $1.7 million to the Department of Education for Adult Education. The bill allocates $1.5 million to five school districts (Newington, Wethersfield, Cromwell, Rocky Hill, Middletown) for high-acuity school-based mental health programs and $750,000 for a teacher residency program operated by the Capitol Region Education Council. These changes directly affect TANF recipients, school districts, mental health providers, and teacher training initiatives.

SB 266 prioritizes funding from Connecticut's Early Childhood Education Endowment for non-private equity child care and preschool programs. It requires the Commissioner to first fund all eligible programs meeting specific criteria (like receiving Early Start CT funding or participating in quality improvement systems), before allocating funds to programs owned or controlled by private equity companies. Private equity programs are defined as non-publicly traded investment firms owning or controlling child care services. This change takes effect July 1, 2026, ensuring taxpayer-funded early education resources support community-based providers over for-profit private equity entities.