SB 237 Connecticut Senate · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

SB 237 requires the Department of Transportation to restore Shore Line East rail service to pre-pandemic levels by July 2026 and expand bus rapid transit routes connecting Hartford to Storrs, increasing frequency on the Naugatuck Valley-New Haven route, and extending the Danbury branch to New Milford. It also establishes new programs: free bus passes for high school students (grades 9-12) through a state grant program, and free bus passes for veterans, both requiring annual reporting on usage and impact. The bill revises fare change procedures to mandate public hearings and advance notice, and allocates $3 million from the General Fund to fund the student pass program for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. These provisions directly affect commuters, students, veterans, and public transit operators across Connecticut.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 18, 2026 Last action Apr 20, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → TRA Joint Favorable Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Joint Favorable Substitute,' indicating it has been revised to address concerns raised during the legislative process. The most significant substantive change is in Section 1, which now requires the Department of Transportation to consider multiple factors like ridership data and tourism demands when restoring Shore Line East rail service, rather than simply restoring it to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, the requirement to expand the Danbury branch of the New Haven Line to include New Milford was removed, and the bus rapid transit expansion mandate was replaced with a requirement to study the feasibility of increasing service frequency on the Naugatuck Valley route.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed regarding rail line expansions (removing the mandate for the Danbury branch) and broadened regarding service planning (adding specific criteria for Shore Line East restoration).

REQUIREMENT

Restoration of Shore Line East rail service now requires the Department of Transportation to consider ridership data, connectivity, commuting patterns, and tourism demands, rather than just restoring to pre-pandemic levels.

The mandate to expand the Danbury branch of the New Haven Line to include the town of New Milford was deleted.

The requirement to expand bus rapid transit to connect Hartford to Storrs via specific towns was replaced with a mandate to study the feasibility of increasing bus frequency between the Naugatuck Valley and New Haven.

TIMELINE

The bill header was updated to reflect its status as a 'Substitute Bill No. 237' instead of a 'Raised Bill No. 237'.

TECHNICAL

Page numbering and committee reference headers were updated to reflect the new substitute bill format.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

Joint Favorable

upper

Apr 15, 2026

Upper · Passed

IMMEDIATE TRANSMITTAL TO COMMITTEE

upper

Apr 15, 2026

Upper · Passed

SEN. ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

upper

Mar 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Transportation

upper

17 primary · 0 co-sponsors