Connecticut Bills

signed · Connecticut · House May 20, 2026

HB 5143: AN ACT REQUIRING TRAINING FOR HOMEMAKER-COMPANION AGENCY EMPLOYEES.

HB 5143 requires homemaker-companion agencies to provide mandatory training to their employees. New employees must complete 10 hours of initial training within 90 days of hire, covering topics like CPR, safety, abuse reporting, and dementia care. Existing employees must complete 10 hours of annual continuing education from a state-approved training list, and agencies must maintain records of all training for state review. This bill directly affects homemaker-companion agencies and their staff, aiming to improve service quality and client safety through standardized training.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Irene Haines (R) Joe Gresko (D) Savet Constantine (D) Steven Winter (D) Jonathan Steinberg (D)

signed · Connecticut · House May 20, 2026

HB 5141: AN ACT REQUIRING FEAR OF RETALIATION TRAINING FOR PERSONS PROVIDING ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES IN MANAGED RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES.

HB 5141 requires assisted living services agencies in managed residential communities to provide annual training to all their employees about residents' fear of retaliation. The training must cover residents' rights to file complaints, examples of potential retaliation, and ways to prevent it. This law, effective October 1, 2026, applies specifically to licensed agencies providing assisted living services and does not require training to be conducted by social workers.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · Connecticut · House May 19, 2026

HB 5534: AN ACT DESIGNATING THE STATE AS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB MOVEMENT, THE STATE AMPHIBIAN AND THE STATE ROCK.

This bill designates Connecticut as the birthplace of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, recognizes the spring peeper as the state amphibian, names the town of Enfield as the gateway to Connecticut, and designates Housatonic marble as the state rock. The legislation directly affects state symbols and official designations by adding these new titles to Connecticut's list of recognized emblems. Each provision becomes effective on October 1, 2026, and establishes permanent official recognition for these historical and natural elements. The bill does not create new programs or funding, but rather codifies existing historical facts and local identities into state law.

signed · Connecticut · Senate May 19, 2026

SB 458: AN ACT DESIGNATING VARIOUS DAYS AND MONTHS.

This bill designates various days and months throughout the year to commemorate specific cultural, historical, health, and community-related topics. It requires the Governor to officially proclaim these observances, which may include suitable exercises at the State Capitol and other locations. The designated dates include Indigenous Peoples' Day, Lobster Roll Day, Hartford Whalers Day, Topical Steroid Withdrawal Awareness Day, 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day, Henry Breault Day, Eid al-Fitr, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Awareness Month, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Good Neighbor Day, and Military Suicide Remembrance and Awareness Day. These designations aim to raise public awareness, honor historical contributions, and promote community connection and health education.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · Connecticut · House May 19, 2026

HB 5532: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF STATE ETHICS FOR REVISIONS TO THE STATE CODES OF ETHICS, REDEFINING "GIFT" FOR PURPOSES OF SAID CODES AND INCREASING VARIOUS MONETARY THRESHOLDS IN SAID CODES.

This bill updates Connecticut's state ethics codes by implementing recommendations from the Office of State Ethics and raising monetary thresholds for financial disclosure requirements. It directly affects state elected officials, department heads, General Assembly members, and employees of quasi-public agencies by requiring them to file electronic statements of financial interests covering assets, income, and debts above specified limits. Key changes include increasing the disclosure threshold for securities from $5,000 to $10,000, adjusting debt reporting limits to $10,000, and exempting retirement accounts and education savings plans from detailed security disclosure while still requiring the plan names to be listed. The legislation also modifies board meeting procedures by changing the quorum requirement and clarifies how chairpersons and vice-chairpersons preside over meetings.

signed · Connecticut · House May 19, 2026

HB 5447: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TRANSFORMING CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING COMMITTEE.

This bill directs state officials to establish working groups focused on eating disorder treatment and food insecurity, requiring them to compile public resources and develop best practice guidelines by July 2026. It also mandates a feasibility study for a new inpatient psychiatric facility serving children and young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, with results due by January 2027. Additionally, the bill increases Temporary Family Assistance benefits to at least 55% of the federal poverty level and requires annual cost-of-living adjustments tied to consumer price index increases when funding lapses.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Connecticut · Senate May 19, 2026

SB 423: AN ACT CONCERNING OVERSIGHT OVER HIGHER EDUCATION.

This bill requires the Board of Regents for Higher Education to submit annual reports to the state legislature evaluating the results of consolidating regional community-technical colleges into the Connecticut State Community College. The reports must compare performance metrics such as student course completion rates, enrollment patterns, and staffing ratios from before and after the consolidation, along with financial impacts and administrative efficiency changes. Additionally, the bill mandates a separate report from the chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities by December 2026 that compares administrative personnel numbers across different system offices and campuses. These provisions aim to increase transparency and oversight of the college system reorganization without advocating for or against the consolidation itself.

signed · Connecticut · Senate May 19, 2026

SB 521: AN ACT CONVEYING A PARCEL OF STATE LAND TO THE NORTHWEST RESOURCE RECOVERY AUTHORITY.

This bill directs the Commissioner of Administrative Services to transfer a 4-acre state-owned parcel in Torrington, including the Torrington Transfer Station, to the Northwest Resource Recovery Authority. The transfer will occur at no cost to the Authority, covering only administrative expenses, and requires approval from the State Properties Review Board. The Authority must use the land to operate a public waste and recycling transfer station, with the property reverting to the state if the Authority fails to use it, loses ownership, or leases it. The State Properties Review Board must complete its review within 30 days, and the Department of Administrative Services retains control of the land until the transfer is finalized.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Connecticut · House May 19, 2026

HB 5146: AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY OF THE REMEDIATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BROWNFIELDS IN THIS STATE.

HB 5146 requires Connecticut's Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to study challenges and opportunities related to cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields (underutilized properties with potential contamination). The commissioner must submit a report to the legislature's commerce committee by February 1, 2026, detailing findings on remediation and development issues. This bill does not create new regulations, allocate funding, or change current law - its sole purpose is to inform future policy decisions through a formal study.

signed · Connecticut · House May 19, 2026

HB 5126: AN ACT CONCERNING THE LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONERS' RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MINOR AND TECHNICAL REVISIONS TO STATUTES CONCERNING CONSUMER PROTECTION.

HB 5126 standardizes the format and content of residential condition disclosure forms used in real estate transactions. It requires these forms to fit on 8.5x11-inch pages with 9-point minimum font (except checkboxes), include property addresses and page numbers, and follow specific section headings. The bill mandates that sellers disclose details about the property's condition, including mechanical systems, water sources, potential hazards, and ownership restrictions through a standardized questionnaire. This directly affects sellers in Connecticut home sales and the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, who will oversee these forms under existing consumer protection statutes. The changes are technical revisions to improve clarity and consistency, not new policy.

signed · Connecticut · Senate May 19, 2026

SB 233: AN ACT CONCERNING CONSUMER PROTECTIONS REGARDING RESIDENTIAL SOLAR AND ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS.

SB 233 modifies exemptions for solar energy work under state law, specifically adding new provisions to exempt certain solar installation activities from licensing requirements. The bill creates an exemption (point 17) allowing solar contractors to perform work like hoisting solar panels, mounting racking systems, and installing ground supports for large solar facilities (over 25 megawatts) without full licensing. This directly affects solar contractors and developers of commercial-scale solar projects by simplifying installation processes for specific tasks. The change takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not create new consumer protections but adjusts regulatory scope for solar contractors.

Topics ✓ Energy

signed · Connecticut · House May 19, 2026

HB 5039: AN ACT REQUIRING TRANSPARENCY AND ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN LEGISLATIVELY DIRECTED FUNDS AND APPROPRIATIONS FOR OTHER EXPENSES.

HB 5039 requires state agencies to provide greater transparency and oversight when distributing funds specifically directed by the legislature to particular organizations (not state agencies, disaster relief, competitive grants, or bond funds). It mandates that recipients prove financial responsibility and secure written approval from agencies before sharing funds with subrecipients. State agencies must submit annual reports on fund usage by November 1, and the state will publish a public database of all such funds by January 1. This bill directly affects state agencies managing these funds and the organizations receiving them, focusing on accountability through reporting and public access.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill results