Connecticut Bills

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 20, 2026

SB 7: AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY.

SB 7 updates Connecticut's base funding level for public schools (called "Foundation") to increase annually from $11,525 (2014-2026) to $15,500 (2031+) with inflation adjustments. It also revises the "Regional bonus" calculation for towns sending students to regional schools or paying high school tuition. The bill's primary mechanism creates a 13-member working group (including school officials, teachers, students, and community representatives) to study the state's equalization aid formula and recommend improvements for equity and fiscal soundness. This group will examine how state education funding is distributed, aiming to address disparities between school districts. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, with the working group established immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Norm Needleman (D) Steven Winter (D) M.D. Rahman (D) Joan Hartley (D) Martin Looney (D)

in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 20, 2026

HB 5342: AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER MEANS TO GENERATE DECEPTIVE SYNTHETIC MEDIA AND AFFECT ELECTIONS.

HB 5342 bans the distribution of AI-generated or manipulated images, audio, or video (called "deceptive synthetic media") during the 90 days before an election if it misleads people into thinking a real person said or did something they didn’t. It specifically targets content intended to harm a candidate or influence election results without the depicted person’s consent. The bill allows exceptions for news organizations (like TV stations or newspapers) that add clear disclaimers (e.g., "This video has been manipulated") and cite the original source, provided they follow specific formatting rules. This law directly affects political campaigns, social media platforms, and media distributors during election seasons, aiming to prevent deceptive content from swaying voters.

Topics ✗ Technology

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 20, 2026

SB 394: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE RISK-LIMITING AUDITS WORKING GROUP.

This bill requires election officials to conduct risk-limiting audits of state election results within 15 days after voting but before the official vote canvass. It mandates randomly selected audits for all state offices, at least one congressional seat, and 5% of state legislative seats (selected by the Secretary of State), with a maximum 5% risk limit to verify results. If an audit is inconclusive, it triggers a full manual recount of all ballots for that race. All audit processes must be public, and results can be used in election challenges, while preserving paper ballots for verification.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 16, 2026

SB 522: AN ACT CONVEYING A PARCEL OF STATE LAND TO THE TOWN OF KILLINGWORTH.

This bill authorizes the state to transfer a ten-acre parcel of land on Roast Meat Hill Road to the Town of Killingworth for a fair market price determined by independent appraisers. The transfer requires approval from the State Properties Review Board, which must complete its review within 30 days of receiving the proposed agreement. The town of Killingworth will be responsible for covering any survey costs if the commissioner deems them necessary, and the state will handle all other administrative aspects of the conveyance.

in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 16, 2026

HB 5455: AN ACT CONCERNING THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SPECIAL POLICE FORCES AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.

This bill requires the University of Connecticut president to create a recruitment and retention program for its special police forces and fire department by July 1, 2027, to address staffing shortages and high resignation rates. The program must establish salary schedules that align with comparable municipal and state agencies to eliminate pay disparities and ensure supervisors earn more than those they supervise, while also creating an education benefit for sworn members and their dependents. The president must submit annual reports to state committees and the university board detailing staffing levels, resignations, coverage capabilities, and the financial costs of training personnel who leave within five years. Additionally, the bill mandates that special police positions be classified using objective job-related criteria based on knowledge, skills, effort, accountability, and jurisdiction responsibilities across multiple campuses.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · Connecticut · Senate Apr 16, 2026

SB 446: AN ACT REQUIRING THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS TO CONDUCT A STUDY CONCERNING THE FEASIBILITY OF AUTHORIZING MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE ENTERED INTO REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENTS TO ADOPT DIFFERENTIAL MILL RATES.

This bill requires the Connecticut Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to study whether municipalities with revenue sharing agreements should be allowed to set different property tax mill rates for properties involved in those agreements. The commission must complete this study and submit a report with findings and recommendations to the state legislature by January 1, 2027. The bill directly affects the Office of Policy and Management, which will incur a one-time cost of $50,000 to conduct the study, while municipalities and taxpayers are not directly impacted by immediate changes. This measure does not authorize any new tax policies but instead mandates an analysis of the feasibility of such a change before any legislative action could be taken.

passed · Connecticut · Senate Apr 16, 2026

SB 222: AN ACT PERMITTING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO OFFER AN EXEMPTION FROM THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION CREDIT REQUIREMENT TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS.

SB 222 allows high school students to count participation in interscholastic sports as credit toward their physical education graduation requirement. This change directly affects students seeking to fulfill PE requirements and local school boards responsible for granting credit. The bill modifies state statute to require school boards to grant PE credit for athletic program participation, replacing an existing medical exemption clause. The provision takes effect on July 1, 2026, providing a new pathway for students to meet graduation PE requirements through sports involvement.

Topics ✓ Education

passed · Connecticut · Senate Apr 16, 2026

SB 339: AN ACT ALLOWING LONG-TERM RENTAL OF BEDROOMS IN A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME AS OF RIGHT.

This bill allows homeowners to rent up to three bedrooms in their single-family home for six months or longer without needing special municipal approval. It directly affects single-family homeowners (who can rent bedrooms without permits) and municipalities (which can no longer ban such rentals through zoning rules). The key mechanism amends zoning laws to prohibit local bans on this rental type, making it "as of right" (meaning no special permit is required). This applies only to owner-occupants living in the home, not absentee landlords.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 16, 2026

HB 5235: AN ACT CONCERNING NOTICE REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS FOR THE REMOVAL OF ENCAMPMENTS ON PROPERTY UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

HB 5235 requires Connecticut's Commissioner of Transportation to develop a plan by January 2027 for addressing temporary shelters by people experiencing homelessness on state highway areas or DOT-owned property. The plan must include trained outreach procedures respecting dignity, immediate offers of emergency shelter assistance, and coordination with local municipalities, housing authorities, and service providers before any action is taken. It directly affects DOT operations, homeless individuals on state property, and local service providers who must collaborate in implementing the plan. The bill does not create new funding or penalties but mandates structured coordination to manage encampments.

Topics ✓ Housing

passed · Connecticut · Senate Apr 16, 2026

SB 274: AN ACT CONCERNING NONRESIDENT LANDLORD REGISTRATION AND INCREASING PENALTIES FOR REPEAT BUILDING AND FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS.

SB 274 requires nonresident rental property owners (those who don’t live at their properties) to register their current address and identifying information with municipalities. Cities with populations over 25,000 must collect this data from owners or their agents, and owners must update it within 21 days of any address change. The bill also increases fines for repeat violations of building and fire safety codes by property owners, and uses registered addresses to legally serve compliance notices.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 16, 2026

SB 312: AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION WORKING GROUP AND CONCERNING CURRICULUM GUIDANCE FOR AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION.

SB 312 allows Connecticut's Department of Education to approve machine-learning literacy tools that listen to students read, analyze performance in real time, and provide immediate individualized feedback, provided they align with reading science research and meet effectiveness standards. It also requires educator preparation programs to include mandatory behavior management courses for graduates and establishes an American Sign Language (ASL) working group to develop curriculum standards, teacher certification pathways, and training programs for ASL educators. The bill mandates the Department to issue ASL curriculum guidance by 2030 to support schools implementing world language requirements. These provisions directly affect public school students, educators, and school districts through new instructional tools and educator training requirements.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 16, 2026

HB 5418: AN ACT CONCERNING THE KIRKLYN M. KERR PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT.

HB 5418 establishes the Kirklyn M. Kerr Program at the University of Connecticut to support in-state veterinary students. It provides grants covering the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition costs for up to ten veterinary students per cohort, funded for four years. Recipients must practice as licensed veterinarians in Connecticut for five years after graduation to have the grant forgiven (20% per year). This program directly affects UConn veterinary students who are Connecticut residents and commit to working in-state post-graduation.

Topics ✓ Education

Bill results