This bill restructures the Connecticut Siting Council to oversee utility projects and hazardous waste facilities, requiring specific state officials and public members to participate in review proceedings. It establishes new membership rules that include designated representatives from state agencies, legislative leaders, and five public members appointed by the Governor who must have no financial ties to utilities or related facilities. The bill also creates ad hoc members from local municipalities for specific projects and requires the council to include staff dedicated to engaging the public and providing plain language summaries of proceedings.
This bill updates Connecticut law to ensure crime victims have a formal opportunity to address the court before a defendant is sentenced or charges are dismissed. It allows victims, their families, or legal representatives to submit oral or written statements regarding the impact of the crime and their views on penalties. Prosecutors must notify victims of sentencing hearings if they wish to make a statement, and for cases involving peace officer assaults, the officer must be personally notified. Additionally, the bill requires prosecutors to provide victims with written details of proposed plea agreements, including potential prison terms and eligibility for sentence reductions or parole. These changes take effect on October 1, 2026.
This bill updates Connecticut's criminal penalties for intentionally damaging critical infrastructure and public safety systems. It directly affects individuals who damage utilities, transportation systems, communication networks, emergency services, or state-owned safety equipment. The law creates two new felony and misdemeanor offenses that apply when someone damages these systems with intent to cause harm or create a risk of service interruption, regardless of whether the damage causes actual disruption. Key provisions include increasing penalties for damaging electronic monitoring equipment, fire alarm systems, emergency dispatch systems, and fire suppression equipment, while also raising the monetary threshold for criminal mischief to $1,500 for state property and $250 for municipal property. The changes take effect on October 1, 2026.
This bill updates Connecticut's trespass laws to specifically include school grounds, parking lots, athletic fields, and school buildings as protected areas. It creates three levels of criminal trespass offenses for unauthorized entry onto school property, ranging from first-degree criminal trespass for those who ignore direct orders to leave to third-degree for entering posted or fenced school areas. Additionally, it establishes simple trespass as a minor infraction for unauthorized entry onto school premises without intent to harm property. The changes apply to all individuals who enter or remain on school property without permission and take effect on October 1, 2026.
This bill modifies the Office of the Claims Commissioner's authority to allow it to decide certain state claims for damages up to $15,000 that were previously required to be filed in Superior Court. It also changes the review process for wrongful incarceration compensation awards by requiring the General Assembly to review awards over $35,000 or those requested by claimants within 60 days instead of 45 days. The Claims Commissioner would still handle smaller awards directly, while larger or contested cases would be submitted to the General Assembly for confirmation or denial. These changes affect how citizens file claims against the state and how the legislature oversees compensation for wrongful imprisonment.
This bill establishes a state grant program to provide diapers at no cost to children three years old or younger from households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The program would be administered by the Department of Social Services and funded through a one million dollar appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. Funds would support partnerships between hospital organizations and nonprofit diaper distributors to deliver diapers statewide. The bill also requires recipients to submit reports on distribution numbers, unmet need estimates, health impacts, and future funding recommendations by September 1, 2027.
HB 5150 authorizes the state to commit $220 million in grants for six specific school building projects in Milford, Norwich, Seymour, Stamford, Waterbury, and Westport, based on a priority list approved by a legislative committee. The bill also revises school construction statutes to increase reimbursement percentages for districts with enrollment growing 20% or more over 10 years, capping the increase at 100% of project costs. These changes affect eligible school districts by providing direct funding for building projects and adjusting reimbursement rules based on enrollment trends. The grants are effective from passage, while the enrollment-based reimbursement change takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 5164 changes how Connecticut allocates funds from its Tobacco Settlement Fund. Starting July 1, 2026, it requires $12 million annually (until 2025) and $32 million annually (from 2027 onward) to be directed to the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund for tobacco prevention and control programs. The remaining funds from the settlement are allocated to the state’s General Fund. This aligns with CDC-recommended funding levels for tobacco control initiatives, directly affecting public health programs aimed at reducing tobacco use.
SB 238 requires Connecticut's Commissioner of Public Health to create a public online dashboard tracking emergency medical services (EMS) response times. The dashboard will display data broken down by location, call type (like heart attacks or injuries), and time of day, while protecting patient privacy. This data will be used to help direct federal grant funding toward communities needing the most improvement in EMS response times. The law affects EMS providers (who must report data), the public (who can access the transparency tool), and state agencies (which will use the data for grant applications). It takes effect on October 1, 2026.
HB 5092 prevents landlords from imposing sudden rent hikes when a rental property is sold to a new owner. It directly affects renters in properties transferred within the previous 12 months and landlords who purchase such properties. The bill caps rent increases for these properties at either 5% or the annual consumer price index (CPI) rise - whichever is higher - unless the new owner completed major renovations costing over $50,000 per unit. If renovations were done, the new owner must justify a higher increase through a fair rent commission review; otherwise, the standard cap applies. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
SB 154 requires Connecticut's Department of Social Services and Department of Developmental Services to report on costs for programs serving children and families. The reports, due by January 1, 2027, must detail current program costs, projected costs if eligibility expanded to include families above the federal poverty level but below the ALICE Threshold (a United Way-defined financial survival standard), and the number of additional people who would qualify. The bill does not change current eligibility rules but mandates analysis to inform future policy decisions about program expansion. It directly affects state agencies managing family and child services and the legislative committees overseeing these programs.
HB 5357 revises Connecticut's reimbursement rules for residential care homes receiving state funding. It sets a new $75,000 annual base salary for facility administrators (effective October 2025), establishes a minimum daily reimbursement rate of $3.10, and adjusts how property additions are compensated. These changes apply to all residential care homes participating in the state's funding program. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
