Connecticut Bills

in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 14, 2026

HB 5423: AN ACT CONCERNING JUVENILE JUSTICE INITIATIVES.

HB 5423 requires the executive director of the Court Support Services Division to submit a report by July 1, 2026, to judicial and appropriations committees on the previous year's usage of court support services and recommendations for expanding these services. The bill does not create new programs or change existing laws but mandates this annual report to inform future decisions about juvenile justice support resources. It directly affects the Judicial Branch's Court Support Services Division and the relevant legislative committees. This procedural bill focuses solely on requiring transparency and planning, not on implementing new policies.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 387: AN ACT CONCERNING ELECTION ADMINISTRATION OVERSIGHT.

SB 387 establishes a Municipal Election Accountability Board within the Secretary of State's office to review election administration in Connecticut municipalities. The board will examine procedures for early voting, absentee voting, same-day registration, and election official duties when irregularities are suspected, based on referrals from the Secretary of State or State Elections Enforcement Commission. It consists of 12 members, including the Secretary of State as chair, election law experts, certified election officials from different political parties, and appointed representatives from town clerks and municipal leaders. The board must hold monthly meetings starting in 2027 to conduct these reviews, without altering existing election laws or the Secretary of State’s core responsibilities.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 329: AN ACT EXPANDING MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES.

SB 329 expands Medicaid eligibility for older adults with disabilities by raising the income limit to 159% of the benefit amount for people with no income under the temporary family assistance program. The bill specifically excludes VA Aid and Attendance pensions for veterans and their spouses, and Social Security benefits for disabled adult children, from being counted as income when determining eligibility. This change, effective July 1, 2026, will make Medicaid coverage available to more older adults with disabilities who previously faced income barriers. The bill does not alter asset requirements for this group.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Veterans

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 380: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE TO SUPPORT PROMISE PROGRAMS IN THE STATE.

SB 380 establishes the Office of Postsecondary Success within the Department of Education to support scholarship programs for students pursuing higher education. The office will fund existing "promise programs" (scholarships paired with mentoring and career support) at $3,000 per enrolled student, require annual reporting on student outcomes like graduation and job placement, and work to create eight new promise programs by 2031, prioritizing students in designated alliance districts. It also mandates tracking student data - including net cost of attendance, demographics, and academic progress - to improve program effectiveness. The bill directly affects students in Connecticut’s public colleges and universities, particularly those from low-to-moderate income backgrounds.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 350: AN ACT INCREASING THE PER DIEM RATE FOR MEMBERS OF THE STATE BOARD OF LABOR RELATIONS AND COMPENSATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION.

SB 350 increases compensation for members of two Connecticut state boards. It raises the per diem rate for State Board of Labor Relations members from $150 to $300 per day and increases payments for Board of Mediation and Arbitration members from $325 to $500 per day, plus an additional $500 for preparing written decisions. The bill also increases payments for panel session attendance from $200 to $300 per member. These changes take effect October 1, 2026, directly affecting the state board members who serve on these labor dispute resolution bodies.

in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 14, 2026

HB 5422: AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY OF UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA.

HB 5422 requires the University of Connecticut to study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) using available resources, consulting with state agencies like the Department of Emergency Services and the Office of Military Affairs, as well as a nonprofit organization focused on UAP investigations. The study must examine the benefits of creating a state UAP research center and the resources needed to establish and operate it. The university must submit its findings to the legislature by July 1, 2027. This bill mandates a research effort but does not create new regulations or funding.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 386: AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF RANKED-CHOICE VOTING IN PARTY CAUCUSES, CONVENTIONS AND PRIMARIES, INCLUDING PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARIES, AND IN CERTAIN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

SB 386 requires the use of ranked-choice voting in certain elections starting in 2028, including most primaries (except presidential preference primaries until April 2028), municipal elections, and presidential preference primaries. This system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd) rather than voting for just one candidate. Ballots must be designed to let voters rank all candidates, and tabulation occurs in rounds: the least-preferred candidate is eliminated each round until one candidate achieves a majority of votes. The bill applies to elections for single-office positions and mandates that the Secretary of the State approves ballot formats and instructions.

in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 14, 2026

HB 5002: AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATION FUNDING, SPECIAL EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS.

HB 5002 updates Connecticut's foundational education funding formula. It sets a base funding amount of $11,525 per student for fiscal years ending June 30, 2024-2026, then adjusts this amount annually based on the higher of personal income growth or inflation (as defined in state law) for all subsequent years. This change directly affects public school districts statewide by altering how state education funding is calculated and distributed. The bill does not modify specific programs for special education or early childhood services, as referenced in its title, but updates the core funding mechanism used to determine district allocations. The new formula takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 289: AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING OF THE QUALITY METRICS PROGRAM FOR NURSING HOMES.

SB 289 establishes a state-funded quality metrics program for nursing homes, directly affecting facilities serving Medicaid beneficiaries. It creates two funding pools: a $10 million annual pool for performance-based payments tied to quality metrics (using CMS measures and consumer surveys), and a $2.5-$5 million pool for facilities with over 75% Medicaid residents. Nursing homes must report quality metrics annually, with payments determined by performance scores - excluding facilities flagged for serious quality issues. The program begins October 1, 2026, with payments phased in over time using existing Medicaid appropriations.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 316: AN ACT CONCERNING THE TESTING OF SOILS AT CERTAIN SOLAR FACILITIES.

SB 316 requires Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to implement a biennial soil testing program at utility-scale solar facilities starting October 2026. The program tests for contaminants like lead, cadmium, arsenic, and zinc, and mandates that results be disclosed to property owners, remediation costs recovered from responsible parties, and public notifications including land use restrictions. Solar facility owners or operators will pay a biennial testing fee to cover program costs. This law directly affects large solar installations by adding environmental monitoring and remediation requirements to their operations.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 13, 2026

SB 502: AN ACT CONCERNING DISCRETIONARY TRANSFER FROM JUVENILE COURT TO ADULT COURT.

This bill modifies how certain juvenile cases are handled by establishing automatic transfer rules from juvenile court to adult criminal court for specific serious offenses. It directly affects children aged 15 and older charged with capital felonies, class A or B felonies, and certain other violent crimes, requiring them to be tried in adult Superior Court unless exceptions apply. The law creates two transfer pathways: automatic transfers for the most serious charges and discretionary hearings for other offenses where a prosecutor must request a transfer and a judge must determine it serves the best interests of the child and the public. The bill also allows cases transferred to adult court to be returned to juvenile court before a verdict or guilty plea if good cause is shown, and sets specific timeframes for hearings, particularly requiring faster hearings for serious firearm offenses.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 13, 2026

SB 504: AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAWS OF THIS STATE.

This bill establishes a working group to review and study the state's criminal procedure laws, specifically examining Title 54 of the general statutes. The group will be composed of six members appointed by various legislative leaders, including the Speaker, Senate president pro tempore, and both majority and minority leaders from each chamber. The working group must submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the judiciary committee by January 1, 2027, or when the group completes its work, whichever comes later. This measure creates a temporary committee tasked with analyzing existing laws rather than making immediate changes to criminal procedure.

Bill results