Connecticut Bills

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 5364: AN ACT CONCERNING TIERED DEED RESTRICTIONS.

HB 5364 creates a tiered system for deed restrictions requiring affordable housing units to remain affordable for specific periods. It defines three tiers: 40-year, 30-year, and 20-year set-asides, mandating that units in these developments be sold or rented at income levels not exceeding 30% (for 15% of units), 60%, or 80% of area median income. The bill directly affects municipalities, developers, and housing commissions by modifying how affordable housing applications are processed and extending moratorium periods for certain projects. Key provisions include standardizing income thresholds based on HUD data and clarifying eligibility for moratorium extensions after project completion.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 26, 2026

HJ 32: RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE AGE OF SIXTEEN TO APPLY FOR ADMISSION AS ELECTORS AND TO BE SO ADMITTED UPON ATTAINING THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN.

HJ 32 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow 16-year-olds to apply for voter registration, with their eligibility automatically activating on their 18th birthday. The bill would change the state constitution to permit citizens who turn 16 to apply to become electors, though they would only gain voting rights upon reaching age 18. This applies specifically to regular elections, with 16-year-olds who have applied able to vote in primaries for those elections. The amendment requires voter approval in the November 2026 election to take effect.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SJ 38: RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO MAKE REFERENCES TO INDIVIDUALS GENDER-NEUTRAL.

This bill proposes amending the state constitution to replace gendered language with gender-neutral terms throughout existing constitutional text. It specifically targets phrases like "man," "his," "himself," and "his or her" in sections covering fundamental rights - including equality, criminal procedure, jury trials, and the right to bear arms - and updates them to "person," "such person's," or similar inclusive language. The amendment would affect all constitutional provisions referencing individuals, making the language applicable to people of all genders without changing existing legal rights or creating new policies. This is a procedural change to the constitution's wording, not a substantive policy shift.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 5344: AN ACT CONCERNING SUPERIOR COURT VENUE FOR ELECTION CASES.

HB 5344 changes where election-related disputes must be filed in Connecticut. It requires candidates, voters, or election officials to file complaints about election errors (like vote counts or absentee ballot violations for statewide offices) exclusively in Hartford or Bridgeport Superior Courts, effective July 2026. Complaints must be filed within 14 days after an election (or 7 days for manual ballot recounts), and courts must expedite hearings. The bill also shifts appeals of legal questions to the Supreme Court instead of directly certifying results to the Secretary of the State. This directly affects candidates, voters, and election officials involved in election disputes for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, or Comptroller.

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 5223: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY ISSUES CONCERNING GROCERY STORE BEER PERMITS.

HB 5223 establishes a 12-member task force to study grocery store beer permit rules, including whether to cap permits per municipality and the criteria for issuing them. The task force, appointed by legislative leaders and consumer protection committees, must submit a report by January 1, 2027, to the relevant committee. This bill creates a study mechanism only - no immediate policy changes are enacted - and directly affects no specific entities, as it solely sets up an analysis process.

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SB 341: AN ACT CONCERNING RETURN OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDER PAYMENTS.

SB 341 limits when health insurance companies (contracting health organizations) can demand repayment from healthcare providers for administrative errors. It reduces the time frame for such demands from 18 to 12 months after a clean claim is submitted, with exceptions for fraud, incorrect billing, duplicate payments, or federal/state program overlap. The bill requires insurers to provide providers with 30 days' written notice detailing the demand, including the amount and basis, and establishes a 15-day deadline for insurers to rule on appeals - automatically favoring providers if they miss this deadline. Healthcare providers directly affected by payment disputes gain stronger protections against late demands and clearer appeal pathways. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 5348: AN ACT REQUIRING NOTIFICATION TO THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS OF THE PROPOSED ADOPTION OF AGENCY REGULATIONS AND THE STATE BUILDING AND FIRE CODES.

HB 5348 requires state agencies to notify legislative leaders (including the Speaker, Senate President Pro Tempore, and party leaders) at least 30 days before adopting new regulations or amending the State Building and Fire Codes. It mandates agencies to post detailed notices online - including the regulation’s purpose, statutory authority, and a fiscal note estimating costs for state/municipalities and small businesses - along with a 30-day public comment period for general regulations. For building and fire codes specifically, the bill adds a 45-day comment period and a required public hearing. This affects agencies creating rules, legislative leaders who receive early notice, and small businesses subject to cost impacts analyzed in the fiscal notes.

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 5347: AN ACT REQUIRING A PLAN FOR THE TRANSLATION AND REVIEW OF FORMS AND APPLICATIONS REQUIRED TO ACCESS STATE AGENCY SERVICES OR BENEFITS BY LIMITED-ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUALS.

HB 5347 requires the Commissioner of Administrative Services to develop a plan by January 1, 2027, for translating state agency forms and applications (including those for vital records and identification) into the 12 most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficient residents, based on U.S. Census data. State agencies must adopt this plan by February 1, 2027, and appoint a language access coordinator to ensure compliance, updating the plan every two years. The bill directly affects limited-English proficient individuals who need to access state services or benefits, ensuring they can navigate required forms in languages they understand. It mandates concrete policy changes in translation and accessibility without specifying outcomes or advocating for the measure.

Topics ✓ Immigration

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 5386: AN ACT REQUIRING PAYCHECK TRANSPARENCY.

HB 5386 requires employers with 50 or more employees (including state/local governments) to provide employees with detailed written or electronic pay statements showing hours worked, gross earnings (separating regular and overtime pay), deductions, and net pay. It also mandates that these employers create and post a multilingual guide online explaining pay codes like shift differentials, hazard pay, or holiday pay, including dispute resolution contact information. The guide must be provided to employees at hire and included on each pay statement, with updates for new pay codes. This law takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies to all covered employers in Connecticut.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SB 332: AN ACT CONCERNING NOTICE TO PARTIES BEFORE A FAIR RENT COMMISSION.

SB 332 requires fair rent commissions in municipalities (with populations of 15,000+ per census) to provide clear written notice to hearing participants about their rights and the commission’s authority before hearings begin, and to announce this at the start of each hearing. The bill mandates that the Commissioner of Housing create and publish model notice templates on the Department of Housing website for local commissions to use. This applies directly to landlords, tenants, and other parties involved in fair rent commission hearings, as well as the commissions themselves. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and focuses solely on improving procedural transparency.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 5037: AN ACT PROMOTING THE SAFETY OF MINORS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

HB 5037 requires social media platforms to verify the age of users under 18 or obtain parental consent before showing them personalized content recommendations (like feeds or suggested posts). It applies to platforms that prioritize media based on user data, excluding shopping sites and purely educational tools. Platforms must delete age verification data after use and cannot charge more or degrade service for compliance. Exceptions include private messages, search results, or content from accounts users follow. The law takes effect January 1, 2028.

Topics ✓ Technology

passed · Connecticut · House Mar 25, 2026

HR 4: RESOLUTION PROPOSING APPROVAL OF A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT AND THE CONNECTICUT EMPLOYEES UNION INDEPENDENT, NP-2 BARGAINING UNIT (CEUI).

This bill proposes approval of a collective bargaining agreement between the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut Employees Union Independent, NP-2 Bargaining Unit, covering approximately 3,661 state employees who work in service, maintenance, repair, delivery, cleaning, and cooking roles at hospitals, campuses, airports, roads, bridges, and parks. The agreement establishes a four-year contract running from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029, that includes general wage increases of 2.5% and annual increments for the first three years, along with lump sum payments for certain employees and provisions for grade changes and differentials. The contract also includes a wage re-opener clause for the final year that allows for additional wage negotiations, with total estimated costs to state funds reaching approximately $45 million over the four-year period.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill results