Budget & Taxes

This bill allows property owners in the towns of Berlin, Lebanon, and West Hartford to request property tax exemptions for 2025 and 2021 even if they missed the original filing deadline. To qualify, eligible individuals must submit their exemption applications within 30 days of the bill's effective date on July 1, 2026, and pay the required late filing fee. Once the assessor verifies eligibility and receives payment, the exemption will be approved and any previously paid taxes, interest, or penalties will be reimbursed to the property owner. The legislation applies only to these three specific towns and does not change the general rules for property tax exemptions elsewhere in Connecticut.

SB 298 reallocates state funds across multiple agencies for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It reduces $3.4 million from Temporary Family Assistance (TANF) funding for the Department of Social Services while appropriating $1.7 million to the Labor Department for unemployment program IT upgrades and $1.7 million to the Department of Education for Adult Education. The bill allocates $1.5 million to five school districts (Newington, Wethersfield, Cromwell, Rocky Hill, Middletown) for high-acuity school-based mental health programs and $750,000 for a teacher residency program operated by the Capitol Region Education Council. These changes directly affect TANF recipients, school districts, mental health providers, and teacher training initiatives.

SB 266 prioritizes funding from Connecticut's Early Childhood Education Endowment for non-private equity child care and preschool programs. It requires the Commissioner to first fund all eligible programs meeting specific criteria (like receiving Early Start CT funding or participating in quality improvement systems), before allocating funds to programs owned or controlled by private equity companies. Private equity programs are defined as non-publicly traded investment firms owning or controlling child care services. This change takes effect July 1, 2026, ensuring taxpayer-funded early education resources support community-based providers over for-profit private equity entities.