Rep. Kara Rochelle

Maddy summarySB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 5405 establishes new safety regulations for crane and hoisting equipment operations in Connecticut. It creates a seven-member Examining Board to oversee licensing, grants inspectors authority to issue stop-work orders for violations like unsafe operation or incompetence (effective October 1, 2026), and imposes fines up to $5,000 for violations - including $5,000 for ignoring a stop-work order. The bill directly affects crane owners, operators, and hoisting equipment operators by requiring valid licenses, mandating compliance with safety standards, and enabling enforcement actions. Key provisions include mandatory administrative hearings for contested stop-work orders and civil penalties for operating without proper certification.

Maddy summaryHB 5434 requires that political parties must have received at least 1% of the votes for a specific office in the last election to be recognized for including their designation on candidate nominating petitions. This bill defines a "minor party" as one that is not a major party and whose candidate received at least 1% of the votes for the relevant office in the previous election. It affects candidates and political parties seeking to run under a party label on petitions for state or local offices, ensuring only parties with demonstrated voter support can be listed. The law, effective January 1, 2027, updates the process for applying for nominating petitions to include this threshold requirement.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a public reporting system for double utility poles, which are two poles located within six feet of each other due to incomplete replacement work. It requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to launch an online reporting platform by July 1, 2026, where any person can submit reports with location details and photographs. The commissioner will compile quarterly lists of these reports and share them with electric distribution companies, telephone companies, and municipal electric utilities starting October 31, 2027. The legislation defines specific utility pole types and establishes clear timelines for implementing the reporting infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHB 5279 expands workers' compensation coverage for post-traumatic stress injury (PTSD) by adding "witnessing a serious physical injury" as a qualifying event. It directly affects eligible public safety and healthcare workers - including police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, correctional employees, telecommunicators, and health care providers - who witness such injuries while on duty. The bill amends existing law to include this new qualifying event (effective October 1, 2026), specifying it covers serious physical injuries that do not result in death or permanent disfigurement. This change ensures these workers can access PTSD-related workers' compensation benefits for trauma stemming from witnessing non-fatal but severe injuries.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Connecticut's unemployment insurance rules to allow striking workers to receive benefits after a labor dispute has lasted for 14 consecutive days, starting in 2027. Currently, workers who lose jobs due to strikes are generally ineligible for unemployment benefits, but this change would apply only to disputes beginning on or after December 14, 2027. The law already permits benefits for workers locked out by employers or those not involved in the strike, such as non-union employees at a temporarily closed business. The bill requires workers to meet standard eligibility criteria like being able and available to work, and it would require updates to the state's unemployment insurance system to track strike duration.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new fund to provide a one-time $100,000 death benefit to the surviving families of correction officers and investigators from specific state agencies who are killed in the line of duty. The fund is financed through available appropriations and interest earnings, with payments distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible survivors including spouses, dependent children, and other family members listed on beneficiary forms. The bill also defines key terms such as "killed in the line of duty" and "dependent child," and requires the Comptroller to submit annual reports on fund expenditures and balances to relevant legislative committees. Additionally, the legislation repeals an existing tax provision related to income derived from the death benefit.

Maddy summarySB 221 establishes a state scholarship program to support aspiring educators in Connecticut. It provides up to $10,000 annually to diverse students who graduated from public high schools in designated "alliance districts" and are enrolled in teacher preparation programs at four-year colleges. Recipients must teach as certified educators in Connecticut, particularly in identified shortage areas (like specific subjects or geographic regions), or repay the scholarship. The program requires annual reporting on scholarship recipients' demographics and program data, with implementation effective July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 348 extends workers' compensation coverage to public works department employees for their commutes to and from work under specific conditions. It adds public works employees to the list of workers whose "departure from place of abode directly to duty" and "return directly to place of abode after duty" count as employment time for coverage purposes. This applies when employees are subject to emergency calls off-duty, responding to direct work orders during excused nonessential staff periods, or following two or more consecutive mandatory overtime shifts. The law, effective October 1, 2026, directly affects state and municipal public works employees who perform construction, maintenance, or regulatory work on public infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHB 5046 modifies existing tuition waiver policies at Connecticut's community colleges and universities to specifically support public safety personnel. It waives tuition for current police officers (with 5+ years service) and firefighters (with 5+ years service), as well as for their dependents if the officer or firefighter was killed in the line of duty. The bill also expands waivers to include students enrolled in state fire school programs and police academy coordination courses. These changes apply to Connecticut State Community College and Connecticut State University System programs, effective July 1, 2026. The policy directly affects active and retired public safety workers and their families by reducing education costs.