Rep. Tone Felipe

Maddy summaryHB 5260 prohibits municipalities from penalizing homeless individuals for specific daily activities in public spaces. It directly affects homeless people by ensuring they cannot be punished for moving freely, sleeping in legally parked vehicles, using public hygiene facilities, or performing basic needs like eating, resting, or seeking medical care in public. Key provisions ban local ordinances that restrict these activities, while allowing safety-related restrictions for public health or welfare. The bill excludes school properties, airports, and interior building areas from its definition of "public place." It takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 5160 appropriates $33.5 million from the state's General Fund to the Department of Housing for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to support programs assisting people experiencing homelessness. The bill directs the Department of Housing to use these funds for services and initiatives aimed at helping homeless individuals, including housing support and related assistance programs. It becomes effective on July 1, 2026, providing immediate funding for homeless assistance efforts without creating new programs or altering eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires municipalities with populations over 25,000 to collect current home addresses and basic identifying information (name, date of birth, license number) from nonresident owners of rental properties. It directly affects individual owners who don't live at the property, as well as corporations, partnerships, or trusts owning rental units, and project-based housing providers under federal housing programs. Owners must report this information to the municipal tax assessor and update it within 21 days of any address change; failure to comply results in fines of $250-$1,000. The collected data remains confidential and is used primarily for service of legal notices related to property maintenance or code compliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the asset limits for Connecticut's HUSKY C health program, which provides coverage to low-income residents. It raises the maximum allowable assets from $1,600 to $5,000 for unmarried individuals and from $2,400 to $7,500 for married couples. The change, effective July 1, 2026, directly affects current and future HUSKY C beneficiaries who previously exceeded the lower thresholds. The Commissioner of Social Services must also report by July 2027 on eligibility changes and any increased state costs resulting from the new limits.

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 353 amends Connecticut law to require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees experiencing conditions related to menopause, directly affecting working women in the state. It expands existing anti-discrimination protections by adding menopause to the list of conditions requiring accommodations, such as allowing seated work, flexible breaks, modified schedules, or temporary light-duty assignments. The bill defines "reasonable accommodation" and clarifies that employers cannot claim "undue hardship" for minor, low-cost adjustments. This change takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies to all employers covered under Connecticut’s anti-discrimination law.

Maddy summarySB 361 allows local governments to permit new development projects to pay a fee instead of constructing public sidewalks, but only if the municipality's planning commission determines sidewalk construction is unnecessary or impractical for that specific project. The fee amount must be set by municipal regulations, require both developer consent and commission approval, and cannot be applied universally across the municipality. All collected fees must go into a dedicated fund used exclusively for sidewalk construction or maintenance, not general city expenses or operating costs. This applies to all new developments requiring sidewalk compliance under local zoning rules, effective October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Connecticut municipalities to allow the construction of middle housing developments near transit stations or highways on lots currently zoned for industrial use or previously zoned for residential use. It also permits such developments on lots zoned for general residential use, provided the municipality uses a streamlined review process. To encourage adoption, the bill awards municipalities additional points toward state housing goals for each approved middle housing unit, and it prevents towns from repealing these zoning rules during certain affordable housing moratorium periods.

Maddy summaryHB 5396 allows religious organizations to develop affordable housing on their owned land with streamlined approval. It requires that at least 30% of units be rent- or mortgage-qualified for 40 years at or below 30% of 60% of state or area median income. The bill mandates "summary review" for such projects, bypassing standard zoning restrictions on density and height, while requiring a decision within 90 days. Exemptions include properties owned less than three years, flood zones, oil/gas sites, or historic areas needing demolition approval.

Maddy summaryHB 5210 establishes new data security requirements for financial institutions operating in Connecticut, including banks, credit unions, and out-of-state institutions with a presence in the state. It mandates that these institutions create written security programs to protect customer data and comply with federal data security standards under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The bill also requires institutions to report any data security incidents involving consumer information within three business days of discovery. These requirements take effect October 1, 2026, and apply to all covered financial institutions handling Connecticut consumer data.