Rep. Dave DeFronzo

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a state grant program to provide diapers at no cost to children three years old or younger from households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The program would be administered by the Department of Social Services and funded through a one million dollar appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. Funds would support partnerships between hospital organizations and nonprofit diaper distributors to deliver diapers statewide. The bill also requires recipients to submit reports on distribution numbers, unmet need estimates, health impacts, and future funding recommendations by September 1, 2027.

Maddy summarySB 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.

Maddy summarySB 257 limits landlords' reasons for evicting certain tenants, including those aged 62+ with a household member over 62, tenants with qualifying disabilities (or household members with such disabilities), or tenants who have lived in the unit for 12+ months. Landlords may only evict for specific reasons like nonpayment of rent, serious health/safety violations, or material lease breaches - not for the landlord (or family member) moving in, unless strict conditions are met (e.g., 90 days' notice and no available units). Rent increases for these protected tenants must be "fair and equitable" and can be challenged through local commissions or court. The law applies to buildings with five+ units or mobile home parks and takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Connecticut's address confidentiality program to provide a substitute mailing address for individuals seeking to protect their residential addresses due to safety concerns. It directly affects victims of family violence, stalking, sexual assault, kidnapping, child abuse, and other specified crimes, as well as those providing reproductive health care or gender-affirming services. The key provisions include adding reproductive health care and gender-affirming care providers as eligible participants, requiring application assistants to help most applicants complete forms, and expanding the types of crimes that qualify someone for program participation. The bill also adds new definitions for terms like "reproductive health care services" and "gender-affirming health care services" to clarify eligibility criteria.

Maddy summarySB 395 establishes a task force to study strategies for achieving 100% voter participation in the state by 2030, including examining policies requiring voting as a civic duty and assessing election administration needs. The task force, composed of legislative leaders, state officials, and gubernatorial appointees, must report findings and recommendations by February 2027, including potential funding for municipal efforts. The bill also authorizes local governments to create pilot programs - within existing resources - to boost voter engagement, such as outreach campaigns, without mandating new voting requirements. It focuses on research and local experimentation, not direct policy changes to election laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Correction and other state facilities that detain offenders to adopt and follow national standards for preventing, detecting, and responding to sexual abuse. It mandates specific policies including zero tolerance for abuse, enhanced privacy protections for transgender individuals, improved surveillance coverage, and specialized training for staff and volunteers. The legislation also establishes reporting requirements, mandates investigations within 30 days of abuse reports, and requires regular compliance certifications to be submitted to state oversight committees.

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.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Academic Research Funding Commission within the Executive Department to distribute research grants to faculty at Connecticut colleges and universities. The commission will include 13 members appointed by various state officials, including university leaders, legislative leaders, and industry representatives, with co-chairs from the vice presidents of research at UConn and Yale. Its primary function is to award grants that help offset research funding reductions caused by cuts from federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. The commission will operate without compensation for its members, who will receive expense reimbursements, and will establish its own procedures through bylaws.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the University of Connecticut to join the Association of Research Universities by mandating the hiring of at least ten top-tier research faculty members by June 2029. The legislation requires the university to submit annual progress reports to the state legislature and allocates $35 million in state funding for faculty salaries and benefits. Additionally, it grants the State Bond Commission authority to issue up to $20 million in state bonds to finance infrastructure improvements like laboratory space and equipment needed to support the new faculty. These provisions aim to enhance the university's research capabilities and competitive standing while establishing accountability through regular reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 5231 expands a state personal income tax deduction to include retired members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Corps and the Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps. It modifies the tax code to allow these retirees to deduct retirement pay received from the U.S. government, which was previously excluded. The bill directly affects eligible retirees from these two specific federal uniformed services. This change provides a tax benefit for their retirement income without altering other tax provisions.