Rep. Amy Morrin Bello

Maddy summaryHB 6839 increases the maximum number of children allowed in family child care homes from nine to twelve when an approved assistant is present. It also modifies rental agreements and condominium declarations to prohibit landlords or condo associations from banning or restricting licensed family child care operations after July 1, 2025. The bill directly affects childcare providers operating from homes or rentals and landlords/condo associations with such restrictions. Key provisions include raising capacity limits while ensuring childcare homes cannot be excluded from residential properties through lease or declaration terms.

Maddy summaryHB 7021 appropriates $10 million from the General Fund for Connecticut’s Supplemental Nutrition Commodities Assistance Program, effective July 2025. The program funds Connecticut Foodshare (formerly the Connecticut Food Bank) to buy bulk nutritious food in-state and distribute it free to soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency shelters. It requires at least 15% of annual funds to purchase produce from Connecticut farmers and mandates a 3% annual funding increase starting July 2026. The bill allows, but does not require, these organizations to charge a 5-cent-per-pound handling fee to cover distribution costs.

Maddy summaryHB 6912 establishes a state Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Task Force to examine the needs of individuals with these conditions and their caregivers, along with available services and healthcare capacity. The task force must develop a comprehensive State Alzheimer's Plan covering long-term care options, family caregiver support, early detection strategies, healthcare provider availability, home-based services, and public awareness initiatives. The plan will specifically address fiscal impacts on public health programs, dementia care costs, training requirements for healthcare workers, and safety needs. The task force, composed of 11 governor-appointed members (including people living with early-stage dementia and family caregivers) plus state agency representatives, must complete its work by October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 6915 bans the use of certain second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, or difethialone) statewide starting October 1, 2025, affecting most residential, commercial, and general pest control uses. Key exceptions allow continued use for public health activities (e.g., water infrastructure protection, mosquito control), emergency rodent infestations requiring public health approval, specific facilities like medical waste sites and food production facilities, and agricultural operations in designated locations (warehouses, slaughterhouses, etc.). The bill also requires the Environmental Protection Commissioner to develop wildlife protection regulations and submit a 2027 report analyzing impacts on public health, agriculture, and federal compliance. This policy change directly affects pest control businesses, property managers, and agricultural operations while permitting limited uses for public health and critical infrastructure needs.

Maddy summaryHB 5112 prohibits pet stores from buying or obtaining dogs, cats, or rabbits for sale starting October 1, 2025. This directly affects pet store owners who must stop purchasing these animals, though they may still host licensed animal shelters for adoption events under strict conditions. The law allows pet stores to provide space for 501(c)(3) shelters to showcase animals for adoption without compensation, but bans any sale or transfer of these animals by stores. Violations carry a maximum $500 fine. The bill does not restrict private breeders or pet owners.

Maddy summaryHB 6257 authorizes natural organic reduction (a process that converts human remains into soil) as a legal disposal method. It requires facilities like cemeteries, crematories, and funeral homes offering this service to obtain a Public Health Commissioner permit, maintain secure private storage, and confirm the deceased's identity before processing. The bill mandates that remains be delivered in a decomposable container and prohibits the process until identity verification is complete. This law sets regulatory standards for facilities using natural organic reduction, directly affecting those providing this service.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Connecticut's tax code to add a new deduction for interest on debt used to purchase tax-exempt securities (item (viii) in the revised section). It allows individuals to subtract interest expenses that aren't deductible under federal tax law, but only if the debt relates to business activities involving tax-exempt securities. The provision applies to taxable years beginning January 1, 2025, and directly affects Connecticut taxpayers with business-related investments in state/local tax-exempt bonds. The bill does not include the caregiver deduction referenced in its title, as the text focuses solely on modifying existing interest deduction rules.

Maddy summaryThis House Joint Resolution honors the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, a World War II unit of 855 African-American and Latina women in the Women's Army Corps, for clearing military mail backlogs in Europe. The battalion processed an average of 65,000 parcels daily under difficult conditions, clearing a six-month backlog in three months and a three-year backlog in France, supporting troop morale through their motto "No mail, low morale." The Connecticut General Assembly passes this resolution to recognize the battalion's historic role as the only predominantly Black and Latina women's unit deployed to the European Theater during WWII, highlighting their contributions to breaking racial and gender barriers in the military.

Maddy summaryHB 7173 regulates natural organic reduction facilities (where human remains are converted to soil) operated by cemetery corporations. It requires these facilities to maintain strict privacy (locked, covered areas inaccessible to the public), obtain a Public Health Commissioner permit, and verify identity through signed family affidavits or physician documentation before processing. The bill mandates that remains must be delivered in fully decomposable containers that cannot be opened without specific justification, and facilities must ensure identity confirmation accompanies remains throughout the process. These requirements directly affect cemetery corporations operating natural organic reduction services, ensuring safety, privacy, and accurate identification during the process.

Maddy summarySB 1191 establishes a state-run pancreatic cancer screening and treatment referral program targeting underserved populations, including those at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, without health coverage for screening, or at recommended screening age. The program, to be run by the Department of Public Health starting October 2025, provides public education on early detection, registers screening providers, tracks patients after screening, and ensures quality compliance. It prioritizes minority communities and aims to improve access to screening and treatment referrals through outreach and data systems. The program requires no new medical treatments but creates a structured referral system to connect eligible patients with existing services.