Rep. Anthony Nolan

Maddy summarySB 7 updates Connecticut's base funding level for public schools (called "Foundation") to increase annually from $11,525 (2014-2026) to $15,500 (2031+) with inflation adjustments. It also revises the "Regional bonus" calculation for towns sending students to regional schools or paying high school tuition. The bill's primary mechanism creates a 13-member working group (including school officials, teachers, students, and community representatives) to study the state's equalization aid formula and recommend improvements for equity and fiscal soundness. This group will examine how state education funding is distributed, aiming to address disparities between school districts. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, with the working group established immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows homeowners to rent up to three bedrooms in their single-family home for six months or longer without needing special municipal approval. It directly affects single-family homeowners (who can rent bedrooms without permits) and municipalities (which can no longer ban such rentals through zoning rules). The key mechanism amends zoning laws to prohibit local bans on this rental type, making it "as of right" (meaning no special permit is required). This applies only to owner-occupants living in the home, not absentee landlords.

Maddy summarySB 312 allows Connecticut's Department of Education to approve machine-learning literacy tools that listen to students read, analyze performance in real time, and provide immediate individualized feedback, provided they align with reading science research and meet effectiveness standards. It also requires educator preparation programs to include mandatory behavior management courses for graduates and establishes an American Sign Language (ASL) working group to develop curriculum standards, teacher certification pathways, and training programs for ASL educators. The bill mandates the Department to issue ASL curriculum guidance by 2030 to support schools implementing world language requirements. These provisions directly affect public school students, educators, and school districts through new instructional tools and educator training requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 5114 would create a refundable tax credit for renters in the state who pay personal income tax. It allows eligible renters to claim a credit equal to a portion of their rent payments for a primary residence, based on the property tax assessed on that rental property. This credit directly reduces the renter's tax liability and, because it's refundable, could provide a cash refund even if the renter owes no tax. The bill affects renters with primary residences in the state who pay income tax, targeting those whose rent payments correlate with the property tax burden on their landlord's property.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts the availability of accelerated rehabilitation programs for defendants charged with certain animal cruelty offenses. It specifically excludes from eligibility individuals charged with serious felonies, crimes causing death, family violence, drug-related offenses, and other specified violations. The law takes effect on October 1, 2026, and aims to limit the use of this diversion program for cases involving animal cruelty while maintaining it for other qualifying offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill promotes the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by updating state zoning regulations to allow these secondary housing units on single-family lots as a right, meaning local governments cannot ban them. The legislation defines ADUs as separate living spaces with cooking facilities on the same lot as a principal home and sets minimum size requirements while limiting what municipalities can require, such as prohibiting restrictions on occupants, utility billing, or rental use. Local zoning rules must allow ADUs to be attached or detached from the main home, with setbacks and lot coverage standards matching those of the primary residence, and municipalities cannot require more than one parking space or mandate owner occupancy. The bill also establishes a 65-day timeline for zoning commissions to review ADU applications and prevents conditions like mandatory fire sprinklers or corrections of nonconforming uses from blocking approval.

Maddy summarySB 388 establishes the "Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund" as a permanent state fund to manage payments received from Connecticut's Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and Mohegan Tribe. The bill requires transferring $152.38 million annually from Connecticut's General Fund to this new fund starting July 1, 2026, using revenue from tribal agreements. Funds will be distributed to Connecticut towns through the Office of Policy and Management following existing grant guidelines (Section 3-55j), with payments made in three installments each year. This directly affects Connecticut towns receiving these grants, which were previously managed under a different funding mechanism.

Maddy summarySB 390 requires Connecticut's Commissioner of Transportation to study microtransit services by January 1, 2027. The study must examine suitable service areas, expected usage, implementation timing, and funding options for this technology-enabled, on-demand transportation model using multipassenger vehicles. This procedural bill does not create new policy but mandates a factual analysis to inform future transportation decisions. (Bill text: Section 1, effective October 1, 2026; Statement of Purpose.)

Maddy summaryHB 5389 requires Connecticut's Department of Public Health to create a practical, evidence-based toolkit for healthcare providers treating menopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause symptoms. The toolkit, developed with UConn Health Center's input, will cover symptom identification, treatment options (including hormone therapies), insurance coverage details, and continuing education modules. It directly affects providers in fields like obstetrics, primary care, mental health, and dentistry who diagnose or treat these conditions. The toolkit must be distributed to all relevant providers by January 1, 2027, with development beginning by October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 389 updates Connecticut's youth employment funding system by requiring the Labor Department to distribute state funds to five regional workforce development boards based on each region's percentage of disadvantaged youth, as defined by federal standards and measured using U.S. Department of Labor census data. The bill allocates specific percentages of funds (e.g., 32.5% to Capitol Workforce Partners, 22.5% to The Workforce Alliance) to these regional boards. It also includes a safeguard preventing any single board from losing more than 15% of its annual allocation if census data changes, with other boards' funds adjusted proportionally to maintain this cap. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, directly affecting regional workforce boards serving Connecticut youth.