Rep. Mark Anderson

Maddy summaryHB 5402 repeals the current "Combined Public Benefits Charge" from electric bills for end-use customers and requires the General Assembly to approve any future similar charge through a formal vote. This bill directly affects residential and commercial electricity customers by removing an existing fee from their monthly bills and preventing new fees without legislative consent. The key provision mandates that electric distribution companies cannot add such charges unless the legislature votes affirmatively to authorize them. The bill aims to shift control over these fees from utility companies to elected representatives.

Maddy summaryHB 5453 requires healthcare providers to notify a minor's parent or guardian before a minor can terminate a pregnancy. Minors who cannot notify parents may seek court approval for confidentiality, with the court ensuring the minor's anonymity and expediting the process to allow timely termination. The bill directly affects minors seeking pregnancy termination services in the state. It establishes a court process as the sole alternative to parental notification, aiming to balance parental involvement with minor access to care.

Maddy summarySB 735 would change the state tax code to exempt all Social Security benefits and pension or annuity income from personal income tax. This directly affects every resident taxpayer who receives these types of income, including retirees and disabled individuals. The bill achieves this by amending Section 12-701 of the general statutes to remove these income sources from taxable income. The policy change would reduce tax liability for affected individuals without altering existing benefit amounts. The bill's purpose is explicitly stated as providing tax relief for these specific income streams.

Maddy summarySB 737 aims to lower living costs through tax cuts and regulatory changes. It would reduce income tax rates, cap property taxes, limit licensing fees to $100, and ease business tax burdens - including allowing full expensing of equipment purchases. The bill also restricts municipal mandates (requiring two-thirds legislative approval for new ones), changes University of Connecticut admissions to prioritize Connecticut residents, ends state benefits for undocumented immigrants, and revises retirement calculations for state employees by excluding voluntary overtime. These provisions directly affect residents, businesses, municipalities, and state employees.

Maddy summarySB 744 repeals Connecticut's campaign finance law provisions that unconstitutionally restrict political speech based on content. It specifically removes limits on what candidates can say about other races, affecting all candidates - whether participating in the Citizens' Election Program or not. The bill aligns state law with the Connecticut Supreme Court's 2023 *Markley v. State Elections Enforcement Commission* ruling by eliminating unnecessary restrictions that went beyond preventing funding of campaign speech for different candidates. This change ensures political speech protections under the First Amendment are fully maintained in campaign finance regulations.

Maddy summarySB 745 requires voters to present photo ID for in-person or absentee voting, with free ID options provided by election officials. It mandates verification of voter residency for absentee ballots, bans unsolicited absentee ballot applications, and requires audits of same-day registration. The bill also establishes mandatory minimum sentences for election law violations and creates a new legislative committee to oversee election laws and constitutional amendments. These changes directly affect voters, election officials, and election enforcement bodies across the state.

Maddy summaryHB 5322 would require skilled trades employers to hire one apprentice for every licensed worker they employ, changing current hiring practices. This policy directly affects businesses in skilled trades like plumbing, electrical work, and construction that hire apprentices. The bill amends Section 20-332b of state law to establish this uniform one-to-one hiring ratio nationwide. It does not specify additional requirements or exceptions, focusing solely on the mandated ratio.

Maddy summaryHB 5336 prohibits courts from interfering with parental decisions regarding a minor's upbringing based on biological sex, bans physicians from providing gender-related medical treatments (including hormones or puberty blockers) to minors, and requires parental consent for gender-transition-related mental health care for minors. The bill also prohibits Medicaid coverage for gender transition surgeries and mandates that schools and colleges maintain separate athletic teams based on biological sex. It directly affects minors, parents, healthcare providers, schools, and Medicaid recipients. The law aims to restrict medical interventions for minors and enforce sex-segregated sports participation.

Maddy summaryHB 5315 requires Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to study the state's black bear population annually, ban unintentional feeding of bears, educate the public on preventing human-bear conflicts, and establish regional hunting seasons to maintain bear numbers within natural limits. The bill directly affects residents (through feeding restrictions and public education) and hunters (via regulated hunting seasons). Key provisions include mandatory population studies, a public feeding prohibition, and region-specific hunting seasons to balance bear populations with ecological and community safety. The goal is to maintain a healthy bear population while minimizing conflicts with humans.

Maddy summaryHB 5351 establishes a working group to study the costs to Connecticut state and local governments for providing specific services to undocumented immigrants, including education, language courses, and Medicaid. The bill does not change existing policies but directs the group to gather data on these expenses. It is a procedural measure focused solely on research, not on altering service access or funding. The working group will report findings to the legislature, with no immediate policy changes proposed.