Rep. Geraldo Reyes

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 summarySB 78 requires the Connecticut Siting Council to include local representation for projects involving new facilities like utilities or waste sites. Specifically, it mandates that for such projects, the council must add four temporary members: three local residents from the proposed facility’s municipality and one from a neighboring community likely affected by the project. These local members serve as nonvoting participants during the review process. The bill directly affects municipalities where proposed facilities are located and ensures their input is formally included in the siting decision-making process. It takes effect 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 summarySB 955 requires state agencies, local governments, and state contractors to provide language assistance services to individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), ensuring equitable access to public services. It mandates conducting language needs assessments using census data, offering translation and interpretation services in identified community languages (like Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic), and using plain language for all public communications. Health care facilities receiving state funding must also provide language services for medical appointments and health-related materials. The bill aims to remove language barriers in government services and health care without advocating for or against the policy.

Maddy summaryHB 6902 requires Connecticut's Commissioner of Children and Families to study whether policy or procedural changes within the department could improve the health outcomes of children in state care. The study must be completed by January 1, 2026, with findings reported to the legislature. This bill does not create new programs or allocate funding, as it specifies the study can be conducted using existing resources (no state or municipal fiscal impact). It directly affects children under state custody and aims to identify potential improvements to their healthcare system.

Maddy summaryHB 6772 mandates the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity to study senior citizens' needs in Connecticut, directly affecting older residents statewide. The study must examine five key areas: long-term care, transportation, housing assistance, nutritional support, and socialization opportunities. The Commission must complete the study and submit a report to the legislature by January 1, 2026, with no new funding or programs created by this bill. This is a procedural study bill with no direct policy changes beyond the mandated research.

Maddy summarySB 1192 requires Connecticut's Office of the Healthcare Advocate to create an online portal by July 1, 2025, to help patients and families navigate hospital financial assistance programs that reduce their medical costs. The portal must include tools to streamline applications, eligibility screening, and resources to avoid future medical debt. Starting July 1, 2026, hospitals offering financial assistance programs must provide the Office with updated contact details (websites, phone numbers, emails) within 30 days of any changes. This bill directly affects patients seeking financial aid, hospitals with existing assistance programs, and the Office of the Healthcare Advocate, which will manage the portal and related information.

Maddy summaryHB 7036 requires towns, cities, and boroughs with a population of 25,000 or more (as determined by the latest census) to establish a local fair rent commission by January 1, 2028, or form a joint or regional commission with neighboring communities. The commission will investigate rental charges for non-seasonal housing (including mobile home parks), hear tenant complaints about excessive rents, and issue orders to address unfair pricing. Municipalities must adopt the required ordinance and notify the state housing commissioner within 30 days of adoption. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2025, and applies to all rental housing except seasonal accommodations.

Maddy summarySB 1362 establishes a one-year pilot program using state bond financing to fund affordable housing projects that create construction jobs. To qualify, projects must secure coinvestment from union pension funds with proven experience in affordable housing, include project labor agreements, and commit to workforce training through state-registered apprenticeship programs. All housing developed under the program must remain permanently affordable via legal restrictions like restrictive covenants. The Commissioner of Housing will manage the program and submit a report on its effectiveness within six months of the pilot's completion.

Maddy summaryHB 5026 exempts the sale, storage, use, and consumption of aircraft weighing less than 6,000 pounds (maximum certificated takeoff weight) from state sales and use taxes. This change directly affects owners, buyers, and sellers of small aircraft, such as personal or small business planes. The bill amends existing tax law to create a uniform exemption for this category of aircraft, removing a tax burden previously applied to their purchase and use. It does not apply to larger aircraft or other taxable items.