Rep. Joe Hoxha

Maddy summaryHB 5842 appropriates state funds to the Connecticut Food Bank through the Department of Social Services for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The bill provides operating funding to support the Food Bank's efforts to distribute food to Connecticut residents facing hunger. This is a straightforward funding allocation with no additional policy changes or new requirements for recipients.

Maddy summaryHB 5844 appropriates state funds from the General Fund for fiscal year 2026 to provide grant-in-aid to nonprofit organizations that offer shelter and assistance to homeless individuals in the state. The bill directs the Department of Social Services to distribute these funds to eligible nonprofits, specifically targeting organizations providing direct services to people experiencing homelessness. This funding mechanism directly supports homeless service providers and aims to expand access to shelter and aid for vulnerable residents. The bill does not include specific funding amounts or new eligibility requirements, focusing solely on allocating existing state resources for this purpose.

Maddy summaryHB 5910 removes restrictions on hunting by firearm on private property during legal hunting seasons, allowing it on all days of the week - including Sundays. It directly affects landowners and hunters who use private property for hunting. The bill amends statutes to authorize this change without altering existing hunting seasons or animal species regulations. This is a straightforward policy update to align private property hunting with current seasonal rules, eliminating the previous Sunday prohibition.

Maddy summaryHB 5894 prohibits public school and college students assigned male at birth from participating on female-only athletic teams or using female-only locker rooms and facilities. The bill amends state statutes to require that female-only sports teams and facilities be restricted to students whose biological sex at birth was female. It applies to all public intercollegiate, interscholastic, and intramural athletic events and associated facilities. The law directly affects students in public educational institutions participating in gender-specific sports programs or facilities.

Maddy summaryHB 5956 requires the Connecticut General Assembly to approve any "Combined Public Benefits Charge" added to electricity bills before it can be collected. Currently, this charge appears on bills for end-use electricity customers of distribution companies, but the bill would remove any existing components not approved by the legislature. Future charges of this type could only be implemented after a formal vote by the General Assembly. The bill aims to ensure legislative oversight of this specific fee structure on utility bills.

Maddy summaryHB 6000 requires Connecticut's Secretary of the State to conduct a statewide audit of computerized voter registration records every four years. The audit must remove entries for voters who have died or moved out of state. This directly affects the accuracy of the state's voter rolls by ensuring only current, eligible residents remain registered. The bill mandates this regular update to maintain reliable election records without specifying additional voter eligibility requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 5999 establishes a Bipartisan Legislative Commission on Elections to review all election-related bills before they can be voted on by the full legislature. The bill requires that any legislation affecting elections must either receive approval from this commission or secure a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. This directly affects future election law proposals by creating an additional review step or raising the voting threshold for passage. The purpose is to ensure election-related legislation gains broad bipartisan support before becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 6017 eliminates drop boxes as a method for returning absentee ballots in Connecticut. The bill amends Section 9-140b of the general statutes to remove this option, meaning voters would no longer be able to deposit absentee ballots in designated drop boxes. This change directly affects voters who currently use drop boxes to return absentee ballots, requiring them to instead return ballots by mail or in person at official locations. The bill focuses solely on altering the ballot return process without specifying alternative methods.

Maddy summaryHB 6061 requires state agencies, healthcare providers, and financial institutions to provide specific documents in paper form when completing those documents is a mandatory step for consumers to access government services, healthcare, or financial services. For example, if a consumer must fill out a form online to apply for a license or receive medical care, the institution must also offer a paper version of that form. The bill directly affects consumers who need to complete such forms to obtain services, ensuring they have a paper option even if digital processes are otherwise used. It does not change service eligibility or content, only the format of required documents. This is a procedural bill focused on accessibility of document formats, not on altering service delivery.

Maddy summaryHB 6104 would require the state to seek a federal waiver under the Social Security Act to mandate that able-bodied Medicaid recipients work or volunteer to maintain their benefits. This bill directly affects Medicaid recipients aged 18-64 who are considered able-bodied under federal guidelines. The key mechanism is the state seeking a waiver to implement this work requirement, rather than changing state law directly. The bill does not specify work hour requirements or exemptions but aims to align state Medicaid policy with a potential federal waiver. This is a procedural bill focused on seeking federal permission to impose a new requirement.