Rep. Vin Candelora

Maddy summaryHB 5366 requires health insurance plans to cover mental health services provided via telehealth for state residents temporarily out of state due to attending college or university. It mandates that the treating healthcare provider must be licensed in the state to offer these services. This policy change ensures students temporarily living outside the state for education can access covered mental health care through telehealth without coverage gaps. The bill does not apply to other telehealth services or to people not meeting these specific conditions. It amends insurance statutes to require this coverage for the defined group.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows business associations (like industry groups or trade organizations) to create pooled health insurance plans covering multiple employers' employees. It amends insurance law to let sponsoring associations establish "multiple employer welfare arrangements" (MEWAs) for their members. The key provision enables associations to coordinate health coverage across all member employers under one plan, rather than each employer managing separate coverage. This directly affects business associations and their member companies seeking streamlined group health options.

Maddy summaryHB 5368 requires Connecticut's Insurance Department to study automobile liability insurance laws in neighboring states, focusing on coverage practices and methods to lower premiums. The study must evaluate how other states handle these issues, and the department must submit its findings to the relevant legislative committee. This bill does not change existing insurance laws but mandates a review to inform future policy decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 5357 repeals the "Passport to the Parks" program, which previously required an additional fee for access to Connecticut state parks. It shifts funding for state parks from this dedicated program to the General Fund, eliminating the separate park access fee. This change aims to reduce motor vehicle licensing fees while making park funding more transparent. The bill directly affects all visitors to Connecticut state parks by removing the additional fee required under the repealed program.

Maddy summaryHB 5373 repeals a requirement that state government vehicle fleets transition to electric vehicles, as established in Public Act 2022-25. This bill directly affects state agencies and departments that operate vehicle fleets by removing the mandate for electrification. The key provision simply eliminates the existing requirement, with the stated purpose of reducing demand on the electric grid. No new requirements or funding are introduced; the bill only reverses the prior mandate.

Maddy summaryHB 5352 would prohibit students identified as biological males from competing on public school female-only athletic teams or using female-only locker rooms and facilities in interscholastic and intramural sports. The bill directly affects transgender and gender-diverse students in public schools who are assigned male at birth but participate in girls' sports or access girls' facilities. It amends state law to require schools to restrict participation and facility access based on biological sex, specifically for athletic teams and locker rooms designated for females. The policy change applies to all public school athletic programs and facilities covered under the state's education statutes.

Maddy summaryHB 5355 creates a standardized process for setting and adjusting special education tuition costs paid by local school districts. It requires the Department of Education to base costs on each provider's current and prior year budgets, set uniform rates across student placements (except for customized services), and cap annual increases to the current cost plus a budget-reviewed adjustment. For-profit providers must include a predetermined profit margin in their costs. The bill directly affects school districts funding special education, special education providers (public and private), and the Department of Education, which must post all set costs online. The stated purpose is to reduce local costs through a transparent, capped tuition system.