Rep. Craig Fishbein

Maddy summaryHB 5683 would require Connecticut to adopt Atlantic Standard Time (AST) once Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York pass similar legislation and receive federal approval. This procedural bill does not change Connecticut's current time zone but sets a condition for future adoption based on neighboring states' actions and federal authorization. The bill directly affects Connecticut's time zone policy, pending multi-state legislative and federal action.

Maddy summaryHB 5709 allows the state to temporarily manage and care for cemeteries when a cemetery association seeking dissolution cannot find a successor or purchaser to take over operations. It directly affects cemetery associations pursuing dissolution that face challenges in transferring management. The key provision requires the state to step in upon request, providing temporary oversight until a new operator is secured. This ensures cemeteries remain properly maintained during the transition period without permanent state ownership.

Maddy summaryHB 5707 restricts political activities by municipal employees during local elections, modeled after the federal Hatch Act of 1939. It directly affects city and town workers, prohibiting them from engaging in partisan political campaigning or soliciting campaign contributions while on duty or using government resources. The bill establishes clear rules for conduct during election periods, ensuring municipal employees remain neutral in local voting processes. This aims to prevent conflicts of interest and maintain impartial public service at the local level.

Maddy summaryHB 5698 raises penalties for organizing or actively promoting a "street takeover" by changing the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony. For a first offense, it becomes a class D felony (typically carrying 1-3 years in prison), and subsequent offenses become class C felonies (typically 3-5+ years). The bill directly affects individuals who plan or encourage such events, which involve unauthorized control of public streets. It does not alter existing laws about street takeovers themselves, only the criminal penalties for organizing or promoting them. This is a straightforward policy change to increase criminal sanctions for specific conduct.

Maddy summaryHB 5718 expands Connecticut's CRISIS Initiative pilot program statewide by requiring state police and mental health agencies to implement specific components by January 2026. The bill directly affects police officers and individuals experiencing mental health crises during police interactions by mandating officer training, coordination with mental health professionals, and referrals to treatment facilities. Key provisions include requiring state police to coordinate with mental health services and ensure referrals to appropriate care during crisis responses. The law aims to provide officers with standardized resources and training for mental health crisis situations, as stated in the bill's purpose.

Maddy summaryHB 5751 requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to study the feasibility of creating new municipal electric utility companies and the support structures needed for them. The study will examine whether such utilities could be established effectively and what resources or systems would be necessary to support them. This bill does not create new utilities or change current laws, but rather mandates a research report to inform future decisions. It directly affects the Commissioner's office and municipalities considering public utility options.

Maddy summaryHB 5736 restores law enforcement officers' ability to use the smell of cannabis as a legal basis for stopping or searching a vehicle during a traffic stop or to search a person inside a vehicle. It amends statute 54-33p to reverse a prior restriction, allowing officers to cite the odor of cannabis as justification for an investigatory stop or search. This directly affects law enforcement officers conducting traffic stops and individuals who may be stopped based on this odor. The bill focuses on the specific legal standard for stops, not broader cannabis policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes amending the state constitution to ensure municipalities (cities and towns) retain full authority over local zoning rules. It would prohibit the state government or regional agencies from overriding or restricting a municipality's ability to create and enforce its own zoning regulations. If approved, this amendment would directly affect all local governments by preventing state-level interference in land-use planning decisions. The change requires voter approval after legislative passage, as it alters the state constitution.

Maddy summaryHB 5785, introduced by Rep. Fishbein, proposes to amend Chapter 558 of state law to exempt nonprofit organizations from the state's minimum wage requirements. If passed, this would directly affect nonprofit employers and their employees by allowing nonprofits to pay wages below the state's minimum wage standard. The bill would change existing law to create this specific exemption, rather than altering the minimum wage itself for other employers. This is a proposed legislative change currently under review by the Labor and Public Employees committee.

Maddy summaryHB 5784 reestablishes the Family with Service Needs program to provide support services for families with children who are beyond control, runaways, or truant from school. The program offers alternative services like counseling and case management to help address behavioral issues without involving the court system. This bill amends state law to restore the program, which had been discontinued, focusing on early intervention for at-risk children and their families.