Rep. Craig Fishbein

Maddy summarySB 585 requires all Connecticut public school districts to post their complete K-12 curriculum - including all course materials - online before each school year begins. It also prohibits any school curriculum (including state-developed materials) from teaching "biased political ideology" to students in grades K-12. The bill allows parents to file lawsuits in Superior Court if they believe a school violates this prohibition. These requirements apply to all public schools, curricula, and teachers, with potential disciplinary action for violations.

Maddy summarySB 592 would require Connecticut public school youth sports teams to limit participation based on a student's assigned sex at birth. It directly affects public school students, particularly transgender and non-binary youth, by barring them from teams matching their gender identity unless no comparable team exists for their gender. The bill mandates that students can only join teams corresponding to their birth sex, with the exception allowing female-identified students to join boys' teams only when no girls' team is available. This policy change alters existing participation rules by prioritizing birth sex over gender identity for public school athletic eligibility.

Maddy summarySB 606 requires minor political parties to follow the rules they have already submitted to the Secretary of the State. This bill applies directly to minor parties operating within the state, ensuring their internal governance aligns with rules they formally filed. The key provision mandates that these parties must operate in accordance with their own previously submitted rules, rather than adopting different standards. It is a procedural measure focused on enforcing consistency between a party's filed rules and its actual operations.

Maddy summarySB 598 prohibits electric distribution companies in Connecticut from charging customers any fees beyond those for purchasing or delivering electricity. This directly affects residential and commercial electricity customers who may have previously paid additional service or administrative charges. The bill establishes a private right to sue under Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act for companies that violate this fee restriction. It amends state law to ban all non-essential fees while allowing affected customers to seek legal remedies for unlawful charges.

Maddy summarySB 597 eliminates a specific charge currently added to electricity bills for end-use customers (residential and commercial users) that was previously deposited into the Clean Energy Fund. The bill amends statute 16-245n to remove this surcharge from electric service pricing. This directly affects all electricity customers in the state by reducing their monthly bills, as the funds previously directed to the Clean Energy Fund will no longer be collected. The change is a straightforward policy adjustment to the billing structure, with no new funding mechanisms or program changes for the Clean Energy Fund.

Maddy summarySB 610 prohibits state agencies from charging filing fees for continuing education credits required for professional license renewals. It also bans third parties (such as training providers) from collecting fees that mimic these state-imposed charges. The bill directly affects licensed professionals (e.g., doctors, engineers, nurses) who must complete continuing education to maintain their licenses. The key provision eliminates both state-imposed fees and third-party collection of such fees, ensuring no additional costs for license renewal through continuing education.

Maddy summarySB 593 requires Connecticut's Department of Education to create a model policy for high school apprenticeship programs, based on guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor. This policy would provide a framework for schools to establish structured apprenticeship opportunities for students. The bill directly affects high schools seeking to develop or expand work-based learning programs for students. It does not create new programs but sets a standard for how such programs should be designed and implemented. The legislation focuses on developing a model, not mandating specific school participation.

Maddy summarySB 633 establishes a working group to study whether veterans should be exempt from bus fare fees on state-owned or state-controlled public transportation. The group, composed of representatives from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Veterans Affairs, will analyze this proposal and submit recommendations to the legislature by December 31, 2025. This bill does not change current fee policies but initiates a formal review process to determine if veterans would receive fare exemptions. The study directly affects veterans who use public buses, as it would determine whether they could potentially avoid paying fares under a future policy.

Maddy summarySB 621 would change Connecticut's Paid Family and Medical Leave Program from automatic enrollment to an opt-in system. Currently, most workers are automatically enrolled and contribute to the program; this bill would require employees to actively choose to participate instead. Workers would need to sign up for coverage rather than being automatically enrolled. This directly affects Connecticut employees who would no longer be automatically covered under the program.

Maddy summarySB 612 requires the State Elections Enforcement Commission to make its random selection process for auditing candidate committees publicly accessible. The bill amends statutes to mandate that the weighted lottery system used to choose which committees undergo post-election audits must be open to public observation. This directly affects candidate committees that may be selected for audit and the Commission itself, which administers the audit program. The change focuses solely on increasing transparency in how audit selections are made, without altering the audit procedures or outcomes.