Dear Neighbor,
With the 2019 legislative session in the rearview mirror, I wanted to take a moment to share some highlights from the State Capitol. This was a “long” session that ran from the second week of January until the first Wednesday of June.
I have continued to seek bipartisan solutions to our state’s fiscal problems which was very difficult this year. I believe strongly that our best work is done when we work together. I evaluate each bill up for a vote with a critical eye so that we may guard against an increasing deficit; however, investing in our state is vital to its prosperity and growth.
At the end of the day, I could not vote for the state budget that passed for a number of reasons. However, we were successful in stopping forced school regionalization and preserving the spending cap, bonding cap & volatility cap that I fought for in the bipartisan budget of 2017. Those reforms are key to stability in the future and must be preserved.
We have much work to do but the legislature took important steps to change the direction of the state of Connecticut. I took some tough votes that were not politically popular but I feel strongly that Connecticut needs to be a state that is an affordable place in which to live and do business. If my staff or I can be of any assistance to you please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for the honor of representing you at the Capitol.
Best,
Pat Boyd
Veterans and Military Families
As vice-chair of the Veterans Committee, I am proud to work to pass legislation to help our military, veterans and their families.
In-State Tuition for Military Families
Connecticut will grant in-state tuition to spouses and children of service members stationed in the state who may get orders to move elsewhere. Allowing in-state tuition to stay with the student helps Connecticut support our military and their families. PA 19-172
Increased Property Tax Exemption for Certain Veterans
We increased the current property tax exemption by $500 for certain disabled veterans and service members. PA 19-171
Getting Veterans the Help They Need
Town volunteers serving as veterans’ representatives will now receive the same training as paid employees serving in the same positions. PA 19-148
Mammogram Coverage
We passed legislation to require health insurance coverage for breast ultrasounds for any woman who is 40 years or older; has a recommendation from her doctor; has a personal history of breast disease through the biopsy of a benign tumor; or has a family or personal history of breast cancer. It also prohibits insurance companies from charging co-insurance, co-payments, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses for breast ultrasounds and mammograms. PA 19-117
Expansion of the Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Program
We expanded the current advanced manufacturing certificate programs offered by regional community-technical colleges to eight public high schools. We also encourage the participation of private institutions of higher education in the program. PA 19-103
Covering Police and Firefighters for PTSD
As chair of the Fire/EMS Caucus, I am proud to have supported workers’ compensation benefits for firefighters, police officers and parole officers who have PTSD due to events witnessed in the line of duty. Our first responders see violence and death too frequently and we must help them cope with the effects of these tragic experiences. Although we fell short of full coverage for EMS workers, it is a top priority of mine next session to have them fully covered. This legislation will:
- Establish eligibility criteria to receive PTSD benefits
- Provide the benefits up to 52 weeks and within four years of an event
- Develop a peer support policy
- Offer training in resilience and self-care
- Create a working group to study the feasibility of expanding these benefits to include EMS and Department of Correction employees
- Prohibit a law enforcement unit from disciplining police officers solely because they receive mental health services, or have surrendered their work weapons or ammunition. PA 19-17
More Convenient Motor Vehicle Licenses and Registrations
While the Department of Motor Vehicles has made strides in reducing wait times, we will always look for ways to improve its services and further reduce the burden to our residents. We have provided the option to extend your vehicle registration to three year durations and your driver’s license to eight year durations so that you will have more time between needed visits to the DMV. PA 19-193
State-Wide Fracking Waste Ban
Preventing pollutants generated by fracking from entering our state was a top priority of mine this session. This law expands the state-wide fracking ban to apply to all gas and oil extraction activities to include the selling, acquiring, handling, applying and processing of fracking, natural gas and oil waste. PA 19-112
Green Jobs and Net Metering
Green energy is good for the planet and our economy. We passed new legislation that will:
- Extend renewable energy programs, including traditional net metering and the Green Bank’s renewable solar investment program
- Expand the virtual net metering cap to reduce energy costs for towns
- Require DOT to put together a land inventory on which lands are suitable for Class I energy resources such as putting solar panels on lands adjacent to state highways. PA 19-35
Hemp Production
The legislature passed a new law requiring the Department of Agriculture to establish a hemp pilot program as part of a bigger plan to gain federal approval for state-wide hemp production. PA 19-3, PA 19-117
Honey & Maple Syrup Producers
To make it easier for Connecticut honey and maple syrup producers, a new law changes production oversight from the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) to the Department of Agriculture, and exempts producers from the cottage food laws and needing a DCP food manufacturing license. PA 19-18