Legislative Update December 22

December 22, 2023

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As the year comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to extend my warmest wishes for a delightful holiday season.

This is a time of reflection, gratitude, and togetherness. It's an opportunity to cherish the moments spent with loved ones and appreciate the blessings that have come our way. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other festive occasion, I hope this time brings you immense happiness and peace.

I want to express my deepest gratitude for your continued support and collaboration. It's an honor to serve as your state representative, and I look forward to working closely with you in the coming months to continue to bring positive change to our community.

Once again, I wish you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season filled with love, laughter, and memorable moments. May the spirit of unity and kindness prevail throughout this festive time.

Energy Assistance

The Governor’s office is stepping in to provide relief on energy bills for low-income residents. $10.7 million in the American Rescue Plan Act and Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative funding will go to energy efficiency programs that help provide weatherization, energy retrofits, and rebates. Connecticut’s utility-administered efficiency programs have a track record of reducing energy costs for consumers and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the state’s energy efficiency programs, Home Energy Solutions (HES), provides home energy audits and core weatherization measures, such as air and duct sealing. Through this program, certain income-qualified customers may even qualify for a no-cost energy assessment.

Connecticut Automatic Admission Program

Connecticut now offers a wonderful new program that will make applying for higher education much easier - and less expensive - for graduating high school students. The Connecticut Automatic Admission Program allows students who meet certain criteria to be automatically admitted to several Connecticut colleges and universities by filling out a single application form, free of charge!

The following colleges and universities are participating in the program:

Central Connecticut State University in New Britain
Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic
Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven
Western Connecticut State University in Danbury
Mitchell College in New London
University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport
University of New Haven in New Haven
University of St. Joseph in West Hartford
Goodwin University in East Hartford

Don't delay: the deadline to apply for high school seniors graduating this spring is January 4, 2024.

Graduating seniors in the top 30% of their class, as identified by their individual high school counselors, are eligible.

Applying for college can be an intimidating, time-consuming, and expensive process. But with the Automatic Admission Program, applying for some of our great state schools is more accessible than ever - evening the playing field for all applicants, particularly first-generation, low-income, and minority students.

Laws Effective January 1st, 2024

As we ring in the new year, there are some laws that go into effect on January 1, 2024 that were passed during the 2023 legislative session. These laws address important issues such as early voting, health and mental well-being, as well as online privacy and data protection.

Additionally, as of January 1, 2024, the minimum wage will increase from $15.00 to $15.69 per hour. This change was made possible thanks to legislation passed back in 2019, which outlined five incremental increases in the minimum wage followed by future adjustments tied to the percentage change in the federal employment cost index.

Although extensive, below I share some highlights and a link to the complete list. Please feel free to share and reach out to my office if you would like more details on any of the new laws.

EARLY VOTING (PA 23-5)
Establishes a framework for early, in-person voting requiring a 14-day early voting period for general elections, a seven-day period for most primaries, and a four-day early voting period for special elections and presidential preference primaries.

HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE (PA 23-174)
Includes the creation of a Hospice Hospital at Home pilot program to provide in-home hospice care to patients through in-person visits and telehealth.

PROTECTING MATERNAL HEALTH (PA 23-147)
Establishes a new license category for freestanding birth centers, an Infant Mortality Relief Program to review medical records and other data on infant deaths, and a midwifery working group to study and make recommendations on advancing choices for community birth care.

ONLINE PRIVACY, DATA AND SAFETY PROTECTIONS (PA 23-56)
Makes various changes to laws on data privacy and related issues, including provisions on consumer health data, minors’ social media accounts and online services, online dating operators, and a task force on internet crimes against children.

RESOURCES FOR PERSONS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY (PA 23-137)
Among many supportive measures, this law creates a plan to establish a Transitional Life Skills College program to support certain people with IDD who are transitioning out of high school or to independent living.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURIES (PA 23-35)
Expands eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits for post-traumatic stress injuries to all employees covered by the workers’ compensation law.

Click Here for a Full List of New Laws Effective January 1, 2024

Your calls, emails, and testimony at public hearings during the legislative session had a direct influence on these new laws. Thank you for your input, and please continue sharing your views and making your voice heard during our legislative process.

If you have any issues, concerns, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at 860-240-8585 if you ever need anything or by email at hubert.delany@cga.ct.gov

Sincerely,