Maternal and Infant Healthcare Bills Signed into Law

August 1, 2025


 


I hope this email finds you and your family well! Last week the governor signed into law two key pieces of legislation on Maternal and Infant Healthcare. Keep scrolling to read more.

We are also remembering a Fallen CT Firefighter who tragically lost his life while selflessly trying to help others.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at any time.

 
 

Supporting maternal health doesn't begin in the delivery room.

It starts with access to care, education, and resources, long before pregnancy.

Connecticut committed to providing access to maternal health services during the 2025 legislative session with the passage of HB7102: An Act Concerning Maternal and Infant Health Care, and HB 7214: An Act Concerning Maternal Health.

Both pieces of legislation were signed into law last week by Governor Lamont and affirm Connecticut's dedication to ensuring safe, high-quality care, regardless of race, income, or zip code.

House Bill 7102 (Public Act 25-38):

  • Develops a strategy to increase birth centers and birthing hospitals in underserved regions of the state with a high percentage of Medicaid recipients
  • Increases Medicaid reimbursement for doulas
  • Expands the role of fathers in supporting maternal and infant health

House Bill 7214 (Public Act 25-7):

  • Establishes a task force to study perinatal health care, which will provide a report card for birth centers and hospitals providing maternity care
  • Requires the Commissioner of Public Health to convene an advisory committee to study the pros and cons of doula-friendly practices in hospitals and make related legislative recommendations
 

The legislature is taking bold action to tackle a major obstacle in Connecticut: child care. Connecticut is taking a historic step forward for families with a $300 million initial investment in the newly created Early Childhood Education Endowment. This is the start of a revolutionary investment that aims to provide free and affordable, high-quality child care across the state. 

Affordable child care is about supporting our children and parents. This transformative program will help expand access to quality, affordable child care for families across the state.

The endowment will be used to:

  • Expand capacity by adding tens of thousands of new child care slots in Connecticut’s state-funded system, allowing more children to enroll in high-quality early learning programs.
  • Provide free early childhood education to families enrolled in Early Start CT earning up to $100,000 annually, and ensure that no participating family pays more than 7% of their income for care.

This is just the beginning. In the years ahead, the Endowment will continue to grow through annual contributions from budget surpluses and strategic investments – ensuring that we build a lasting foundation for Connecticut's children and families.
 

Firefighter Moreau dedicated himself to protecting our community, showing courage and selflessness every day. His passing is a profound loss for Plainville, for Connecticut, and for all who knew and served alongside him.

The governor has ordered flags in Connecticut to be lowered to half-staff in his memory.

My thoughts are with Ray’s family, loved ones, and the entire Plainville Fire Department during this incredibly difficult time. May we never forget his bravery and service.
 

House of Heroes is a Veteran’s non-profit that helps Veterans and/or their spouses with simple home repairs, free of charge. They are currently in search of Veterans within the Hartford County area for service projects over the next few months.

  • Be a Military or Public Safety Veteran or their spouse (DD 214 Discharge paperwork required)
  • Need financial and / or physical assistance with home repair
  • Own and occupy the home to be repaired
 

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is announcing that a milling and resurfacing project will be performed on Route 229 in Southington and Bristol from Sommers Hill Drive to Ronzo Road.

This project is scheduled to start on Sunday, August 3 and be completed on Wednesday, August 27. The project consists of milling and resurfacing a 1.79-mile segment of Route 229 in Southington and Bristol from Sommers Hill Drive to Ronzo Road. This project is scheduled to begin milling on Sunday, August 3 to Sunday, August 10.

The resurfacing segment of this project is anticipated to begin on Sunday, August 17 to Wednesday, August 27.

LANE CLOSURE/DETOUR INFO:

Motorists can expect lane closures of Route 229 in Southington and Bristol from Sommers Hill Drive to Ronzo Road. Traffic control personnel and signing patterns will guide motorists through the work zone. The night work schedule for this project is from 7:00 P.M. to 5:00 A.M., Sunday to Thursday.

Motorists should be aware that modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving in this area.
 

The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) has announced the next round of their Ignite and Child Care Business Grant Programs. The Ignite Grant Program is designed to help women-owned businesses grow.

The program offers:

  • Grants of up to $10,000 to women-owned businesses in the state of Connecticut who have been in business for 2 or more years and have revenues between $25K and $2 million

Since the start of the program, 424 grants of over $3.9 million have been distributed to women-owned businesses in Connecticut.  The application period for this grant runs from August 5 through September 16.

Click here for more information on Ignite.

The Child Care Business Opportunity Fund, offered in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), provides grants of up to $25,000 to qualified licensed and aspiring child care businesses.

The program offers:

  • Grants targeting different stages of business, from start-ups to those ready to expand

Since this program was launched in 2020, nearly $8.4 million has been awarded to child care businesses in every corner of Connecticut. The application period for Child Care Business grants runs from August 1 through August 31.

Click here for more information on the Child Care Business Opportunity Fund grants

Information sessions for both grant programs are scheduled throughout the application periods. These sessions will help applicants understand the grant requirements and provide an opportunity for those interested to ask questions about the grants. Interested applicants can register for a live information session here. 
 

A pool of mosquitoes has tested positive for West Nile Virus in Easton, Bridgeport and Stamford, according to the CT Mosquito Management Program.

While there have been no reported human cases of West Nile Virus in Connecticut so far this season, a reminder that residents should take steps to prevent mosquito bites at this time of year. Those steps include the following:

  • Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
  • While outdoors, use mosquito repellents containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, including DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA registration of skin-applied repellent products indicates that they have been evaluated and approved for human safety and effectiveness when applied according to instructions on the label.
  • Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light-colored, loose-fitting, and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
  • Wear clothing and gear treated with permethrin, an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes and ticks.
  • Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
  • When sleeping outdoors, use tents or mosquito netting in an unscreened structure. Treat camping gear with permethrin when possible.
  • Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito nets when outside.

For more information on the latest testing results and locations visit: the CT Mosquito Management Program and the CT Agricultural Experiment Station.