Session Updates, Senior Day, and more

May 9, 2025

Dear Neighbor,

I hope this message finds you well. It's been a busy and productive week at the Capitol as we continue working hard to pass critical legislation. This week, the House was in session Wednesday and Thursday to pass a range of bills, and I continue to focus on advancing policies that will benefit all residents across the state. I look forward to continuing this work over the next few weeks as we wrap up this session, and I will keep you all updated on what legislation is passed.

This week is Legislative Staff Appreciation Week, and their dedication makes a real difference in our work every day. I want to thank all the legislative staff here in Hartford for their hard work.

This Thursday, members of the Aging Committee and I hosted the first Senior Day at the Capitol. We were honored to be joined by Speaker Matt Ritter, Majority Leader Jason Rojas, and Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas. I want to thank everyone who was in attendance and who made this event such a success! It was great to see many seniors have the opportunity to connect with organizations around the state and gain access to the resources they need. I look forward to keeping this event going and ensuring our seniors have access to these incredible resources.

House Democrats voted Thursday to strengthen healthcare for Connecticut's seniors! I was proud to be a cosponsor of this bill which reflects our ongoing efforts to support our seniors. Among other things, this legislation:

✅ Require health insurance to cover biomarker testing to diagnose and treat medical conditions

✅ Establish an Alzheimer’s and Dementia task force

✅ Require nursing homes to consider proximity to family members in any transfer of a resident

✅ Prohibit long term care facilities from discriminating against residents based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or HIV status

House Democrats voted Wednesday to make important changes to the Firefighters Cancer Relief Program, including among other things expanding the types of cancers covered to include skin cancer and authorizing workers’ compensation administrative law judges to handle appeals of any denial of benefits.

This bill makes important changes to Connecticut’s Firefighters Cancer Relief Program by:

✅ expanding the types of cancers covered to include skin cancer.

✅ reclassifies these illnesses as “occupational diseases” rather than personal injuries.

✅ authorizes workers’ compensation administrative law judges to handle appeals of any denial of benefits.

✅ extends coverage to state firefighters serving at UCONN and Bradley International Airport.

Taking care of our first responders is always a legislative priority.

Milling and Resurfacing on Route 69 in Bristol

CTDOT is announcing that milling and resurfacing will be performed on Route 69 in Bristol (Henderson Street to Burlington Town Line) starting on Tuesday, May 20 and be completed on Friday, June 6, 2025.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is announcing that milling and resurfacing will be performed on Route 69 in Bristol (Henderson Street to Burlington Town Line). This project is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 20 and be completed on Friday, June 6, 2025.

Virtual Public Meeting: Traffic Signal Replacements in Central Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is hosting a virtual public information meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. to discuss upcoming traffic signal replacements in Bristol, East Hartford, New Britain, and Vernon. This is a great opportunity for residents to learn more about the project, ask questions, and provide input directly to CTDOT staff.

The proposed project aims to modernize aging traffic signals to meet current safety standards, with construction expected to begin in spring 2027. The meeting will be held on Zoom and requires registration.

For meeting access and details on how to participate, visit: portal.ct.gov/DOTGreaterHartford0171-050