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This week, the House concluded its legislative session, wrapping up months of hard work to deliver for the people of Connecticut.
In this eblast, I want to tell you about some of the most important pieces of legislation we passed, starting with the state budget. |
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| In Southington, Farmington, and Plainville, I helped secure over $3.8 million in additional funding including education aid and town aid, along with a 10% increase in reimbursement for the Plainville Middle School renovation project, saving taxpayers over $6.1 million. You can read below for more information about what this budget will do for our state. |
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Please read below to learn about some of the bills the legislature passed. You can click the links below to navigate between sections.
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After months of negotiation, House Democrats shepherded passage of a bipartisan budget demonstrating that compromise remains the most effective way to govern.
Together, we produced a 2027 budget that significantly boosts support for the state’s education system, increases crucial investments in housing and transportation, supports town and city budgets, and more—all while safeguarding the state's strong fiscal outlook, including $1 billion toward paying down long-term debt.
This budget includes:
Over $300 million relief package for cities, towns, and schools
- $190 million in direct support for schools
- $100 million to address local tax increases
- $12 million to establish universal free school breakfast programs across the state
- Expanded grants for successful special education programs
- Numerous grants to towns to address the rising costs associated with construction and purchasing
- $4 million to help communities where three hospitals abruptly came off the tax rolls
A historic agreement with our hospitals
- Providing them with much-needed tax relief
- Maximizing federal funding for health care
- Setting up a system to address rising costs
More investments in transportation options for our residents
- Increased funding for Shoreline East rail
- Funded successful "micro-transit" public transportation programs
- Helped prevent hikes in bus fares
Making Connecticut more affordable for working families
- Expanding sales tax-free week to include clothing, shoes, and backpacks under $300 (from $100)
- Making basic school supplies tax-free, including backpacks, lunchboxes, notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, rulers, and paper
- Creating a family caregiver tax credit for residents caring for a loved one
Investing in Connecticut businesses and job growth
- Helping small businesses offer health care support by providing a tax credit when they contribute toward employees’ individual health insurance coverage.
- Supporting small businesses and biotech companies through a new research and development tax credit to help them grow and create jobs in our state
Taking Aim at Property Taxes
- $162M new Education Equalization Grant to address underfunding in our current school funding formula
- Additional 2% for the towns that have seen recent population decreases
- $100M in new funding to cities and towns
Connecticut residents made a call for help in many areas. Connecticut lawmakers heard it and answered in a strong, bipartisan way.
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HB 5003 has passed the House, advancing a comprehensive effort to strengthen workforce development and improve working conditions across Connecticut.
This 75-section bill is focused on supporting the people who keep our communities running, including first responders, veterans, nurses, teachers, and workers across many trades and professions.
A key provision expands support for families of fallen volunteer firefighters.
After the tragic loss of Plainville Firefighter Ray Moreau, it became clear there was a gap. While families of career firefighters could keep health coverage, volunteer firefighters’ families could not.
This legislation begins to fix that by expanding the Fallen Hero Fund, allowing surviving spouses of fallen volunteer firefighters, as well as state marshals, to access the state employee health plan for up to five years.
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The bill also takes steps to protect healthcare workers.
It works towards developing a system to report incidents of patient violence and to notify providers when they may be treating patients with a known history of violence, helping improve safety for healthcare workers.
Thank you to Labor Committee Chair Representative Manny Sanchez, Vice Chair Representative Derrell Wilson, my cochair of the Blue Collar Caucus Representative Kara Rochelle, and all of the legislators who contributed to making this bill possible.
I'm so proud to help move this forward for the people who show up for our communities every single day.
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Starting May 1, Connecticut residents can expect some welcome relief on their energy bills. Earlier this week, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) approved an interim decision to lower residential electricity rates across the state.
Under this change, rates will decrease by approximately 4.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, about $30 per month for the average Eversource customer, and 4.9 cents per kilowatt-hour, or roughly $34 per month, for the average United Illuminating customer.
This reduction is largely driven by a drop in the public benefits charge, which will now appear as a credit on customers’ bills rather than an added cost, at least through September. Much of this shift is tied to long-term energy contracts negotiated by Millstone and Seabrook nuclear power plants. These agreements provide electricity at stable, fixed prices, helping shield ratepayers from the volatility of fossil fuel markets.
The state’s continued investment in a diversified energy portfolio has helped cushion the impact of rising natural gas prices this winter, underscoring the value of a balanced and forward-looking energy strategy.
Customers should begin seeing these lower rates reflected in their bills starting May 1, with the reductions expected to remain in place through at least September for most households.
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Below is a message from the Connecticut Department of Transportation regarding an upcoming milling and resurfacing project in Plainville and Bristol:
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is announcing that a milling and resurfacing project will be performed on Route 72 in Plainville and Bristol from Route 372 Forestville Avenue to Blakeslee Street. This project is scheduled to occur on Wednesday, May 13 and be completed on Friday, June 12, 2026. The project consists of milling and resurfacing a 2.22-mile segment of Route 72 in Plainville and Bristol from Route 372 Forestville Avenue to Blakeslee Street. This project is scheduled to begin milling by Rafferty Fine Grading on Wednesday, May 13 to Thursday, May 21, 2026. The resurfacing segment of this project by Tilcon is anticipated to begin on Tuesday, May 26 to Friday, June 12, 2026.
LANE CLOSURE/DETOUR INFO
Motorists can expect lane closures on Route 72 in Plainville and Bristol from Route 372 Forestville Avenue to Blakeslee Street. 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.
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After several recent tragedies involving children in Connecticut and growing calls for more accountability in our child welfare system, House Democrats are taking action in the 2026 legislative session.
The Committee on Children is leading HB5004, which will:
- Prioritize placing children with family members and responsible adults who are already in their lives.
- Make sure there is follow-up with sister agencies when DCF-involved children travel out of state.
- Support caregivers and children with funding for after-school programs, childcare, and incidentals.
- Uplift our child welfare workforce through improved training, stipends for mentors and mentees, and personal emergency communication devices.
- Require additional eyes on children who are the subject of multiple reports of abuse or neglect, and those residing with someone on parole or probation after incarceration for serious crimes against children.
- Provide robust real-time data for policymakers and the public on DCF performance through a user-friendly dashboard.
- Establish a new committee to gather legislators, state agencies, experts, and stakeholders to review our child welfare policies and performance and make recommendations for improvements.
This significant legislation reflects a bipartisan effort to reform the Department of Children and Families with policies and procedures that put children first, and a commitment to continued attention to this important issue.
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House Bill 5323: An Act Concerning Various Revisions to the Education Statutes, is a comprehensive omnibus measure that proposes updates to how schools address student health, nutrition, safety, and administrative support programs. Key provisions include:
- Create an incentive program: Help districts reduce time spent on broad assessments, expand use of formative tools, and strengthen teacher practices, with rewards such as recognition, funding, and flexibility. As well as providing guidance to help districts cut back on excessive testing and shift toward more targeted, instructional assessments.
- Redesign high school math pathways: Helps to better align with postsecondary and workforce needs, establish guidance on the role of math specialists, and support improved instruction through professional development resources and a potential statewide training initiative.
- Strengthen safeguards in the hiring process for school personnel: Requires applicants to disclose whether they are currently the subject of a pending investigation related to abuse or misconduct.
- Armed School Security: Expands eligibility for armed school security personnel to include retired parole officers who meet established training standards and are in good standing.
- Therapeutic Arts Grants: Directs the State Department of Education to create a grant program supporting therapeutic arts initiatives, prioritizing districts with higher rates of suspensions and limited access to behavioral health resources.
- Athletic Eligibility: Prohibits local school districts from imposing academic eligibility requirements for interscholastic athletics that exceed those set by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), ensuring greater consistency statewide.
Overall, the bill seeks to strengthen student well-being, promote equitable access to resources, and provide clearer, more consistent policies across school districts.
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The legislature recently passed two bills related to responsible use of artificial intelligence in Connecticut.
The first is Senate Bill 5: An Act Concerning Online Safety, AKA the C.A.R.T. Act.
The C.A.R.T. Act creates clear standards for powerful AI systems, while preparing Connecticut's residents, workers, students, small businesses, public agencies, and institutions for an AI-driven economy.
AI is already affecting our economy, workplaces, online platforms, and the information Connecticut residents encounter every day. Senate Bill 5 responds to the new reality of AI through targeted protections, transparency for consumers, and system accountability.
This legislation targets areas where AI is making a meaningful impact on residents' lives, including employment-related automated decision tools, consumer disclosures, synthetic media provenance, youth online safety, and workforce preparation.
Connecticut residents are already being impacted by AI systems. It is our state's responsibility to take action to set clear expectations to keep residents protected from harmful AI practices.
Senate Bill 5 now moves to the Governor's desk to be signed into law.
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The second is Senate Bill 4: An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy and Protection will safeguard Connecticut residents’ personal information from exploitation by data brokers, surveillance technology companies, and federal agencies.
This bill makes it easier to exercise your right to delete your data from data brokers and people tracking websites and prevents predatory surveillance pricing. As technology evolves, our laws must evolve with it. Senate Bill 4 takes critical action to strengthen privacy protections, promote transparency, and ensure Connecticut consumers are treated fairly.
Senate Bill 4 will target the following specific threats to consumer privacy:
- Data brokers: Consumers may request, at no cost, the deletion of any personal data collected by a data broker.
- Dynamic pricing: Strict disclosure requirements apply when businesses use algorithmic pricing to increase prices.
- Geolocation data: Controllers and processors are banned from selling or sharing precise geolocation data.
- Genetic Testing: Consumers would have the right to their own genetic data when using direct to consumer genetic testing services and create more transparency in their policies.
- Volume of Ads: Streaming platforms cannot transmit the audio of any commercial advertisement at a volume that is louder than the volume established by the Federal Communications Commission for television commercials.
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Connecticut has striven to be a leader in renewable energy, and this approach ensures we keep moving forward while prioritizing affordability. HB 5340 modernizes Connecticut’s renewable energy programs by introducing measures meant to make them more reliable, consistent, and flexible to economic fluctuations.
This bill will:
- Create clear annual megawatt and budget targets so renewable energy programs remain financially sustainable, and ratepayer impacts stay predictable and focus on investments that result in savings for ratepayers holistically
- Give state regulators the flexibility to adjust programs year-to-year to remain within overall budget limits instead of being tied to rigid annual caps that may not reflect market conditions
- Create dedicated solar rates for low-income residents, residents in distressed municipalities, and affordable multifamily housing residents
- Encourage municipalities to adopt an existing streamlined solar permitting platform (Solar APP +) to help simplify and speed up the permitting process
As electricity demand grows, we must ensure that our energy programs are cost effective and efficient.
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The House passed a measure to support Connecticut’s small businesses by creating a pathway to access state grants and economic development programs.
Under House Bill 5467, an employee with the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) would serve as a direct point of contact for small businesses. This individual would help business owners navigate available funds, incentives, and community development programs administered by DECD.
Too often, small businesses struggle to identify what resources are available or how to apply. This measure creates an accessible gateway for information and assistance, ensuring business owners have someone to answer questions, connect them with the right programs, and guide them through the process.
House Bill 5467 is an important step toward removing barriers and helping Connecticut businesses grow and thrive.
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The legislature passed two bills from the Aging Committee regarding technology in residential care homes and trainings for homemaker companion agency employees. You can read about those bills below:
- HB 5142 extends protections for the use of technology to residents of residential care homes and sets a penalty for violation of the protections. It ensures residents in residential care homes can set up virtual monitoring systems so families have peace of mind and they can keep an eye on their loved ones. In the case of roommates, permission must sign off on paperwork, which can change at any time.
- HB 5143 requires homemaker companion agency employees to complete eight hours of basic training each year, including training on topics such as: helping individuals with Alzheimer’s, identifying abuse, identifying when care is above capacity of a homemaker companion, and hygiene assistance.
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A total of $1.55 million in state grants is being awarded to 12 organizations (including food pantries, community health centers, and nonprofits) to support the purchase of healthy, Connecticut Grown products from local farms for distribution to food-insecure residents.
One organization in Plainville will be receiving a portion of this grant money:
- Wheeler Health, Inc. (Plainville) – $100,000: Wheeler Health will distribute locally grown food through its health centers and mobile units to thousands of patients across Connecticut, supporting individuals and families managing chronic health conditions and limited access to nutritious food.
These grants are being distributed through the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Grant Program, which is designed to expand access to fresh, locally grown food while also strengthening Connecticut’s agricultural sector. By connecting local producers with community-based organizations, the program helps ensure that nutritious food reaches those who need it most.
Now funded by the state, the program builds on a previously federally supported initiative and serves as a critical bridge in the wake of recent federal funding cuts, ensuring continued support for both vulnerable communities and Connecticut farmers.
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The Connecticut Judicial Branch is warning residents about two text message scams aimed at stealing your money and personal information. One falsely claims you have an unpaid traffic citation and must pay immediately. The other alleges that you missed jury duty and owe a penalty. Both are bogus.
The Judicial Branch does not send texts or make calls demanding payment for motor vehicle violations. It does not threaten arrest of missed jury service by text, and it does not use a judge’s name to pressure individuals into paying money.
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If you receive one of these messages:
- Do not respond
- Do not click on any links
- Do not provide personal or financial information
Please share this warning with family, friends, and neighbors to help prevent more people from becoming victims.
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Sincerely,
Rebecca Martinez
State Representative |
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