Legislative Update 5.23

May 23, 2025

Greetings Community!

Memorial Day Weekend is a time to acknowledge those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We all should take this opportunity to reflect on their service and honor their memory. Thank you, to all of the veterans we still have with us and all those who lost their lives protecting us.

At the Capitol, the House has been busy at work - with multiple session days and late nights debating, amending, and passing bills. One of our most recent successes was passing policy protecting immigrants in Connecticut. In this week's update I'll go into detail on that legislation, let you know about other key bills we passed this week, and highlight some upcoming events.

As always, if I can ever be of any help, please feel free to contact my office at (860) 240-8585 or by emailing me directly.

Sincerely,

Treneé McGee

Around the Capitol

Extending the Trust Act

In the wake of unprecedented federal immigration crackdowns, including targeting properly documented immigrants, and the denying of due process and Habeus Corpus, with my colleagues, I stand by our Connecticut values in protecting our friends and neighbors.

Connecticut has one of the strongest TRUST Acts in the country. It was approved unanimously in 2013 after some neighborhoods in Connecticut were subjected to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that left a significant impact on their communities.

On Wednesday, I joined my colleagues in the House to strengthen the Trust Act by:

Ensuring that officials like juvenile probation officers and employees of the Division of Criminal Justice and the Board of Pardons and Paroles are included in existing TRUST Act protections.
That the TRUST Act allows cooperation with federal immigration authorities when someone has been convicted of serious crimes.

Added a slew of Class C and Class D felonies including those related to domestic violence, sexual assault, and possession of child sexual abuse material to the list of post-conviction offenses where law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Medical Debt Relief

Medical debt relief is coming to more than 100,000 Connecticut residents!

I’m proud to share that the second round of medical debt relief is on the way — funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and made possible through our partnership with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt.

What to expect:
Keep an eye out for an official letter from Undue Medical Debt. THIS IS NOT JUNK MAIL! There is no application process, no catch, just relief.

Who qualifies?
Individuals earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level
Those whose medical debt equals 5% or more of annual income

This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to health equity, financial relief, and a more compassionate healthcare system for all Connecticut residents. You can view a sample of what this letter looks like HERE.

Recent Legislation Passed in the House

For a complete listing of bills passed in the House through today, please click HERE.

Prioritizing Mental Health

I am so proud of my friend and colleague, State Representative Kai Belton, who also serves as Vice Chair of the Public Health Committee.

She is on a mission! In addition to a successful 3rd Annual Mental Health and Wellness Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, she later introduced HB7214, An Act Concerning Mental Health on the House floor, which passed with overwhelming, bipartisan support.

This bill sets a precedent to help improve maternal health outcomes. An amazing component of this bill, too, is the Fatherhood Initiative which will equip fathers with the medical language to advocate for their partners.

Please click on the image below to watch a short video featuring Rep. Belton and other lawmakers and their legislative focus on addressing mental health as part of Mental Health Awareness Month.