Eleni Kavros DeGraw

I hope you had a wonderful, albeit chilly, Fourth of July celebration.

We have a special session coming up next week. I still don't know whether or not we will be taking up the issue of car thefts (more on that below) in this special session or the one we are anticipating in September. I continue to push our leadership to help address this issue immediately. Today, I had the opportunity to hear from Police Chiefs (including Canton and Avon) from across the state as we work together to address this issue.

In addition to these conversations, below you'll see updates on legislation we passed this session in the children, families and education categories as well as hurricane preparation information; the free community college update, and your chance to visit museums with children or grandchildren in Connecticut this summer.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE UPDATE

As you know, I have been regularly updating you on the car theft situation in Avon and Canton since February. I spoke to both Police Chiefs in the last week (again) and had the opportunity to hear from Chiefs across Connecticut earlier today.

There is a lot of information in this article from yesterday's Hartford Courant that will help give you context on where things stand as of now. I take this issue very seriously as it's nearly every day that we wake up to news that there’s been a car theft (or more) in another town in CT.

HB 5924: AN ACT CONCERNING STATE AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES TO REDUCE JUVENILE AUTO THEFTS AND BREAK-INS was a piece of legislation I co-sponsored and wanted to pass during the 2021 legislative session. It didn't make it through session.

Instead, we passed a different bill that will give us the data we need on this issue, data that will tell us who is attempting to steal/stealing the cars, in what towns, what towns they are from, the ages of the suspect, etc. While it feels anecdotally like crime is way up, that's not what the data shows and though it's frustrating to hear your neighbor or friend had an incident, we need hard numbers to help us understand the problem and create solutions.

We also have to go beyond that data. You know it. And, I know it.

(directline.com)

Like you, I am frustrated and concerned for our communities. It’s time that we act and act as quickly as possible. I reached out to House leadership last week and asked that we address these thefts in a special session. Yesterday, bipartisan leadership met to discuss possible legislation including ankle monitoring (in the bill I co-sponsored that didn't pass), additional time to detain suspects, as well as making the database that shows criminal history available to judges after hours and on weekends.

Yes, we know thefts are up around the country in relation to the pandemic. Yes, we know people need to remove their keys and lock their cars. And yes, we need to create common sense solutions to address the reasons these thefts occur in the first place by addressing the systems that results in these outcomes.

And, finally, the most resounding yes, we need to do everything we can to stop assaults and deaths related to these thefts. As both Chiefs shared with me, if you see someone attempting to steal your car, they ask that you call 9-1-1 and not confront the suspects yourself. Additionally, they both shared that locking our cars and homes, while sometimes inconvenient, is the best way to get these folks to stop.

One final note: You may have heard about an amendment on a bill that I voted on -an amendment some thought would address the issues above. That amendment would have, in effect, killed the underlying bill that brings mental health services to our kids, along with expanded healthcare coverage among other important items. I voted no because I know an amendment isn't enough. The solutions we need will be found in a complete bill, not an add-on.

If you would like to have a phone or zoom conversation about that vote, I would be happy to walk you through the legislative process. Please feel free to email my aide, Brittany Kane, Brittany.Kane@cga.ct.gov so that we can get you on my calendar.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND EDUCATION

This week, I wanted to share some of the legislation affecting Children and Families as well as Education and Higher Education.

Children and Families:

Adoptee Access to Original Birth Certificate

A new law expands access to birth certificates for adopted persons age 18 and older and their adult children or adult grandchildren. It allows them to obtain an uncertified copy of the adoptee’s original birth certificate upon request, regardless of when the adoption occurred. Prior law provided this access only for adoptions finalized on or after October 1, 1983. For adoptions before then, prior law allowed access to the original certificate by these individuals only through a court order, and if the birth parents are alive, the court generally could issue the order only with their consent.

Birth-to-Three Program

The legislature eliminated the requirement that the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) commissioner charge a fee on a sliding scale for the Birth-to-Three program, making it cost- free to Connecticut families. It also expanded the program to enrolled children who are eligible for certain preschool programs but turn three before the program begins and generally extended to these children certain group and individual health insurance coverage for medically necessary early intervention services (PA 21-46, §§ 24 & 28, effective upon passage; SB 1202, JSS, as amended, §§ 455-457, effective July 1, 2021).

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Children’s Mental Health

The legislature passed several measures aimed at addressing the impact COVID-19 has had on children’s mental health. They include the following: 1. requiring the Youth Suicide Advisory Board and the Office of the Child Advocate to administer evidence-based youth suicide prevention training in each local and district health department at least once every three years; 2. allowing minors to receive as many outpatient mental health treatment sessions as necessary without the consent or notification of a parent or guardian, rather than being limited to six sessions as under prior law; 3. requiring (a) the Department of Children and Families to develop and update documents listing the behavioral and mental health evaluation and treatment resources available to children in each mental health region and (b) emergency departments and hospitals, among others, to distribute the documents as specified; 4. expanding the continuing education requirements for certain healthcare professionals to include education on (a) screening for post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide risk, depression, and grief and (b) suicide prevention training; 5. requiring school boards to integrate social-emotional learning principles and practices into their districts’ professional development programs; and 6. allowing students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade to take two mental health wellness days during the school year (PA 21-46, various sections, and PA 21-116, most provisions effective upon passage).

Youth Camps and Youth Sports Comprehensive Background Check Requirement

Starting October 1, 2022, a new law generally requires OEC-licensed youth camps and operators of youth athletic activities (e.g., municipalities) to require comprehensive background checks for prospective employees or volunteers age 18 or older applying for a position (1) that involves unsupervised access to children or (2) as coach, instructor, or athletic trainer, respectively (PA 21-82, effective October 1, 2021).
Education and Higher Education:

Automatic Admissions Program

As part of this year’s budget implementer, the legislature required the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) to establish, by April 1, 2022, the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program. It generally allows graduating Connecticut high school students meeting certain academic thresholds to gain automatic admissions to a bachelor’s degree program at one of the Connecticut State Universities (CSUs) and any participating private Connecticut college and universities (SB 1202, JSS, as amended, § 291, effective July 1, 2021).

College Application and Graduation Fees

A new law requires BOR and the UConn Board of Trustees (BOT) to jointly establish an annual "Fee-Free Day" on which high school students may apply for admission to institutions governed by the boards without paying an application fee. The student must have already completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Starting July 1, 2021, another new law prohibits assessing or charging a graduation fee to students enrolled in (1) a regional community-technical college, (2) the Connecticut State University System, (3) Charter Oak State College, or (4) UConn (SB 1202, JSS, as amended, §§ 54-57 & 89, fee-free day is effective upon passage and graduation fee provisions are effective July 1, 2021).

Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities

A new law establishes the Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities in SDE. Among other things, the office (1) must verify whether teacher preparation programs and certification applicants comply with state law’s requirements on dyslexia instruction and training and (2) may partner with a public college or university to establish a data center to guide the department and boards of education in how to effectively use reading. assessments. In addition, the law requires SDE to revise previously-developed reading assessments for grades kindergarten through three to include new methodologies for measuring reading proficiency (PA 21-168, as amended, effective July 1, 2021).

(Additudemag)

Remote Learning

Following over a year of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s budget implementer act contains three provisions relating to schools’ primary method of delivering instruction during quarantine: remote learning. It requires SDE to do the following: 1. establish the Connecticut Remote Learning Commission to analyze and report on remote learning’s impact on students’ educational attainment, physical and emotional development, and access to special services, as well as the quality of its instruction; 2. develop a plan to create and implement a K-12 statewide remote learning school; and 3. conduct a comprehensive audit of the remote learning provided in public schools during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years due to the pandemic (SB 1202, JSS, as amended, §§ 423-425, effective July 1, 2021, for the commission, July 1, 2022, for the statewide remote school plan, and upon passage for the audit).

Sexual Misconduct on College Campuses

The legislature made various changes related to the handling of sexual misconduct at higher education institutions, including the following: 1. requiring institutions to conduct a sexual misconduct climate assessment every two years, distribute it to enrolled students, and report to the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee on its results; 2. establishing a Council on Sexual Misconduct Climate Assessments and requiring it to, among other things, develop assessment guidelines and a list of data points for higher education institutions to collect in these assessments; and 3. generally prohibiting a higher education institution from taking disciplinary action against students or employees for violating its drug or alcohol policy if they report alleged sexual misconduct that occurred during, or was connected to, the policy violation (PA 21-81, effective July 1, 2021).

PREPARING FOR TROPICAL STORM ELSA

I wanted to pass along the following information from Eversource regarding  upcoming Tropic Storm Elsa.

Overview

CT continues to be impacted by severe thunderstorms ahead of Elsa

• Last night was another night of restoration as severe thunderstorms rolled through the state. At peak, approximately 40,000 customers were impacted with only a few hundred remaining to restore this morning.
• This afternoon we’ll see additional thunderstorms with significant rainfall. Gusts could reach 40 mph in western sections. We are hopeful the storms will be less intense than yesterday.

Safety Briefing

• Eversource crews and external resources have been working around the clock for several days to respond to significant thunderstorm outages and to prepare for Elsa. Fatigue is an issue and we are working to address this with supervisors.

Elsa Forecast

• New England landfall will be over Rhode Island, which means the storms strongest winds will remain over the water.
• We could see gusts up to 45 mph in southeastern Connecticut. Along the rest of the coastline, we expect maximum gusts around 35 mph.
• Timing appears to be through the morning hours tomorrow from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• Thunderstorms and tropical downpours will kick off in the morning in the coastal portions of the state.
• Weak tornadoes are possible.

• Total 24-hour rainfall totals could approach 3”. Western areas may see the highest rainfall totals.
• UCONN’s latest OPM is predicting a 40% chance of 500-750 trouble spots, a 20% chance of 750-1500 trouble spots, and a 5% chance of 1500-5000 trouble spots.

ICC and EOC Activations

Eversource is currently planning for a Level 4 ERP, indicating 1,500-10,000 trouble spots on our system and a range of 290-500 line crews available at the onset of the storm.
Eversource’s Incident Command Center (ICC) will open in Berlin at 7:00 a.m., Friday, 7/8.
Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) will open at 7:00 a.m., Friday, 7/8, in Hartford, New London and Newtown.

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

The long hurricane season began June 1st and is expected to be an active one. Connecticut has largely been spared from major hurricanes in recent years – for that we are thankful – but residents should always be prepared.

The Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30 – with mid-August to mid-October the period when Connecticut historically faces threats from hurricanes and tropical storms. These storms are unpredictable and that's why you should always be prepared and have a plan of action in the event of a serious weather event.

The Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security website contains useful resources to help you stay informed, prepare, and stay safe during many emergencies.

Click here for the State of Connecticut Hurricane Preparedness guide and here to download the CT Prepares mobile app.

Make sure you have an emergency supply kit, an evacuation plan, and a plan to safeguard your home and possessions, so you and your family are safe during hurricane season.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE TUITION HELP

Applications are now being accepted for Connecticut’s free community college program. The deadline for the upcoming school year is July 15.

Pledge to Advance Connecticut (PACT) was established by the legislature in 2019 to provide free tuition for students attending all twelve community colleges. PACT bridges the tuition gap students may have after receiving scholarships and other financial aid – and we allocated funds for this critical program in our new state budget.

Don't delay! Students must apply by July 15 to take advantage of PACT. Funds are available on a first come, first served basis.
 
To qualify for PACT, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a graduate of a public or private Connecticut high school (GED and home-schooled students qualify).
• Be a first-time college student (those who participated in dual enrollment programs while in high school are not excluded).
• Complete the FAFSA and accept all awards.
• Attend community college full-time (12 or more credits per semester).
• Enroll in classes today for first come, first served consideration.
• Participate in a degree or credit-bearing certificate program.
• Once enrolled, remain in good academic standing.

Students from all financial backgrounds are eligible.

PACT is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning grants cover any expenses remaining after students have exhausted federal, state and institutional financial aid opportunities. In fact, even students who have all their tuition and fees covered by financial aid are eligible for at least $250 per semester.

Still have questions? Click here for the PACT Manual.

We are fulfilling our promise of tuition-free community college because everyone deserves a quality education that can put students on the path to success.

FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION THIS SUMMER

Governor Lamont has announced the launch of Connecticut Summer at the Museum – a new state program created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that allows Connecticut children to receive free admission at more than 90 museums across Connecticut during the 2021 summer months. For more information please click the image below: