New Laws Going Into Effect

October 1, 2021
Electronic Gaming And Sports Betting
The Department of Consumer Protection has approved the state licenses that Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun need to launch sports betting. And the Connecticut Lottery Corporation is aiming to roll out the first phase of retail and online sports betting.  In addition, DraftKings announced its sports betting partnership with Foxwoods, allowing casino visitors to place bets at a temporary sportsbook.

Approval comes after a recent decision from the U.S. Department of Interior which approved an amended agreement between the state and Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes that allows legalized sports wagering, online gambling, and other new forms of betting, was published in the Federal Register.
 
Sports betting was legalized by the legislature in May, following years of negotiations, in bipartisan legislation that will bring Connecticut’s gaming into the future and positioning our state as a leader.

 

Breastfeeding in the Workplace

  • Public Act No. 21-27 – Requires employers to provide a private room or location with an electrical outlet for women to express milk. Employers must also provide a refrigerated space to store the breastmilk.  
  • The law also protects breastfeeding employees from workplace discrimination.

Marijuana and Smoking Restrictions

  • On October 1, a portion of Public Act No. 21-1 will go into effect.
  • Medical marijuana patients who are 18 years of age or older can start growing mature and immature plants at home.
  • Smoking of any kind (tobacco, vaping, marijuana) will be prohibited within 25 feet of the any door, window, or vent intake of any building open to the public.

Pedestrian Safety 

  • PA 21-28 clarifies the rules for pedestrians in crosswalks
    • Starting October 1, drivers must slow down or stop if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk or indicated that they are going to cross.

Addressing Gender Discrimination

  • PA 21-30 – Requires employers to offer equal pay for "comparable” work regardless of gender.
  • Also requires employers to offer prospective applicants and employees with a scale of pay among those with similar tasks.
 
Other Laws Include:
  • Ice cream truck drivers will be required to stop and proceed slowly and upgrade safety equipment, also required to follow stronger safety standards. This is known as “Tristan’s Law” in honor of the 10-year-old Wallingford boy struck and killed by a car after purchasing a treat in June 2020.
     
  • The potentially harmful and polluting chemical PFAS will no longer be able to be used in firefighting foam. Previously, several major exposures and leaks of firefighting foam spread PFAS among natural resources; a move like this protects public health.
     
  • Domestic violence definitions will be expanded to include isolation, stalking, threatening and “coercive control,” or deprivation of basic necessities among other offenses; “best interest of the child” will include physical and emotional health; and access to assistance programs will be made easier, including a new grant program for free legal assistance for restraining order applicants. Tenants protected by restraining orders will be allowed to change their locks in another such change.
     
  • The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority’s Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program will have a new emergency lien assistance program developed to offer loans to homeowners facing foreclosure due to liens or fines.
 

Click here for the complete list of laws that will go into effect on October 1.