Rep. Delany Legislative Update 2/24

February 24, 2022

Greetings Neighbor,

I hope you and your family are well and are keeping warm.

Over the last few days we have all watched as unrest in Ukraine has given way to open conflict.

As a U.S. Soldier who has served overseas in Eastern Europe, I have seen firsthand the Strength of our NATO allies in partners. And although times may be daunting, I am reassured by the strength of the Ukrainian people and the strength of our allies.

Serving our community as a U.S. Army reservist and as a lawmaker is one of the great honors of my life. Over the last week I have listened to the testimonies of over 550 concerned citizens, advocacy groups, and government agencies. We have discussed everything from higher education, to the state of homelessness in Connecticut.

In this newsletter you will find some of the items that I believe will be useful to you and your family

PUBLIC HEARING ON HB 5001

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2022 @ 9:00 A.M

The mental health and well-being of our state's youth and families is a leading priority this session. We have worked collaboratively on a bipartisan bill to provide additional support, resources and structural change to the children's mental health system in Connecticut. HB 5001, An Act Concerning Children's Mental Health, is a comprehensive piece of legislation encompassing schools, healthcare settings, insurance eligibility, screening tools, and more. There will be a public hearing on this bill tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m where you can learn more and voice your opinion.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

This session, we'll have the opportunity to continue addressing the fallout of COVID-19, make Connecticut more affordable for working families, and advance Connecticut's recovery.

APPROPRIATIONS AND JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

APPROPRIATIONS AND JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Last week my colleagues and I in the appropriations and judiciary committees sat through hours of hearings, listened to hundreds of concerns from passionate citizens, and made decisions from helping to reconfirm judges to examining the state budget adjustments from Governor Lamont.

I was especially happy to see Mayor Caroline Simmons advocate for more Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding for Stamford schools. She also expressed support for the increased mental health funding as well as the $90 million in Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSFRF) allocated to support school air quality improvements.

PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER

A big storm is heading our way, make sure you prepare in advance.

CITY OF STAMFORD WEATHER UPDATES

VACCINATION CLINICS

STAMFORD MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT RESOURCES

Resources for your mental health are available. Check out the new mental health and community support resources page:https://t.co/hzet7jz9vB

AHCT Covered Connecticut

Special Enrollment Period now through June 30

The Covered Connecticut Program pays the customer’s portion of the monthly payment (premium) directly to their insurance company. The program also covers the cost-sharing amounts residents normally would have to pay with a health insurance plan, including co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs.

To qualify for the Covered Connecticut Program, Connecticut residents must:

meet income requirements
be a parent or caretaker relative with children in the household that are under age 19 (if the children are age 18 or older, they must be full-time students in secondary school)
use all the financial help available through Access Health CT
be enrolled in an eligible Silver level health insurance plan.

To determine if you are eligible, have your questions answered and enroll in the Covered Connecticut Program during this Special Enrollment Period, call the Access Health CT Covered Connecticut Program hotline at 860-241-8478, Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Coverage begins on the first of the month following enrollment so, if, for example, a person enrolls on February 5, their coverage begins on March 1.

COVERED CONNECTICUT

Connecticut Right to Counsel Program

Connecticut has launched a statewide Right to Counsel (RTC) program that will make available attorneys FREE to eligible tenants at risk of eviction.

RIGHT TO COUNSEL

The Connecticut Bar association is operating the program and working with the state's legal services to provide attorneys to those in need. Right to Counsel will begin working in fourteen neighborhoods across eight municipalities.

These locations were selected first because they are eviction hot spots in Connecticut, with about 25% of eviction filings statewide brought against tenants in those neighborhoods.

Right to Counsel service will also be immediately available to individuals who served in the armed forces regardless of location. The program will expand to other areas across the state over the next two years.

LEARN MORE

Energy and Utility Cost Assitance

If you have any issues, concerns, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at 860-240-8585 if you ever need anything or by email at hubert.delany@cga.ct.gov.

Sincerely,

ENERGY