Kaitlyn Shake

HB5003 passed the House on Tuesday AND Senate on Friday!!!

The bill supports and protects people in the workplace, Nurses, Healthcare Workers, Teachers, Para-Educators, Social Workers, Building Trades, Service workers, Firefighters, Police Officers, EMS, Veterans, Carpenters, judicial marshals, Public Works Employees, PCAs and more. 

I am a proud co-sponsor of this bill and I am incredibly thankful for the steadfast leadership of my Labor Chair Rep. Manny Sanchez and Vice-Chair Rep. Derrell Wilson. It was my honor to collaborate, develop, and defend Section 1 of the bill on the House Floor today. As of October 1, 2026, Connecticut Healthcare workers will finally have financial protection by receiving 100% (instead of up to 75%) workers' compensation due to any assault leading to a partial or total physical injury.

In today’s America, healthcare workers are 5x more likely to experience violence on the job. Connecticut needs to do all that we can to ensure a safe working environment where the risk and likelihood of assaults are reduced, thus lowering the cost of workers' comp rates to the employer. No healthcare worker should be punched, hit, bitten, or otherwise assaulted and forced to miss time from work and realize financial hardship while recovering from their injuries. Legislating this financial protection is an affordability crisis intervention.

Workplace financial protections for teachers around the issue of assault have been public policy in education since the 1970’s. However, teachers needed to prove the intent of a child causing injury by going through the state court. HB5003 updated the description to include ANY physical or negligent assault and moved this benefit and process solely to the workers' comp system. Just like healthcare workers, educators will now go through workers' compensation court to claim full wage replacement if absent due to any assault leading to injury.

For those inquiring: Section 8 of HB5003 kept the teachers' fair termination neutral arbitrator language and intent.

There is a lot to unpack from this 75-section pro-worker bill. But for now, I wanted to share the information above with all of you and will discuss more details of this legislation as the week goes on.

Now, on to the Governor's Desk!

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 House passed 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.

This week, the House passed different bills that came out of the Aging Committee this session.

The first, 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 be signed off on paperwork, which can change at any time. With the support of many stakeholders, the legislation passed unanimously, 150-0-1 in the House.

The second, 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 the capacity of a homemaker companion, and hygiene assistance. Currently, there isn’t a set training for homemaker companions.  The bill had strong bipartisan support, passing 149-1-1 in the House.

The House passed HB 5140, which will allow dental hygienists to serve underserved homebound patients in private residences, such as seniors, veterans, and the disabled, who would likely go without dental care. Dental hygienists currently are allowed by law to work in facilities such as senior centers and preschools without the oversight of a dentist, and this legislation expands upon that. The dental hygienist will have worked under the supervision of a dentist for more than two years. With the support of stakeholders such as the CT Oral Health Initiative (COHI) and the Connecticut State Dental Association, the bill passed unanimously, 144-0, with seven absent/note voting.

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 for them. 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.

Cellphones have become a major part of the lives of adults and children. While these devices can be useful at times, they have also proven to be addictive, distracting, and are robbing our children of important opportunities to create connections and develop relationships, particularly at school.

This week, the House took action to remove these harmful devices from our schools. HB 5035 implements a bell-to-bell ban on students' cellphones during the school day. This policy will allow our children to further connect with their peers and educators, strengthen their attention spans, and enhance their learning ability.

While this bill does not fully remove technology as a distraction, it is a great step in the right direction to give our students the best school experience possible.

House Bill 5323 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.

This week the House passed Senate Bill 5: An Act Concerning Online Safety, legislation I am proud to co-sponsor. 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.

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.

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.