New Laws July 1st, Summer EBT for 350,000 Children, and more

June 26, 2026



 

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Dear Neighbor, 

I hope this message finds you and your family well! Next week, over 80 new laws will take effect on July 1st. Further down in this email, you can read about some of these new laws, learn about the Summer EBT program for children across the state, and find information on the Access Health CT Special Enrollment deadline approaching next week. 

If you have any questions or if my office can be of assistance to you, please reach out to 860-240-8585 or email me at andre.baker@cga.ct.gov. 
 

New Laws Effective July 1st
 

  Several new laws that we passed during the 2026 legislative session will take effect next week, on July 1st, bringing important changes for Connecticut residents.
 
Among them is Public Act 26-42, which expands access to voting by allowing any eligible voter to cast an absentee ballot without needing to provide a specific reason. The law removes outdated restrictions that previously limited absentee voting to a narrow set of circumstances.
 
Another new law, Public Act 26-12, strengthens recruitment and retention efforts for Connecticut's first responders. The legislation expands benefits such as tuition waivers and mortgage assistance for police officers, firefighters, correction officers, EMS personnel, and National Guard members, while also providing support for the families of certain public safety personnel who die in the line of duty.
 
Public Act 26-1 provides stronger workplace protections for employees at warehouses and fulfillment centers. The law ensures that productivity quotas do not interfere with legally required meal and bathroom breaks and requires employers to clearly communicate any quotas workers are expected to meet.

Public Act 26-12 includes a grant program for local and regional boards of education to offer free bus passes to public school students from ninth through 12th grade. The state Department of Veterans Affairs will offer a similar program for veterans. This program allows high school students and veterans across the state to receive free bus passes.

Several new tax changes will take effect, including a new research and development tax credit applied to personal income tax for qualifying small businesses, as well as an income tax credit for income-eligible family caregivers. During the annual sales tax-free week in August, the usual $100 exemption will rise to $300 and will now include backpacks and cleated athletic shoes to the list of items that can be bought tax-free.

These measures reflect our ongoing efforts to make voting more accessible, support those who serve our communities, and strengthen protections for Connecticut workers.
Click here for a full list of new laws in effect July 1st
 

Summer EBT Program for more than 350,000 children

Families across Connecticut are receiving extra help putting food on the table this summer through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) program.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services, in partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education, is providing a one-time $120 food benefit for each eligible child to help offset meal costs while school is out of session. More than 350,000 children are expected to get support from the program.

This investment helps families with children pay for food during the summer months while school is not in session. More than $42 million in S-EBT funding is expected to be provided to Connecticut families this summer.

Children may qualify if their family:

  • Participates in SNAP, Temporary Family Assistance Program (TFA), or Husky A with an income below 185% of the federal poverty level or
  • Was approved for free or reduced-price school meals during the 2025-26 school year.

Most eligible families automatically received their benefits electronically last weekend. They are being loaded onto existing SNAP or EBT cards, including previously issued Summer EBT cards. Families new to the program will receive an EBT card by mail.

Families who are not automatically enrolled can apply for Summer EBT through August 31, 2026.
Click here to learn more
 

Access Health CT Special Enrollment Deadline: June 30th

Access Health CT announced that eligible customers can enroll in a health insurance plan with Temporary Premium Assistance through a Special Enrollment Period that will end on June 30th. 

The Temporary Premium Assistance has provided over $1.6 million in savings for 10,580 Connecticut residents to date. At the end of 2025, Governor Lamont announced the Temporary Premium Assistance to help customers who lost financial assistance when the federal enhanced Premium Tax Credits expired. The Special Enrollment Period for Temporary Premium Assistance opened on February 1st, and customers can continue to enroll through June 30th. 

Customers who qualify for this Special Enrollment Period include: 

  • Households with an annual income between 100% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) who are not already enrolled in the Covered CT Program. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 100% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.
  • Households with an annual income over 400% and up to 500% of FPL. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 50% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.  

To enroll, customers can call 1-855-805-4325, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, with help available in over 100 languages. Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use the TTY at 1-855-789-2428 or call 1-855-805-4325 with a relay operator.

For free help online, customers can visit AccessHealthCT.com. They can also chat live with a customer service representative by clicking the “Live Chat” icon on the website. Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
 

As always, please feel free to contact me at 800-842-8267 or by email at Andre.Baker@cga.ct.gov. And for news and legislative updates, please visit my official Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Andre Baker

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