Josh Elliott

Following a busy week of legislative activity, the House has approved several bills that now move to the Senate for consideration. With a deadline of May 6, the next phase of the process is underway. Below is an overview of the legislation passed this week.

This week, the House passed legislation to make sure our 2026 elections are free and fair with House Bill: 5001: An Act Concerning Absentee Voting For All And Various Other Reforms to the Administration of Elections.

We took steps to:

• Modernize our absentee ballot laws and vote counting procedures
• Create more safeguards to ensure your vote counts
• Protect our elections from corrupt outside forces

Additionally, we’ll empower the Attorney General to prevent people from interfering with our elections, among other provisions.

People’s right to vote is under constant attack around the country, but here in Connecticut, we’re making sure elections are free and fair.

In an effort to ensure that children do not fall through the cracks when they are withdrawn from public school, House Bill 5460: An Act Concerning the Provision of Equivalent Instruction establishes a set of procedures that balance student safety with the rights and privacy of parents who are responsibly educating their children.

These measures are designed to maintain appropriate oversight and communication between families and schools, while respecting parental choice in education. Key provisions in the bill include: 

• Creating an annual notification form for all students to indicate whether a child will be attending a public school, private school, or being homeschooled. This helps ensure accurate enrollment tracking and supports continued engagement with families.
• Requiring schools to check Department of Children and Families (DCF) records for any active protective orders or open cases of abuse or neglect prior to a child being withdrawn from school. This step is intended to help ensure that any necessary safeguards are in place for vulnerable children during transitions.

Together, these procedures provide a balanced approach that prioritizes child safety, improves accountability, and respects the rights of parents and guardians.

This House also updated vaccine policies with the passage of  House Bill 5044: An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards.

In the past, Connecticut's vaccine policies and standards have been tied to the expert recommendations developed by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC). Unfortunately, the CDC has recently abandoned its standing as the premier resource of medicine and science guidelines.

HB 5044 seeks to update Connecticut's vaccine policies so they are based on science, not political agendas. The bill will:

• Allow the Connecticut Department of Public Health to promote COVID and flu vaccines
• Require private insurance companies to cover the cost of your vaccinations
• Allow Connecticut to buy vaccines from suppliers other than the CDC
• Establish an adult vaccine program for uninsured and under-insured individuals
• Tighten loopholes around unvaccinated children and public schools

This bill makes vaccines more accessible, more affordable, and it will keep our communities healthier.

Connecticut is advancing a gun violence prevention bill aimed at strengthening public safety and closing dangerous gaps in current law. House Bill 5043: An Act Concerning Convertible Pistols and Unfinished Frames or Unfinished Lower Receivers.

The proposal would ban convertible pistols, firearms that can be easily modified to function like automatic weapons, sometimes with minimal tools such as a screwdriver or knife. By addressing these modifications, the bill targets a growing concern among law enforcement and public safety officials.

It would also make it easier for individuals to safely surrender firearms to local police. Current law primarily applies to assault weapons, but this change would expand that option, helping to ensure that more firearms can be removed from potentially unsafe situations.

Together, these measures are designed to reduce the risk of gun violence while promoting responsible ownership and safer communities across the state.

This week the House passed, House Bill 5850: An Act Concerning Cannabis, Hemp, and Infused Beverage Regulation takes a comprehensive approach to modernizing Connecticut’s cannabis industry by reducing unnecessary regulatory costs and expanding access to safe, affordable products for consumers.

The bill proposes lowering taxes on THC products (as part of the state budget), aligning potency regulations for both flower and hemp-derived beverages more closely with neighboring states, and expanding access to medical cannabis by allowing these products to be sold at dispensaries. It also allows out-of-state patients to purchase medical products in Connecticut, improves branding and packaging standards, and introduces important safeguards such as stronger consumer data protections and a check on overly burdensome state regulations. Additionally, the bill would permit product tastings at dispensaries and broaden the range of products that can be manufactured and sold in Connecticut, including items like coffee and tea.

HB 5850 also aims to reduce overhead costs for dispensaries and support business growth. It allows cannabis businesses to operate in closer proximity to one another, reduces the required number of pharmacist hours at medical dispensaries, and eases restrictions on delivery drivers while enabling them to carry larger inventories. The bill further lowers the cost of lab testing and expands in-state production opportunities, helping to strengthen Connecticut’s cannabis market while maintaining a focus on safety, accessibility, and innovation.

Starting May 1, Connecticut residents can expect some welcome relief on their energy bills. Earlier this week, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) approved an interim decision to lower residential electricity rates across the state.

Under this change, rates will decrease by approximately 4.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, about $30 per month for the average Eversource customer, and 4.9 cents per kilowatt-hour, or roughly $34 per month, for the average United Illuminating customer.

This reduction is largely driven by a drop in the public benefits charge, which will now appear as a credit on customers’ bills rather than an added cost, at least through September. Much of this shift is tied to long-term energy contracts negotiated by Millstone and Seabrook nuclear power plants. These agreements provide electricity at stable, fixed prices, helping shield ratepayers from the volatility of fossil fuel markets.

The state’s continued investment in a diversified energy portfolio has helped cushion the impact of rising natural gas prices this winter, underscoring the value of a balanced and forward-looking energy strategy.

Customers should begin seeing these lower rates reflected in their bills starting May 1, with the reductions expected to remain in place through at least September for most households.

On Saturday, April 25 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Miller Memorial Library there will be an informative session on How to Track Legislation and learn how to follow bills, understand the legislative process, and stay engaged in government decisions that affect your community. 

Click here to register.

Join Save the Sound this Earth Month for a community cleanup at the perimeter of Six Lakes Park on Sunday, April 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity to get involved locally while helping protect and improve our shared watershed.

Participants will work together to remove litter and debris from the park, making an immediate impact on the health and beauty of the area. In addition, volunteers will help collect important data on the types of trash found, contributing to broader efforts that inform and strengthen pollution reduction laws and environmental policies.

Whether you’re coming on your own, with friends, or as part of a group, your efforts will make a meaningful difference for the park, the watershed, and the community as a whole.

Click here to sign up to volunteer.

The Sleeping Giant Park Association invites you to experience Shinrin Yoku, also known a “forest bathing”, at Sleeping Giant State Park on Sunday, April 26 at 10:00 a.m.

Shinrin Yoku, also known as Forest Bathing is a “gateway drug" (i.e. a gateway to nourishing our hearts and mind as we walk mindfully and in silence together). Forest Bathing is an accessible and affordable way to reap the benefits of what movement, fresh air and no electronic devices have to offer.

This will be an easy to moderate hike, less than 2 hours with introductory discussion. If cancelled due to weather, you will be contacted by email that morning. All hikers should bring water and have proper clothing and footwear for conditions. Children must be 8 or older. Sorry, no pets.

The hike will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the northern end of the Red Circle Trail, along Tuttle Ave. Please arrive 15 minutes early.

Please click here to reserve your spot as the hikes often fill up fast!