Kevin Brown

As we head into the final days of the legislative session, it’s been a busy week filled with late nights and hard work. We are hopeful that these final efforts will lead to positive outcomes for residents across the state.

Keep reading for a summary of the bills that have passed the House so far. These measures now move to the Senate, which has until May 6 to take action. We are hopeful the Senate will continue this momentum and advance this legislation so it can move closer to becoming law.

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 Committee on Children is leading House Bill 5004: An Act Concerning Child Welfare Accountability and Transparency, 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.

As Vice-Chair of the Education Committee, I'm pleased to share that House Bill 5323: An Act Concerning Various Revisions to the Education Statutes passed the House this week. This legislation makes important updates to our education laws, helping ensure our policies remain effective, responsive, and aligned with the needs of students, educators, and families across the state.

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.

House Bill 5035: An Act Requiring School Districts to Ban Cellular Phones in the Classroom, advances a statewide “bell-to-bell” or arrival to dismissal cellphone policy for K–12 public schools. The goal is to reduce classroom distractions and support student mental health by creating a consistent standard across all districts.

Under the proposal, all public school districts would be required to adopt and enforce the policy, with devices turned off and stored securely, such as in lockers, throughout the school day. By limiting access to cellphones during instructional hours, the measure aims to curb social media dependency, improve student focus, and address behavioral challenges.

The bill also includes reasonable exceptions, allowing cellphone use when necessary for a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), a 504 plan, or documented medical needs approved by a physician.

House Bill 5003: An Act Concerning Workforce Development and Working Conditions in the State, focuses on creating safer, more equitable workplaces while strengthening Connecticut’s workforce.

The bill makes targeted investments in the people who keep our communities running by supporting first responders, veterans, nurses, teachers, and skilled workers. It expands benefits for police, firefighters, and veterans, including assistance for families of fallen responders, housing support, and improved access to education and job opportunities.

It also enhances worker protections by providing stronger safeguards for nurses, teachers, and paraeducators, ensuring better support in the event of workplace injuries, and promoting fair pay and safer conditions across industries. Updated standards, such as protections for nursing mothers, reflect the needs of today’s workforce.

In addition, the legislation invests in workforce development through training programs and stronger partnerships between education and industry, helping connect residents to good-paying jobs while supporting business growth. It also includes measures to improve oversight in home care, strengthen hospital staffing compliance, and establish clear guidelines for remote work during severe weather.

Since 2025, masked federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, many inadequately trained, have waged a campaign of fear and intimidation with a reckless disregard for the constitutional rights of the people they encounter.
 
Parents are afraid of bringing children to medical appointments or sending them to school, court dates are skipped for fear of being detained, and congregants are afraid of going to their places of worship.
 
We as a state have an obligation to address the unprecedented breakdown in federal accountability and attacks on the rule of law. Senate Bill 397: An Act Concerning Democracy and Government Accountability, represents a measured and lawful response to these concerns. The legislation seeks to strengthen accountability by requiring clear identification from federal agents, restricting enforcement actions in sensitive locations, and creating a pathway for individuals to seek recourse when their constitutional rights are violated.  Specifically, Senate Bill 397 does the following:

• Enables any person the right to sue federal actors who violate their constitutional rights.
• Ensures the Inspector General has clear unrestricted authority to investigate the unauthorized use of force by state, local and certain federal agents when force results in death.
• Prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves when conducting operations.
• Builds on the framework established in 2025, designating protected areas – hospitals, schools, court houses, places of worship – that will be shielded from civil immigration arrests unless a law enforcement officer presents a signed judicial warrant.
• Establishes a floor of at least 480 hours of training for law enforcement officers in Connecticut.
• Regulates automated license plate reader technologies, permitting an active hot list, but capping retention of data to 21 days absent an ongoing criminal investigation.

This legislation is not born out of partisan preference. It’s a measured response to protect the people of Connecticut. No one is above the law, and the protection of constitutional rights is not solely within the federal government’s purview.

House Bill 5381: An Act Establishing an Account to Compensate Victims of Unlawful Funeral Service Practices, addresses an issue that hit the Vernon community especially hard following the Pietras Funeral Home scandal last year, underscoring the need for stronger oversight and accountability.

My fellow Vernon delegation member, Rep. Tammy Nuccio, introduced this bill, and I was proud to join as a co-sponsor in a bipartisan effort. I spoke in support of the legislation on the House floor to help ensure we address these concerns and better protect our communities moving forward. Click the image above to listen to my remarks.

I also co-sponsored House Bill 5343, An Act Concerning the Reporting of Advertising Purchased by the State, which strengthens transparency and accountability in how public funds are used for advertising. The bill establishes standardized reporting requirements for state-funded advertising expenditures, including details on spending amounts, vendors, and the purpose of each campaign. By enhancing oversight and expanding public access to this information, the legislation helps ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and supports more informed evaluation of state communications.

The House has passed key legislation that advances our efforts to support older adults across the state. These measures underscore our commitment to expanding access to essential services, strengthening protections, and enhancing quality of life for seniors and their families. We remain focused on ensuring Connecticut is a place where older residents can live with dignity, independence, and security.

House Bill 5140: An Act Concerning the Study of the Needs of Senior Citizens, which allows 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. This change helps remove barriers to essential oral health services and ensures that vulnerable residents can receive the care they need in the comfort of their homes.

House Bill 5142: An Act Concerning the Use of Technology for Virtual Visitation and Monitoring in Nursing Homes and Residential Care Homes, extends protections for the use of technology to residents of residential care homes and sets a penalty for violation of the protections. It ensures those living 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 sign off on paperwork, which can change at any time. With the support of many stakeholders, the legislation passed unanimously.

House Bill 5143: An Act Requiring Training for Homemaker-Companion Agency Employees, 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 capacity of a homemaker companion, and hygiene assistance. Currently, there isn’t a set training for homemaker companions.  

We also voted on several other bills including:

House Bill 5226: An Act Concerning Mobile Manufactured Homes and Mobile Manufactured Home Parks
Senate Bill 259: An Act Concerning Female Genital Mutilation
House Bill 5331: An Act Concerning Faithful Presidential Electors
House Bill 5558: An Act Concerning the Department of Developmental Services' Abuse and Neglect Investigations
House Bill 5464: An Act Implementing Recommendations from the Department of Transportation and Establishing a Pilot Program to Operate Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices on Limited Access Highways
Senate Bill 89: An Act Updating Prison Rape Elimination Standards
House Bill 5567: An Act Concerning Health Care in the Department of Correction Facilities

I’d like to recognize my intern, Paul “PJ” August, a student at Middlesex Community College, for his outstanding work and the positive impact he brought to our team.

I also want to acknowledge two former students of mine, Jibreel Akbar, who served as an intern for Rep. Kate Farrar this session and Paula-Kay Bolageer who interned in Senate Democrats for Senators Martha Marx and Paul Honig.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will conduct a virtual public information meeting concerning the replacement of the bridge carrying Bamforth Road over I-84 in Vernon on Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m.

The public information meeting is being held to give residents and members of the local community an opportunity to ask questions and share comments about the proposed project. The meeting will take place on Zoom, and registration is required. A question and answer session will immediately follow the presentation, which will be recorded. For instructions on accessing the meeting and ways to provide comments and ask questions, please visit portal.ct.gov/DOTVernon0146-0205.

Construction is anticipated to begin spring 2028 based on the availability of funding, acquisition of rights of way, and approval of permit(s). The estimated construction cost for this project is approximately $13 million. This project is anticipated to be undertaken with 80% federal funds and 20% state funds. 

Individuals with limited internet access can listen to the meeting by calling 877-853-5257 and enter Meeting ID 853 5009 7155. Individuals with hearing and/or speech disabilities may dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). Individuals with limited internet access may also request that project information be mailed to them within one week by contacting Francisco Fadul at Francisco.Fadul@ct.gov or 860-594-2078.

Language assistance may be requested by contacting the CTDOT Language Assistance Call Line 860-594-2109. Requests should be made at least five business days prior to the meeting. Language assistance is provided at no cost to the public and efforts will be made to respond to timely requests for assistance. 

Non-English language closed captioning will be available on Zoom. The recording will also be posted immediately following the meeting in the list of CTDOT virtual public meetings at portal.ct.gov/ctdotVPIMarchive.

Members of the public can submit comments and questions during the two-week public comment period following the meeting. Please submit comments and questions by Thursday, May 28, to DOTProject0146-0205@ct.gov, 860-594-2020, or to Francisco Fadul at Francisco.Fadul@ct.gov or 860-594-2078. Please reference Project No. 0146-0205 in the email or voicemail.

The Friends of Valley Falls will hold its annual bird walk on Sunday, May 3 at 7:00 a.m. Bring binoculars if you have them and meet at Valley Falls Park (300 Valley Falls Road) near the pavilion. If the walk needs to be cancelled due to inclement weather, it will be posted at least an hour before on Facebook.