Working Group for the Relief of CT Borrowers Meets, WBDC Small Business Grants

July 30, 2025



 

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Dear Neighbor,

I hope that you are able to stay cool and ensure that your pets are staying off of our incredibly hot roads today. 

This week has been full of various meetings of the Appropriations Committee, the new working group to look at student loan borrowing, and tomorrow public health committee forum on psychosis.

Even though we are not in session, many of our committees still have informational hearings, and sometimes commit to committee meetings to approve various grants. And, most likely, we will be called into special session in September.

I’ve included some information from the Women’s Business Development Council on their Ignite grant, and I hope that we have more businesses in District 17 that may be able to take advantage of applying. We have had several businesses successfully receive this grant over the last few years.

I’ve also included information on the suicide hotline that will now be taking over for the national hotline that was canceled for LGBTQ community member members. Mental health is critically important, and we know that 988 saves lives. I’m grateful that the United Way is stepping up to make this happen in Connecticut.

Wishing you a good week ahead,

Have a great week,

Eleni

Working Group for the Relief of CT Borrowers Meets

The first meeting of the Working Group for the Relief of Connecticut Borrowers took place on Tuesday, and though I was too under the weather to be there in person, we had a great discussion.

It was great to hear from CT’s Student Loan Ombudsperson, Michelle Jarvis-Lettman, about her work helping borrowers and potential borrowers navigate student loans.

You can learn more about the meeting HERE, and if you need help with your student loan, you can find it HERE.

As a reminder, if you went to college or vocational school in CT, you may qualify for the Student Loan Reimbursement Program. You may be eligible to receive reimbursement of $5,000 a year for up to four years of what you have already paid in student loans. You can find more details HERE.
 

 LGBTQ+ calls and 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

The federal government cut off funding to the 988 LGBTQ+ mental health crisis subnetwork of providers on July 17th (The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA, statement is here.) Going forward, all of the calls previously routed to that subnetwork will, instead, be routed to the 988 center for the caller's state. 

According to Vibrant Emotional Health, the national administrator of the 988 network, in FY 2025, the LGBTQ+ 988 subnetwork received 326 calls and 143 text/chats per month from Connecticut. United Way of Connecticut 211.

UWCT's 988 team is well-positioned to provide support to these additional contacts.  The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Resources confirmed additional funding was secured during the past legislative session to expand 988 CT capacity to meet demand for this service, which includes a highly trained team of specialists who give each caller individualized support and referrals, including connection to mobile crisis intervention services when needed.
 

WBDC Small Business Grants

The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) has announced the next round of Ignite and Child Care Business Grant Programs.

 

The Child Care Business Opportunity Fund, offered in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), provides grants of up to $25,000 to qualified licensed and aspiring child care businesses.

The program offers grants targeting different stages of business, from start-ups to those ready to expand. Since this program was launched in 2020, nearly $8.4 million has been awarded to child care businesses in every corner of Connecticut. The application period for Child Care Business grants runs from August 1 through August 31, 2025. You can find more information on our Child Care Business Opportunity Fund grants here.

The Ignite Grant Program is designed to help women-owned businesses grow. The program offers grants of up to $10,000 to women-owned businesses in the state of Connecticut who have been in business for 2 or more years and have revenues between $25K and $2 million.  Since the start of the program, we have distributed 424 grants of over $3.9 million to women-owned businesses in Connecticut. 

The application period for this grant runs from August 5 through September 16, 2025. You can find additional information on Ignite here.  Interested applicants can register for a live information session here.
 

For Veterans: House of Heroes

 

House of Heroes is a Veteran’s non-profit that helps Veterans and/or their spouses with simple home repairs, free of charge. They are currently in search of Veterans within the Hartford County area for service projects over the next few months.
If you know of a Veteran in your district who could use this assistance, I highly encourage you to apply as their sponsor HERE. 

The basic requirements for the Veteran receiving the assistance are:

  • Be a Military or Public Safety Veteran or their spouse (DD 214 Discharge paperwork required)
  • Need financial and/or physical assistance with home repair
  • Own and occupy the home to be repaired
 

Own an E-bike, Take Heed

New regulations will take effect for some electric bikes, or e-bikes, on October 1.

The new law pertains to E-bikes without pedals and with batteries over 750 watts.

They will be classified as motor-driven cycles and require a driver's license to operate them.

E-bikes exceeding 3,500 watts will require registration and insurance, like motorcycles.

E-bikes are gaining popularity but medical professionals are warning that these bikes can be dangerous. Connecticut Children's Medical Center treated 25 e-bike injuries in May and June 2025, compared to three in May and June 2024.

Here’s what parents and kids need to know about riding e-bikes in Connecticut:

  • Speed limits matter: Class 2 e-bikes (the ones with a throttle) are capped at 20 mph. Class 3 models can go up to 28 mph—but only if they’re not throttle-powered
  • No passengers unless built for two: Most e-bikes aren’t designed for a second rider
  • Stay off the sidewalk: Unless otherwise posted, e-bikes are considered vehicles. They belong on the road, in the right lane
  • Be courteous and cautious: If riding on sidewalks or shared paths, yield to pedestrians
  • New in 2025: Class 1 e-bikes are now allowed on bikes and multi-use trails statewide, unless a town says otherwise.
 

National Support Public Education Day

 

Strong public schools = a stronger society. 

Sincerely,

Eleni Kavros DeGraw
State Representative

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