Rachel Khanna

The CT House passed more great bills this week. Here are some that I am particularly excited about.
 
Expanding Protections for Seniors. HB 6775 increases the number of mandated reporters for suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation or when a senior needs protective services.

Protecting health care providers. HB 6820 protects Connecticut providers performing safe and legal reproductive healthcare services to those who need it because healthcare providers shouldn’t face out-of-state repercussions for doing what’s legal in Connecticut.
 
Preventing Wrong-Way Driving. Wrong-way driving crashes in Connecticut tripled in 2022, and studies have shown that wrong-way driving crashes are 100 times more likely to be fatal than other types of crashes. We passed HB 6746, which requires the CT DOT to expand efforts to implement wrong-way driving countermeasures and to include instruction on reducing wrong-way driving in drivers’ education programs.
 
Addressing life-threatening food allergies. HB 5902 establishes standards for restaurants to ensure that staff are aware of customer allergies. The bill also requires informational posters to be displayed in restaurants to improve safety and awareness of allergies.

The House is in full swing! This week, we voted on more important bills. There are a few I’d like to highlight this week.

We are in the final few weeks of this legislative session and that means we’re starting to vote on bills on the House Floor.

It’s been a busy few months crafting the state budget, so I’d like to take this opportunity to update you on how it all works.

After weeks of holding public hearings, the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee and the Appropriations Committee met to pass their revised budget proposals. I serve on the Appropriations Committee. The Appropriations budget that we voted on on Tuesday was the result of extensive discussions with government agencies and the public, as we sought to pass a fiscally responsible and compassionate budget that continues to provide historic tax relief. 

Please join the Greenwich House Delegation on Wednesday evening, as we welcome Department of Revenue Services Commissioner Mark Boughton for an online informational discussion on road safety and infrastructure funds.

Aside from our budgetary committees (Appropriations, Finance, Revenue and Bonding), all of our committee work has wrapped up. Now we shift to more days in session to vote on the bills that have passed out of respective committees. I look forward to the next phase of this legislative session. 

Don't forget - taxes are due Tuesday, April 18!

We are two-thirds of the way through our session, and it’s been a whirlwind!