We were at the Capitol this week debating and voting on a variety of bills as we approach the end of the 2021 legislative session. Among the bills we passed are the following:
S.B. 1037,AN ACT CONCERNING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
The House of Representatives took action on modernizing Connecticut's bottle deposit program to encourage residents to recycle and keep our beautiful parks, beaches and streets clean.
Connecticut's original bottle bill was enacted in 1978 and was one of the most progressive anti-litter laws of its time. While the program worked extremely well in its early years, the law has since become outdated and return rates have dropped below 50%.
S.B. 1037, An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management, includes a number of provisions aimed at updating the bottle deposit program and increasing redemption, such as:
- Increases the redemption rate on beverage containers from 5 to 10 cents starting January 2024
- Requires certain retailers that sell beverage containers captured by the bottle program to have two reverse vending machines outside of their stores starting in October 2021
- Updates the types of beverage containers captured by the bottle program, such as containers for teas, juices, hard ciders, and hard seltzers
- Allocates $5 million through the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to create a grant program for new redemption centers in urban areas
- Creates a nickel surcharge on nip bottles, which are a major source of litter in towns across the state, at the point of sale. The money will be redistributed to Connecticut towns and cities to use to reduce waste and litter.
I am proud to support this legislation because it is a common-sense modernization of the bottle deposit program that will go a long way towards cleaning up our communities, reducing waste, and providing people in cities and towns across Connecticut with greater access to redemption facilities.
S.B. 1, AN ACT EQUALIZING COMPREHENSIVE ACCESS TO MENTAL, BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CARE IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC.
Structural and systemic racism has a significant impact on the social determinants of health, leading to vast health disparities in our state. Among other impactful measures included in the omnibus bill to support accessible health care, SB 1 includes a provision to declare racism a public health crisis and assemble a panel to study the effects of racism on our health care system.
S.B. 2, AN ACT CONCERNING SOCIAL EQUITY AND THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.
The House passed SB 2, an omnibus bill that would help improve the lives and health of all children in our state.
H.B. 6517, AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE TO ANALYZE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LAWS GOVERNING DYSLEXIA INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING.
Over 2,000 Connecticut students were diagnosed with dyslexia during the 2018-19 school year, and 80% of students with learning disabilities have dyslexia. To improve instruction and better support students with dyslexia, the House passed HB 6517. This bill establishes an Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities that will help teachers identify students who may have dyslexia and become more effective at instructing them to achieve greater success. The first step in helping students overcome challenges in the classroom is identifying why they're struggling. This bill provides the tools to help students succeed.
CLICK HERE for more information about this bill.
H.B. 5597, AN ACT CONCERNING OPIOIDS.
The opioid epidemic has devastated our state. HB 5597 would help combat this epidemic by creating a task force to study the response protocols used by emergency responders and medical personnel following an opioid overdose death. It also requires the state Department of Public Health Commissioner to develop guidelines for the use of non-pharmaceutical methods of treating chronic pain and conduct community outreach to raise awareness. This bill could save lives and address the stigma of opioid use disorder.
CLICK HERE for more information about this bill.
S.B. 975, AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE BILL OF RIGHTS FOR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY RESIDENTS.
Many of the privileges we enjoy at home are denied to Connecticut's long-term care facility residents. SB 975 strengthens the nursing home patients' bill of rights so residents may treat their living space as their home, protecting their rights to privacy, health, and safety. The bill also allows patients to have video equipment installed in their room so that loved ones may monitor them. Every resident deserves the safety and security of a home-like environment.
CLICK HERE for more information about this bill. |