H.B. 5506, An Act Adjusting the State Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2023: The budget includes the following funding amounts for various initiatives:
- Pays volunteer fire companies $500 for each call they respond to on limited access highways, like calls on Route 8 in Ansonia and Derby!
- $10 million over the next 2 years to fund regional police task forces to address illegal gun trafficking and car thefts.
- $400,000 to the state Department of Public Health for gun violence prevention.
- $3.4 million to the state Judicial Branch for the Project Longevity Initiative, which is a community-based approach to reduce gun violence in Connecticut cities.
- $500,000 for police and public safety officer training.
- Provides fuel tax refunds for EMS organizations to fuel their ambulances.
- Invests in transportation bonds for purchasing and installing advanced wrong-way driving technology.
S.B. 256, An Act Concerning Catalytic Converters: disrupts the catalytic converter theft crisis by strictly regulating the market, requiring specific documentation of the purchase and sale of these parts and creating new penalties and fines for those illegally trafficking catalytic converters.
H.B. 5420, An Act Concerning Mental Health Needs of and Services for Police Officers, Certain Requirements Regarding Police Training and Certain Reports: extends employment protections for police officers who seek mental health services. It also improves police training for handling incidents involving individuals with mental or physical disabilities.
S.B. 313, An Act Concerning Adoption of the Recommendations of the Task Force to Study Cancer Relief Benefits for Firefighters: requires local fire departments to develop and implement a plan for maintenance and remediation of toxic, cancer-causing substances on turnout gear and increases funding for the firefighters' cancer relief fund, which offers payments to firefighters diagnosed with cancer.
SB 5, An Act Concerning Online Dating Operators, the Creation of a Grant Program to Reduce Occurrences of Online Abuse and the Provision of Domestic Violence Training and Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence: takes steps to make online dating safer. It creates a grant program to prevent online abuse and makes victims of domestic violence a protected class.
H.B. 5417, An Act Concerning Juvenile Justice and Services, and Firearms Background Checks, and Larceny of a Motor Vehicle: makes adjustments to our state's existing criminal juvenile justice laws by:
- Speeding up juvenile arraignments within the Judicial Branch.
- Permitting GPS monitoring for repeat juvenile offenders.
- Extending hold times by police if an arresting office is seeking a detention order.
- Toughening car theft penalties, punishing offenders by the number of offenses instead of the value of the car.
P.A. 21-67, An Act Concerning Risk Protection Orders or Warrants and Disqualifiers for Firearm Permits and Eligibility Certificates: strengthen Connecticut's Red Flag law to permit family or household members and certain medical professional to petition a state court for a Risk Protection Order. Under the prior statute, only police officers or the state's attorney were authorized to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms who may pose as a danger to themselves or others. The law also ensures individuals whose firearms are removed cannot acquire additional firearms or ammunition. It also removes the expiration date of the Risk Protection Order to apply to have the order revoked. |
