| Tomorrow, several new laws in Connecticut will go into effect. I have shared a few of these laws below and what they mean for you:
Establishing Juneteenth as a State Holiday
- Public Act 22-128 designates June 19, known as Juneteenth Independence Day, a legal state holiday
Juvenile Justice Reforms & Firearm Background Checks
- To respond to pandemic-related crime, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act 22-115
- Streamline juvenile arrest and delinquency proceedings
- Create more intensive responses to juveniles with serious repeated charges, focusing on motor vehicle thefts
- The state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) will notify local law enforcement if a resident fails a background check when trying to purchase a firearm
Addressing Children's Mental Health Concerns
- Public Act 22-47 is a transformative piece of legislation that takes steps to bolster Connecticut's children's mental and behavioral health system and improve the delivery and accessibility of services
- Increase the number of qualified health care providers by permitting out-of-state providers to apply for edited licensure in Connecticut
- Create a statewide emergency service telecommunications plan addressing mental health, behavioral health, or substance use disorder needs
- Expand Connecticut's emergency response team
CT Clean Air Act
- Public Act 22-25 takes steps to cut transportation-related emissions, improve air quality, and realize a greener, more sustainable state for all
- Electrifying state vehicles
- Establishing the "right to charge" allowing renters to request electric charging stations at their residences
- Transitioning to zero-emission school buses
- Prohibiting planned community associations from adopting rules that would prevent unit homeowners from installing solar panels
Fair Rent Commission
- Public Act 22-30 requires municipalities with populations of at least 25,000 to establish a fair rent commission, where they conduct studies and investigations, hold hearings, receive rent complaints, and intervene in matters between tenants and landlords
Timely Reporting by Police of a Death
- In light of an investigation of Bridgeport police officers who failed to properly notify the next of kin of two women who died in December 2021 and similar incidents across our state, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act 22-61 to require the timely reporting of a death to the next of kin
- Police officers will have 24 hours after identifying a victim to report the death
- Failure to report a death as required will trigger an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General
Written Consent from Patients for Intimate Exams
- Public Act 22-33 requires hospitals and outpatient surgical facilities to obtain a patient’s express written consent to an “intimate examination"
- Requires UConn Health Center to develop a plan to establish an endometriosis data and biorepository program
Click the button below to view the full list of laws taking effect on October 1. To read the CT Insider's summary of the new laws, please click here. |
