A Visit to Fairfield from Congressman Himes, Legislative Updates, and More!

February 20, 2023


 
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Dear Neighbor,

I wanted to take the time to share some of the things I've been up to. For your convenience, here are some helpful links to all the information included in this email:  
 
Congressman Jim Himes Visits Fairfield
On Monday, the Fairfield delegation, Congressman Jim Himes, Carla Miklos, Executive Director of Operation Hope, and representatives from both The Partnership for Strong Communities and the Fairfield County Center for Housing Opportunity came together at the Pine Tree apartments in Fairfield to discuss the state’s critical need for affordable housing. Congressman Himes discussed how the need within Fairfield County alone is close to 30,000 new housing units. It was an excellent opportunity for us to highlight the success of Pine Tree as a model of affordable pocket neighborhoods within a suburban community that should be emulated throughout the county. You can read more about Congressman Himes' visit by clicking here. 
 
Legislative Spotlight: An Act Concerning Working Group Recommendations Related to Indoor Air Quality 
This week, I wanted to highlight Proposed S.B. No. 796, An Act Concerning Working Group Recommendations Related to Indoor Air Quality.

This is legislation before the Education Committee that I introduced along with my fellow Indoor Air Quality Working Group Co-Chair Senator Julie Kushner to adopt the recommendations from our working group on indoor air quality within school buildings.

On Tuesday, after many months of work, the Indoor Air Quality Working Group voted out our recommendations.
Some of these recommendations to help keep our students, teachers, and staff safe and healthy include:
  • Making the state responsible for managing, collecting, and reporting the data from the 5-year HVAC inspection and evaluation via an electronic reporting portal.
  • Continuing the existing HVAC funding program created in PA-22-118 and included in the Governor's budget.
  • Adopting a Regulation on Optimal School Temperature.
  • Make Existing Tools-for-Schools Inspections Annual, and
  • Continue the Working Group through January 31, 2024, as the issue is complex and requires ongoing work to explore additional policies and recommendations. This would include items in the working group's original mandate that have not yet been addressed, such as considering requiring districts to perform ongoing HVAC maintenance to ensure proper system functioning and the creation of an electronic database and portal for districts to enter their assessment and maintenance data. 

You can watch the full Indoor Air Quality Working Group Meeting on YouTube.
 
UConn School of Social Work's Trip to Hartford
On Tuesday, I was happy to welcome a class from UConn's School of Social Work. Their professor, Tanya Rhodes Smith is both a constituent and the Director and Founder of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work. Her areas of specialization include policy development, nonprofit administration, voter engagement, and legislative advocacy. 
She brought her class to the Capitol to observe the legislative process and learn how to effectively participate in that process. I had been collaborating with several of her students on a shared policy objective and it was great to connect with them in person. I hope you will consider taking a trip up to the Capitol as well and make sure to let me know when you do!
 
I'm committed to ensuring your voice is heard. Please don't hesitate to call my office at (860) 240-8585 or email me if there's anything I can do for you. Be sure to follow @LeeperForFairfield on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything I'm doing at the Capitol.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Leeper
State Representative
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