State Capitol Update from Rep. Fortier

June 2, 2023





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Dear Neighbor,

I hope you had you are well and enjoyed the long holiday weekend.



I met many constituents attending The  Forestville Memorial Day Parade last weekend. It was great to see the community  pay tribute to our fallen heroes.

In this newsletter, I have listed items that can be helpful to you and an update on the bills we've passed this week in the House.

 

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns about the legislative process or any of the listed bills below.

 

Have a great weekend, and stay dry!

Funding for Connecticut Senior Centers

BIG NEWS!



Connecticut has been awarded $10 million in state funding from the American Rescue Plan to upgrade and enhance our senior centers. $9 million of this funding will be distributed to municipalities, which can use the funding to support upgrades at their local senior centers through:


 
  • Facility improvements, which can cover a variety of capital improvements, including air and HVAC systems, lighting, accessibility features, vehicle acquisition, maintenance, and repurposing.

     
  • Programming, which can include the acquisition of program registration software, web design renovation capability, extended senior center hours, special or focused entertainment or programming, while also encompassing expanded staff hours to support those programs, when applicable.


During this session, the Aging Committee worked hard to identify issues that senior citizens are still dealing with post-pandemic. I thank our state leaders for helping secure funding for senior centers.

 
The remaining funds will be used by the Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services to support its statewide senior center activities. Learn more about this exciting announcement here: tinyurl.com/56z2ym95
Minimum Wage Increase

REMINDER!  Connecticut's minimum wage increased to $15!

Legislation Passed In The House This Week

ICYMI: Here's a sample of some of the bills that we passed this week:

 HB 6901: Connecticut is the fifth-highest student debt holder in the nation. HB 6901 establishes a program to reimburse some student loan payments for certain Connecticut residents and incentivizes them to stay in our state.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



 HB 6599: Intimate partner violence is a leading contributor to death during pregnancy. To help identify and circumvent tragedies, HB 6599 requires the distribution of educational materials to pregnant and postpartum patients on intimate partner violence in birthing hospitals and healthcare providers.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



HB 6762: This bill includes provisions for early childhood education, special education, audits of state and local testing requirements, a Multilingual Learners Bill of Rights, and the establishment of task force to study and develop strategies to improve and promote civic engagement and instruction on civics, citizenship, media literacy and American government.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 913: The reality is some people witness traumatic incidents on the job. SB 913 expands coverage to make all employees eligible for workers' compensation coverage for post-traumatic stress injuries.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



 SB 956: SB 956 Requires written hospital and nursing home discharge plans for patients, to include the date and location of each follow up medical appointment and a list of medications the patient is taking.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



 HB 6796: Expands on legislation we passed last year to prevent the theft of catalytic converters by allowing the sharing of information among law enforcement units in other states, creating a uniform approach to the sales and penalty for the theft of a catalytic converter and establishing a task force to further study how to deter these thefts.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



HB 5001: We are addressing and expanding vital services to our Intellectually, Developmentally Disabled (IDD) population with HB 5001 by connecting people with the programs they need and qualify for.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 922: Under this bill,Connecticut higher education institutions can no longer withhold transcripts as a means to collect debt.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 1117: Expands protections for victims of human trafficking by prohibiting hotels, motels, and similar operators from offering discounts on many hourly rates.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 1018: Expands your ability to collect the small remaining cash balance of a gift card and it eliminates the requirement to provide the proof of purchase or a gift receipt.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 1017: The task force goal of SB 1017 is to ensure that our local emergency services and firefighter departments have enough personnel to keep our communities safe and protected.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 1102: Exciting news for healthcare! S.B. 1102 expands pharmacists’ roles to include ordering and administering COVID-19, HIV, and influenza tests, prescribing HIV-related prophylaxis, and administering epinephrine cartridges. Plus, mobile pharmacies are now allowed with DCP’s approval.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 1165: High schoolers should be financially literate. Educating students about managing money and debt can help them with a much brighter financial future.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 953: Modernizes Connecticut's racial profiling law to reflect the reality that often race is not the only motivation for detention, but a major contributing factor.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…



SB 1103: Data privacy is a high priority - SB 1103, establishes regulations and procedures for how state departments will regulate and use artificial intelligence and creates a working group to look at certain issues concerning AI.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=…

National Trails Day

 
Where will you be celebrating #NationalTrailsDay? 🥾🏞️



Join me taking the pledge to leave a trail better than you found it! Commit to taking a trash bag with you whenever you hike or go for a walk. Collect trash on a local trail, along your neighborhood sidewalk, or in a natural space near you.

Please feel free to contact me at the Capitol at 1-800-842-8267 or by email at Mary.Fortier@cga.ct.gov if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,



Mary Fortier

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