CT-Puerto Rico Trade Partnership & Protecting Kids on Social Media

May 16, 2025


 
 

I joined my colleagues in voting for bills establishing a new trade deal between our state and Puerto Rico, improving healthcare for seniors, supporting our firefighters, fostering civic engagement among our children, and strengthening protections for children on social media. I’ll dig deeper into all those proposals and break down how they make Connecticut a safer and better place to live.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the students and educators who displayed their talents at Manufacturing Day at the Capitol. It was inspiring to see their work.

These are the sections in today's email: 

  • Student Impresses at Manufacturing Day
  • CT-Puerto Rico Trade Commission
  • Strengthening Healthcare for Seniors
  • Support for Firefighters
  • Fostering Civic Engagement in Our Children
  • Child Social Media Protection
 

Student Impresses at Manufacturing Day

A big thank you to all the talented students who came to the Capitol on Thursday for Manufacturing Day and showcased their incredible skills! The future of Connecticut manufacturing is in great hands.

I would like to give a special shoutout to Kevin Vásquez and his teacher Mr. Charles Copeland, from Career Development and Industry Partnerships at the Academy of Aerospace and Engineering. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your innovation!  
 

CT-Puerto Rico Trade Commission

I am excited the House unanimously passed a bill establishing a new trade agreement between Connecticut and Puerto Rico. I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation in part because Connecticut is home to nearly 300,000 Puerto Ricans, including more than 40,000 in Hartford, which is the highest concentration per capita of any state in the U.S.

House Bill 5008 will create a 23-member commission with the following goals:

  • Advance bilateral trade and investment with Puerto Rico
  • Promote business and academic exchanges
  • Encourage mutual economic support and infrastructure investment
  • Initiate joint action on policy issues of mutual interest

Local businesses and larger companies operating in Connecticut and Puerto Rico have shared broad support for the bill. It is a powerful opportunity to strengthen our trades and manufacturing sector. By building direct partnerships with Puerto Rico, we can expand skilled workforce pipelines, increase the flow of goods and materials, and open new markets for Connecticut-made products. This collaboration will drive innovation, economic growth, and good-paying jobs for both regions.
 
Additionally, a new trade commission will help Connecticut address jobs that we traditionally struggle to fill. It only benefits our state to attract trained skilled labor that can work immediately and boost our economy.
 
House Bill 5008 now moves to the Senate, which has until June 4 to pass the legislation before Governor Lamont can sign it into law.
 

Strengthening Healthcare for Seniors

My colleagues and I voted to strengthen healthcare for Connecticut's seniors. This legislation:

  • Increases access for vital biomarker testing
  • Requires nursing homes to consider proximity to family members in any transfer of a resident
  • Enhances safety with improved background checks for all nursing home employees.
  • Establishes a task force to address the specific needs of seniors with Alzheimer's and dementia.
 

Support for Firefighters

The House approved an expansion of the Firefighters Cancer Relief Program. The changes include expanding the types of cancers covered to include skin cancer and authorizing workers’ compensation administrative law judges to handle appeals of any denial of benefits.

This bill could not have come at a more critical time. The Comptroller's Office recently released a report showing an alarming decline in the number of firefighters in our state. We must continue to pass legislation supporting firefighters, both to protect those who are serving and to send a message to those considering the career.

Governor Lamont signed the bill into law last week.
 

Fostering Civic Engagement in Our Children

This week, the House passed an education bill that honors civically engaged students, reforms crisis response drills, limits the use of smart devices in school, and much more.

HB 7009, which I was proud to co-sponsor, establishes the Connecticut State Seal of Civics Education and Engagement, which recognizes graduating high school seniors for their exceptional achievement in civics.

This seal is for students who demonstrate civic engagement in school, through the completion of classes and assessments, and outside of the classroom by participating in community service, student government, and more. This recognition will encourage students to learn more about the way our government works and the role they play in shaping society.

This seal also sends a powerful message that civics isn't just a class to pass; it's a way to make a difference and give back to your community.

The bill also establishes new standards for school crisis response drills to continue to protect and prepare students and staff while being sensitive to mental health needs. While schools must be prepared for an emergency, organizers must ensure these drills are conducted effectively and responsibly.

Other key aspects of HB 7009 include:

  • Limiting the use of smart devices in school
  • Addressing antisemitism in schools
  • Providing curriculum on Islamic and Arab Studies
  • Allowing districts to decide whether to allow children under the age of 5 to begin kindergarten early
  • Raising the standard for when a student in pre-K to grade 2 can get an out-of-school suspension
  • Requiring same-day notification of any use of restraint or seclusion of a student.

The bill is important because it encourages civic engagement and protects our students' mental health, and I am proud to cast my vote in support.
 

Child Social Media Protection

We took a step toward addressing the mental health crisis among teens using social media by passing HB 6857 with bipartisan support.

This measure aims to help children the moment they try to join a social media platform, and that’s because it would require parental consent for anyone under the age of 18 to open an account. The bill also tries to regulate content saying social media companies would not be able to target minors with content or with push notifications between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. 

Connecticut took a major step forward as a national leader with this new effort to reign in big tech’s predatory practices that are reinforcing addictive and harmful choices in minors.