Month: July 2017
Senator Larson E-News: Combatting the Opioid Epidemic
Looney E-News: Keep Them Safe–Talk to Your Teen About Safe Driving This Summer
Senator Duff E-News: Safest Place to Raise a Child? Connecticut Dominates the National Rankings
Osten Applauds Signing Into Law of Her Temporary Health Care Structures Bill
Osten Applauds Signing Into Law of Her Temporary Health Care Structures Bill
State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today welcomed the signing into law of yet another one of her hallmark bills of the 2017 legislative session: allowing property owners to place temporary health care structures on their land to care for elderly relatives with mental or physical impairments.
Governor Dannel Malloy signed the bill into law on Thursday; it takes effect October 1.
“Connecticut is an aging state, and more people want to remain in their homes for as long as possible, so these temporary structures are a way to accomplish that. The concept was very popular when I toured senior centers last year taking about the idea,” Sen. Osten said. “This new law will allow more of our senior citizens to live out their years with dignity and grace.”
The units would be approximately 300 square feet, ADA compliant, and allow those who use them to have a safe, single-level housing unit — providing the elderly with an option other than moving into a nursing care facility or remodeling their existing home to meet their current health needs.
“I believe this law will go a long way toward our eventual goal of allowing people who require some level of assistance or special accessibility to stay on their own property or on that of a family caregiver,” Sen. Osten said. “In the long run, these temporary healthcare structures could save families a lot of money. Instead of placing a family member in a nursing home, they’d be able to age in place.”
Senate Bill 922, “AN ACT CONCERNING TEMPORARY HEALTH CARE STRUCTURES,” is euphemistically known as the ‘granny pod’ law. It establishes various requirements for the structures, including a maximum size of 500 square feet and a maximum occupancy of one person. The bill does allow cities and towns to opt-out of allowing such structures, but only by a vote of their board of selectmen or town council.
The law defines a “mentally or physically impaired person” as someone who a Connecticut-licensed doctor has certified as need help with two or more daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, meal preparation, shopping, housekeeping, bathroom needs, laundry, communication, or medication.
Senator Duff’s and Senator Witkos’ Bill to Remove Barriers to Employment and Cut Red Tape Signed Into Law
Senator Duff’s and Senator Witkos’ Bill to Remove Barriers to Employment and Cut Red Tape Signed Into Law
New Law Reforms Connecticut’s Occupational Licensing
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and Deputy Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Kevin Witkos (R-Canton) bill removing barriers to employment by reforming the state’s occupational license laws was signed into law this week.
The law takes effect January 1, 2018 and phases out occupational licenses for jobs that don’t have educational or professional prerequisites. Currently, Connecticut has many occupational licenses that workers are required to pay a fee to obtain, even for certain occupations that have no educational or certification requirement. In these cases, such licenses amount to a fee on an occupation. This bill removes barriers to employment while still maintaining health and safety protections for consumers.
“Tearing down barriers to employment and creating career opportunities is critical to Connecticut’s economy,” said Sen. Duff. “I have heard from small-business owners from around the state about the need to cut red tape. This new law will make it easier for people to enter the workforce and earn a livelihood. I am happy to have been able to work with Senator Witkos on this important measure.”
“This new law marks an important step in cutting red tape and removing the roadblocks faced by many individuals when pursuing new careers,” said Sen. Witkos. “By eliminating unnecessary licensing fees we can open up work opportunities to more people by removing a significant financial barrier. With reduced fees, this change could also lead to reduced costs for consumers. This new law is the result of a bipartisan effort and I thank Senator Duff for working with me to develop this idea and garner the bipartisan support needed to make this concept a reality.”
The new law will eliminate multiple occupational licenses, registrations, and certificates including for the following occupations: Above-Ground Swimming Pool Installer, Uniform Student Athlete Agents, Licensed Shorthand Reporters, Itinerant Vendors License, Wholesaler’s Salesman Certificate, Residential Flat Glass or Automotive Glazier, and Real Estate Intern.