Month: May 2021

Legislation to Support Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Connecticut Approved by Senate

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) voted in support of legislation to bolster minority teacher recruitment and retention in Connecticut, create a plan to encourage high school students to enter the teaching profession, and address implicit bias in the teacher hiring process. Senate Bill 1034, “An Act Concerning Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention” moves to the state House of Representatives for further discussion and action. It passed the Senate by a 34-1 vote.

“Students do better in school when their classroom environments reflect their lived experiences,” said Sen. Anwar. “The improved learning opportunities available to students alone make this legislation worth approving, but on top of that, we are creating new routes and opportunities for workers’ careers. This may even lead to a cyclical effect, where students are better inspired to follow in influential teachers’ footsteps. I look forward to its further discussion in the House.”

Senate Bill 1034 will strengthen efforts to increase diversity in Connecticut’s teacher workforce so that it reflects the numerous backgrounds of the state’s student population, while creating pathways to good-paying careers that are central to a young person’s academic achievement.

More than 40 percent of Connecticut’s student population are people of color. However, people of color make up less than 10 percent of the state’s public school teachers, according to the governor’s office in 2019.

The three main components of the bill are:

Establishing the Minority Candidate Certification, Retention or Residency Year Program

Senate Bill 1034 would create the minority candidate certification, retention, or residency year program. The state Department of Education (SDE) would administer the program and it would begin in fiscal year 2022 (i.e. 2021-22 school year) and continue each following year.

The overall program administered by SDE would help minority candidates – a person of color who is employed as a school paraprofessional or an associate instructor with a local or regional board of education – enroll in a residency program with the goal of becoming full-time, certified teachers once they have successfully finished their residency program. Additionally, the overall program managed by SDE would assist local and regional boards of education hire and retain the minority candidates who graduate from their residency program.

The residency program would be a State Board of Education approved certification program. In addition, the program would have participating candidates:

• Serve in a role that would otherwise need professional certification and would be a full-time position for a period of 10 school months in a school district
• Be supervised by a certified teacher or administrator, along with a supervisor from a regional educational service center (RESC). As an alternative to a supervisor from a RESC, a private, nonprofit teacher or administrator overseeing the certification program could serve in that role

A board of education participating in the residency program may hire a minority candidate situated in their school district following the candidate’s successful conclusion of the program.

Starting with fiscal year 2022, the bill would require that each board of education for an alliance district partner with a RESC or private, nonprofit teacher or administrator operating a residency program to sign up candidates and situate them in the school district as a participant in the residency program.

East Hartford was among the 2019-2020 SDE list of alliance districts.

Starting with fiscal year 2022 and each year after, SDE would reserve from an alliance district 10 percent of any funding increase the district received for that fiscal year that is above the amount it received for fiscal year 2020. SDE would use those reserved funds for distribution to the alliance districts to cover costs of the residency program.

An alliance district’s board of education may apply to SDE for funds to cover expenses associated with the aspects of the program. Allowed uses by the participating board of education for the funds distributed by SDE include: signing up minority candidates into a residency program, certification process for the program’s minority candidates, hiring of the candidates who have successfully finished a residency program, and retaining them as certified teachers in the school district.

Develop a Plan to Promote Teaching as Career Path to High School Students

Under Senate Bill 1034, the commissioner of the state Department of Education (SDE), the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, and the dean of UConn’s Neag School of Education would collaborate to create a plan to help local and regional boards of education encourage high school students to consider teaching as a career option.

The developed plan would include avenues for boards of education to partner with educator preparation programs in Connecticut and establish counseling programs for high school students to learn about the teaching profession.

In addition, SDE would have to provide boards of education information promoting teaching as a career by September 1, 2021. The distributed information for school counselors and students would include materials on programs in Connecticut regarding educator preparation and alternative route to certification. Also, the information would have to be available on the SDE website.

Video Module Training Addressing Implicit Bias and Anti-Bias in Hiring of Teachers

Senate Bill 1034 directs the state Department of Education (SDE), in consultation with the Minority Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council and State Education Resource Center (SERC), to create a video training module covering implicit bias and anti-bias in the hiring process. The module must be created and available for school district personnel by July 1, 2022.

This bill would require that any local board of education employee involved in or responsible for the teacher hiring process in the school district to complete the video module training before they can participate in the hiring process. This requirement goes into effect for the school year starting on July 1, 2023 (i.e. 2023-24 school year).

Senator Anwar Joins Senate Passage of Bill Studying Cancer Relief Benefits for Firefighters

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined the Senate’s passage of legislation that will study cancer relief benefits for firefighters in the state. As firefighters risk their lives daily to protect and save their communities, they deserve proper benefits for conditions including cancer developed in their line of work, something this bill will examine.

“On the day of New Haven Firefighter Ricardo Torres, Jr.’s funeral after he gave his life in the line of duty, it is uniquely moving for us to fight for firefighters’ rights, especially given the dangers they face on the job,” said Sen. Anwar. “I look forward to the findings of the study approved today and hope they assist us in supporting firefighters further in the future.”

Senate Bill 141, “An Act Establishing A Task Force To Study Cancer Relief Benefits For Firefighters,” establishes a task force to examine the adequacy of the current firefighters cancer relief program and the possibility of providing additional resources including workers’ compensation and other benefits to firefighters diagnosed with cancer acquired as a result of occupational exposure to noxious fumes or poisonous gases. Task force members will include but are not limited to chairs and ranking members of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, experts in workers compensation and cancer research, a representative of a firefighters’ labor organization and representatives of municipalities with paid and volunteer fire departments. This task force will submit a report to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2022.

A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety focused on firefighter cancer concluded that firefighters face a 9 percent increase in cancer diagnoses and a 14 percent increase in cancer-related deaths compared to the general population of the United States. Breathing in smoke and other chemicals during fighting fires and other exposure to contaminants have been directly correlated to various forms of cancer and other long-term illnesses.

Sen. Anwar, After Extensive Work, is Proud to Join Senate Passage of Legislation Increasing Consumer Protection for Long-Term Care Insurance

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) was proud to join the Senate in its passage of legislation overhauling long-term care insurance in Connecticut, specifically putting additional consumer protections in place to prevent customers from financial harm. The legislation imposes measures on insurers, HMOs and other organizations issuing and selling long-term care insurance, action made necessary by the spiking cost of long-term care insurance for many residents in recent years and decades. Long-term care is designed to protect residents from the cost of nursing homes, elder care assistance and health care made necessary as an individual ages, but fluctuations in the market have caused significant turmoil for policyholders in recent years facing significant increases in premiums.

“In recent years, I have been contacted by constituents struggling under the weight of long-term care insurance, specifically suffering from extreme, unfounded spikes in their insurance care rates that made this important coverage nigh-unaffordable,” said Sen. Anwar. “The steps we take today in passing this legislation will protect these residents from all but predatory business practices, preventing them from having to choose between dropping vital coverage or cutting costs on other important bills – an issue constituents have directly spoken to me about. I’m proud that my colleagues and I were achieve these positive benefits for those in need, but there is more to be done. These issues are so significant that I look forward to continuing the fight and working with the community and my colleagues to further support those struggling.”

Senate Bill 1046, “An Act Concerning Long-Term Care Insurance,” imposes consumer protection measures on insurers, HMOs, fraternal benefit societies and hospital or medical service corporations issuing and selling long-term care insurance policies in Connecticut, including the development of minimum affordable benefit options to be offered by them for increases in premium rates of 20% or more. It prohibits insurers from issuing, delivering or renewing long-term care insurance policies on or after January 1, 2022 unless an insurer is also authorized or licensed to sell other lines of insurance in the state.

The insurance commissioner must also develop a minimum set of affordable benefit options insurers must offer to policyholders if they file premium rate increases of 20% or more for LTC policy; by law, insurers filing for rate increases of 20% or more must spread the premium increase over at least three years, and the bill prohibits them from filing additional rate increases over those three years.

Sen. Anwar became involved in the issue of long-term care insurance in 2019, shortly after his election to the State Senate, as his constituents and residents around the state contacted him about the growing problems associated with it. Constituents reported premiums for insurance spiked as high as 300% in one year, in some cases forcing lapses in coverage as individuals could no longer afford programs they have paid into for many years, sometimes decades. In public testimony supporting the bill, two Connecticut residents aged 89 and 87 reported their premiums cost just over $6,000 per year when the policies were purchased in 2002; in 2021, the premiums in 2021 now cost $17,681 per year with no increase in Social Security, pension or retirement funds.

Policyholders paid for their policies; for them to lose coverage just as they will require services will negatively impact their health, as would eschewing other important financial obligations to cover the cost of extreme premiums. Several seniors testified to the Legislature citing 15% annual increases and reductions of quality of plans in recent years, highlighting an increased financial strain that requires action.

Sen. Anwar Votes to Strengthen Connecticut Farms and Improve our Environment

HARTFORD – State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) voted for a bill this evening that will allow more Connecticut farms the opportunity to convert farm waste and food scraps into valuable, usable biogas – a win/win for both farmers and for towns and local taxpayers who are confronting the ever-rising cost of disposing of solid waste, nearly 25% of which is food waste.

House Bill 6503, “AN ACT CONCERNING THE SITING OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTION FACILITIES ON FARMS,” passed the Senate this evening and now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk for his signature into law.

“In proudly serving Ellington, a town with one of the largest dairy farms in the state, I have joined my colleagues to work diligently to make sure an anaerobic digester could come to the town and allow financial and environmental strength and support to the business,” said Sen. Anwar. “Previous bills have tried to make this easier, but there continue to be barriers in the process. This legislation lifts some of those barriers to support further adoption of the process in our state.”

HB 6503 streamlines the state permitting process for building anerobic digestion facilities on farms that also host animal feeding operations, such as dairy farms. Anaerobic digestion is a process by which bacteria digest and break down organic material (such as animal manure and food scraps) and produce a methane-rich biogas, which can then be used to generate heat, create electricity, or fuel vehicles.

The bill requires farms that are also the site of an anerobic digestion facility to maintain a comprehensive nutrient management plan – developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – that not only benefits the animal’s health, but also ensures that the water and soil on the farm does not become contaminated with a variety of random and possibly harmful feed stock ingredients.

The bill also requires more producers of organic material (for example, restaurants and grocery stores) to separate those organic materials (which are recyclable) from other solid waste and to recycle those organic materials at nearby composting facilities. Under current law, only facilities which produce 52 tons annually of organic waste had to recycle it; this bill cuts that in half, to 26 tons, therefore affecting more facilities.

Recycling organic waste like food scraps is important because according to a 2015 study by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), food waste from homes and businesses nearly equaled paper waste as the largest percentage of all trash: 22.3% food waste versus 23.1% paper waste. Food waste is the fastest-growing segment of Connecticut’s solid waste stream, and it’s also the largest portion of waste that can be recycled.

The bill also requires DEEP to establish a voluntary pilot program for municipalities seeking to save money on their solid waste disposal costs by separating organic materials from other trash and ensuring that those organic materials can be recycled at authorized composting facilities.

Senator Anwar-Sponsored Bill Establishing the ‘Right to Housing’ Passes Senate

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) celebrated the Senate’s passage of the “Right to Housing,” legislation he co-sponsored that implements a state goal to develop policies respecting, protecting and fulfilling a right to affordable, safe and stable housing for every resident. This transformative bill, which passed the Housing Committee in March by a 9-3 vote, fights for the right to housing, identifies vulnerable populations and requires them to be considered in affordable housing-related actions; establishes a committee to review housing policies; and requires the creation of a housing advocate to assist recipients of Department of Housing services with complaints or grievances related to the right to housing.

“The issue of housing and homelessness is close to my heart and I have championed this issue for years because every individual in Connecticut deserves a stable, safe home,” said Sen. Anwar. “We know the pressures and societal issues that lead to homelessness; we also know, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, that homelessness and housing insecurity is not an individual issue but a societal one and can impact anyone. As such, the people of Connecticut deserve the safety and peace of mind of knowing they and their loved ones will remain protected.”

Senate Bill 194, “An Act Establishing A Right To Housing,” is wide-ranging, making the following changes to housing statutes:

The bill seeks to implement policies pushing to establish the “right to housing” in Connecticut, which includes:

• State agencies and political subdivisions considering the right to housing when adopting or revision policies, regulations or grant criteria impacting the right
• Such policies should be implemented with priority to assisting households with low and moderate income, households that could be at risk of housing insecurity
• Serving households currently experience homelessness or at risk of housing loss or in lower ranges of income groups being considered

Components of the “right to housing” include:

• The right to protection from housing loss, meaning governmental programs can ensure the legal security of people and households at risk of losing housing or experiencing homelessness, including eviction prevention programs, legal assistance in evictions and financial assistance and support services
• The right to safe housing meeting all basic needs including internal habitability and necessary services and infrastructure to support healthy and dignified living standards
• The right to housing and affordability, through government programs providing rent assistance, encouraging existing housing’s maintenance, repair and rehabilitation and increasing low-cost housing stock to ensure the ability to secure and maintain housing without risking access to other essential needs
• Right to rehousing assistance for people and households that have become homeless
• The right to recognition of special circumstances, where government programs ensure the accessibility of households facing obstacles to finding housing ranging from race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, unemployment, criminal record, eviction history, family status, income source, immigration status, cultural traditions or being a victim of fraud or financial manipulation among others

The bill further establishes a “right to housing” committee, a 17-member group to review existing and proposed housing policies and advise on the state’s implementation of a right to housing, including review of legislation impacting housing with focus on homeless individuals, including homeless youth; individuals with physical disabilities; individuals with mental health, substance abuse and developmental conditions; individuals with past or current criminal justice system involvement; individuals from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups; individuals from historically marginalized groups based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression; survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual trafficking; refugees and immigrants; and veterans.

It also requires the development of a Department of Housing employee deemed a housing advocate who must provide timely assistance to recipients of DOH services with complaints or grievances regarding the right to housing.

This legislation passed the Housing Committee in March by a 12-3 vote. It now proceeds to the House.

Senator Anwar Joins Passage of Connecticut Parentage Act

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) voted in favor of a bill that provides equal treatment for children born to same-sex couples. House Bill 6321, ‘ An Act Concerning Adoption And Implementation Of The Connecticut Parentage Act,’ extends protections to all CT children regardless of the circumstances of their birth or their parents’ marital status, gender, or sexual orientation.

“All families and parents in Connecticut deserve the same rights, and their identities deserve to be reflected in our state’s statutes,” said Sen. Anwar. “I’m very encouraged that this legislation supports the rights of all parents, including same-gender and non-biological parents, in updating our state’s laws. The legislation supports parents and children alike, taking several significant steps in benefitting families statewide.”

The CPA would modernize Connecticut law by ensuring access to legal parentage for all children, including those with unmarried, same-gender, or non-biological parents. For example, it would extend to same-gender couples access to the Acknowledgement of Parentage process, a simple form already available to unmarried different-gender couples that allows a parent to establish a legal parent-child relationship at birth without court proceedings. The bill would also provide protections for children conceived through assisted reproduction, which account for four percent of all Connecticut births.

According to the Yale Law School Clinic, Connecticut is the only New England state without protections or paths to parentage for non-biological parents to establish their legal relationship with their children. This means the legal relationship between many of the state’s LGBTQ parents and their children is insecure, which leaves children vulnerable. The CPA will fill gaps in existing law and ensure equal access to legal parentage for all children, including those with unmarried, same-sex, or nonbiological parents.

Parentage refers to the legal parent-child relationship, and this legal bond is core to a child’s stability and security. Legal parentage comes with a number of rights such as custody, parenting time, and decision making. And it also comes with numerous responsibilities such as providing care, financial support, and health insurance.

Establishing parentage quickly ensures that a child is secured to their parents for all purposes and increases clarity for all involved in a child’s life. This is particularly important if a problem arises; for example, legal parents are able to make medical decisions, to provide health insurance and other benefits, and to ensure that their child inherits in the event of death.