Senator Needleman Leads Senate in Allowing Vehicle Charging Stations to Be Financed Under Clean Energy Program
Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), Senate Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, led the passage of legislation that allows for the Connecticut Green Bank’s Property Assessed Clean Energy Program to finance the installation of zero-emission vehicle refueling infrastructure and resilience improvements on qualifying commercial real estate property. Expanding the Clean Energy Program to cover these installations will play a significant role in making electric vehicle charging stations more accessible, especially in instances like businesses seeking to install infrastructure on their properties.
“To meet our state’s goals of electric vehicle adoption, we need to make it easier for folks to charge their cars to make them a more viable option,” said Sen. Needleman. “By using the Clean Energy Program to finance installation of charging stations on commercial real estate, we make it easier for apartments and businesses to pursue adding these options to their properties. Just as important, the Program will also allow for efforts to protect charging equipment from the elements to come at a lower cost, reducing the effects of climate change on the grid.”
Senate Bill 93, “An Act Concerning The Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program,” allows the financing of installations of zero-emission vehicle refueling infrastructure and resilience improvements on qualifying commercial real property. A “zero emission vehicle” is an electric, hybrid or other vehicle that produces zero emissions of certain pollutants. To qualify, the infrastructure must be permanently fixed to the commercial property.
In public testimony, the Connecticut Green Bank wrote that this legislation would increase the new areas for investments in EV infrastructure and resiliency in Connecticut and bypass a current requirement for infrastructure energy savings to exceed the cost of financing, which is seen as a sticking point as energy savings largely accrue to the drivers of EVs rather than property owners where the charger is installed. It further allows for increased protection and retained quality of the infrastructure against outside issues such as climate change, as such upgrades can be constituted through the Green Bank.
Senator Needleman Leads Senate in Providing PURA with Greater Oversight over Propane, Gas Distribution Systems
Senator Needleman Leads Senate in Providing PURA with Greater Oversight over Propane, Gas Distribution Systems
Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), Senate Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, led the passage of a bill that will provide the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority with additional authority over certain gas transportation entities such as propane and municipal gas distribution systems. It also allows for PURA to stop work on a project covered by “Call Before You Dig” if there is an immediate life-threatening hazard resulting from willful violation of the law.
“PURA plays an important role in the oversight and quality assurance of state utility and electric supplier services,” said Sen. Needleman. “By expanding those roles to include gas distribution systems, we can ensure that Connecticut energy systems have proper oversight to better ensure the safety and security of both workers and the public. That includes the adjustments to the ‘Call Before You Dig’ law, the change of which will allow for better protection of the public.”
Senate Bill 94, “An Act Concerning Certain Modifications To Gas Pipeline Processes,” will allow PURA access to certain gas transportation entities’ facilities, allows it the ability to investigate these entities, allows it to order improvements or repairs, requires notification of PURA about certain accidents and allows PURA to impose certain penalties. It further ensures PURA commissioners can stop work on a project covered by “Call Before You Dig” if there’s an immediate life-threatening hazard resulting from willful violation of the law.
Current law allows PURA to access a public utility or retail electric supplier’s premises and buildings; this bill expands that access, and other roles including investigation, ordering site improvements for adequacy, suitability and safety, accident reporting and enforcement to include gas “plants.”
Sen. McCrory Supports Passage of Bill for Health Insurance Coverage of Newborns
Sen. McCrory Supports Passage of Bill for Health Insurance Coverage of Newborns
Today, state Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford, Bloomfield and Windsor) supported passage of Senate Bill 377, An Act Concerning Health Insurance Coverage For Newborns. Senate Bill 377 will extend the time period for which a parent would need to provide notice of the birth of a newborn, and pay any required premium or subscription fee to continue the newborn’s coverage.
“This is a straight-forward piece of legislation that will give greater flexibility to new parents and help ensure they can focus on what matters most, the health and well-being of their newborn,” said Sen. McCrory.
Currently, certain health insurance policies that cover family members must cover newborns from birth for a set period before requiring payment to continue the coverage. This bill extends the period within which the insured person must notify the health carrier about the birth from 61 days after birth to 121 days after birth or the hospital discharge date.
SB 377 applies to those fully insured and to group health insurance policies that cover basic hospital expenses, basic medical-surgical expenses, major medical expenses, accidents, and hospital or medical services.
This bill has support from Connecticut Children’s with the President of the Connecticut Children’s Specialty Group and the Director of Neonatology at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center submitting positive testimony urging for passage to allow families to be able to easily access and maintain health insurance coverage for their newborns, whichever is later.
Through Connecticut Children’s growing neonatal network, they are expanding access to communities across the state. The hospital collaborates on the care teams for more than 55% of babies born annually; meaning almost 20,000 Connecticut babies each year get a healthy start in life because their first doctor is one of Connecticut Children’s pediatric experts. This bill would help ensure that those who have a state regulated healthcare plan, will be able to have their newborn receive health insurance coverage through their caregivers’ plans.
Infants in the Hartford NICU often stay for weeks and months at a time as they receive highly specialized care. In Fiscal Year 2021, Connecticut Children’s treated 850 patients across the NICU; 206 of which stayed greater than 30 days. The average length of stay for these patients was 77 days. As it relates to this bill, CT Children’s are supportive of an extended period of time to notify insurers as navigating the complexities of enrollment is often the last thing on a parent’s mind when their newborn is receiving care in a NICU.
Appropriations Committee Votes to Support Mental Health Initiatives in Police Work, Expanded Workers’ Compensation for Dispatchers
Appropriations Committee Votes to Support Mental Health Initiatives in Police Work, Expanded Workers’ Compensation for Dispatchers
Police to receive additional training and mental health support
Today, the Appropriations Committee voted in support of legislation bolstering mental health initiatives both for police officers working in the field and police officers needing care themselves. One piece of legislation receiving support extends workers’ compensation coverage to police dispatchers in addition to police officers and firefighters; the other increases both protections for police officers regarding mental health and seeks to improve police relations with individuals with mental health issues.
State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), a member of the Appropriations Committee and sponsor of the workers’ compensation bill, voted to approve both pieces of legislation today.
“In recent years, the increased consideration of mental health needs for police and policing alike has benefitted our society,” said Sen. Anwar. “By reducing the stigma of mental health issues among officers and changing their approach to dealing with members of the public with mental health concerns, our state can further improve our standards both to ensure officers receive the care they need without question or judging and that members of the public will receive aid in a manner that will be safe and effective regarding their individual needs.”
House Bill 5420, “An Act Concerning Mental Health Needs Of and Services For Police Officers, Certain Requirements Regarding Police Training and Certain Reports,” makes several changes to law enforcement and related agencies, mainly about mental health, including:
- Extending existing employment protections to police officers seeking or receiving mental health care services after required behavioral health assessments
- Creating training on interacting with people with mental or physical disabilities or who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind, which will replace current standards of contact
- Providing $100,000 of grants to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, which will be given to nonprofit organizations providing police officer crisis intervention training
- Creating a task force to study officer mental health needs
- Studying a sample of 911 calls and analyzing which would be more appropriately handled through 211
House Bill 5251, “An Act Concerning Workers’ Compensation For Dispatchers,” extends “portal-to-portal” workers’ compensation coverage to 911 emergency dispatchers when they’re responding to a direct order to work when normally excused from working or after working two or more mandatory overtime shifts on consecutive days. “Portal-to-portal” coverage sees injury occurring while an employee is traveling from their home to their workplace having occurred in the course of employment; this would be extended to dispatchers from current law’s provision of standards for police officers, firefighters and Department of Corrections employees.
Both bills were unanimously approved by the Public Safety and Security Committee before their approval by the Appropriations Committee today. They proceed to the House for further consideration.
Senator Lesser Leads Passage Of Bill For Health Insurance Coverage Of Newborns
Senator Lesser Leads Passage Of Bill For Health Insurance Coverage Of Newborns
Today, state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), Chair of the Insurance & Real Estate Committee led passage of Senate Bill 377, An Act Concerning Health Insurance Coverage For Newborns. Senate Bill 377 will extend the time period for which a parent would need to provide notice of the birth of a newborn, and pay any required premium or subscription fee to continue the newborn’s coverage.
“As a father, I know the most important thing a parent wants for their newborn child to be healthy and safe,” said Sen. Lesser. “If a new parent has a child, especially a newborn with health-related complications, the last thing on a parents mind is going into their HR department at work and enroll their newborn in a health insurance plan. This bill allows parents to focus on what is important.”
Currently, certain health insurance policies that cover family members must cover newborns from birth for a set period before requiring payment to continue the coverage. This bill extends the period within which the insured person must notify the health carrier about the birth from 61 days after birth to 121 days after birth or the hospital discharge date.
SB 377 applies to those fully insured and to group health insurance policies that cover basic hospital expenses, basic medical-surgical expenses, major medical expenses, accidents, and hospital or medical services.
This bill has support from Connecticut Children’s with the President of the Connecticut Children’s Specialty Group and the Director of Neonatology at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center submitting positive testimony urging for passage to allow families to be able to easily access and maintain health insurance coverage for their newborns, whichever is later.
Through Connecticut Children’s growing neonatal network, they are expanding access to communities across the state. The hospital collaborates on the care teams for more than 55% of babies born annually; meaning almost 20,000 Connecticut babies each year get a healthy start in life because their first doctor is one of Connecticut Children’s pediatric experts. This bill would help ensure that those who have a state regulated healthcare plan, will be able to have their newborn receive health insurance coverage through their caregivers’ plans.
Infants in the Hartford NICU often stay for weeks and months at a time as they receive highly specialized care. In Fiscal Year 2021, Connecticut Children’s treated 850 patients across the NICU; 206 of which stayed greater than 30 days. The average length of stay for these patients was 77 days. As it relates to this bill, CT Children’s are supportive of an extended period of time to notify insurers as navigating the complexities of enrollment is often the last thing on a parent’s mind when their newborn is receiving care in a NICU.
Senator Anwar Joins Senate in Approving Medicaid Reimbursement for Surgical, Prescription Treatment of Severe Obesity
Senator Anwar Joins Senate in Approving Medicaid Reimbursement for Surgical, Prescription Treatment of Severe Obesity
Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined the Senate in its approval of legislation allowing Medicaid and HUSKY-B reimbursement for medically necessary covered treatment of severe obesity, including surgery and outpatient drugs. Currently, Medicaid reimbursement of treatment for those conditions is only covered when obesity is caused by or exacerbates an illness. This bill effectively eliminates the requirement that a comorbidity exists in reimbursement of services and includes prescription drugs as a reimbursable treatment. Sen. Anwar helped introduce this legislation.
“Nearly 40 percent of American adults are obese, and this condition is linked to common chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease,” said Sen. Anwar. “Complicating matters is that many Americans who are obese lack nutritional education, reside in food deserts or otherwise experience societal conditions making obesity more likely. By allowing Medicaid coverage and CHIP coverage for obesity treatments such as prescription drugs and surgery, we can aid individuals in attaining the care they need and reduce the impacts of the obesity epidemic on our communities.”
“Obesity is treatable, it is associated with significant comorbidities and impacts the quality of life of a patient,” said Dr. Wajahat Mehal, a Professor of Medicine at Yale and the director of Yale’s Weight Loss Program. “Thankfully, science has reached a point where we have medicines which can address this. Not everyone needs a surgery; medical treatment can be very effective in a significant number of patients.”
Senate Bill 282, “An Act Concerning Medical Assistance For Surgical and Prescription Drug Treatment of Severe Obesity,” will beginning in April 2023 authorize the Social Services Commissioner to reimburse treatment for severe obesity including surgery and outpatient prescription drugs.
Under the legislation, “severe obesity” is defined as obesity with a body mass index of 40 or higher, or 35 or higher with comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. A BMI of 40+ would indicate a six-foot-tall man weighing more than 300 pounds or a woman standing 5′ 3″ weighing more than 225 pounds.
In public testimony, medical professionals approved of the legislation; Jonathan Aranow, MD, a former president of the Connecticut Chapters of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, said the bill would generate more cost savings than expenditures within five years of passage, potentially saving the state $12 million annually. The legislation’s focus on individuals with increased risk of chronic diseases related to obesity will directly benefit state public health, medical professionals added. What’s more, obesity disproportionately affects minorities in Connecticut, 13.4% of children in the state are obese and more than half of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the pandemic’s initial waves were obese, according to Pavlos Papasavas, MD, immediate past president of the CCASMBS.
Additionally, Papasavas said, Connecticut is the only state in New England where Affordable Care Act plans do not cover bariatric surgery; this legislation would benefit the state in cost savings while helping to improve public health and individual patients’ outcomes.
Democratic Labor and Commerce Leaders Welcome Good News on Connecticut’s Job Growth
Democratic Labor and Commerce Leaders Welcome Good News on Connecticut’s Job Growth
HARTFORD – The Democratic chair of Connecticut’s Labor Committee and the vice-chair of its Commerce Committee today welcomed the news of increasing job growth and declining unemployment in the state, according to a new jobs report from the state Department of Labor.
State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, and Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), who is Senate Vice-Chair of the Commerce Committee, said the report (https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/laborsit.pdf) shows Connecticut’s private-sector businesses gained 5,500 jobs last month, moving private-sector state employment up to 1.42 million jobs, with nearly 46,000 new private-sector jobs created in Connecticut over the past year. Unemployment dropped three-tenths of one percent to 4.6%.
“It’s gratifying to see that our commitment not only to Connecticut businesses but also to the employees who make them successful continues to pay off,” Sen. Kushner said. “Higher wages, more jobs, and less unemployment are the hallmarks of successful public policy, and that’s what we have been working toward in the Labor Committee for years, with a focus on a higher minimum wage, paid family leave, and working conditions that empower and reward employees, which encourages more hiring and more job satisfaction.”
“As a small-business owner myself and as vice-chair of the Commerce Committee, I have been working across the aisle with my colleagues for years to invest in job training, business tax credits, rollbacks of regulations and a host of other measures to ensure that Connecticut businesses are poised to take advantage of all of the economic opportunities they can,” Sen. Cohen said. “As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic I think we’re going to see much more job and wage growth, and I’m particularly pleased that a lot of it is happening in the greater New Haven area, which has become a real hub for biotech in New England.”
Connecticut has now recovered about 85% of the private-sector jobs its lost since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation and the globe in 2020. The overall state employment level is 1.646 million jobs, including government and farm jobs.
Leading supersector job growth leaders for March in Connecticut include 2,900 new jobs in professional & business services, 1,300 in construction and mining, 900 in trade, transportation and utilities, 500 in leisure and hospitality, 300 in manufacturing, and 200 in education and health services. Meanwhile, the public government sector lost 900 jobs last month and has recovered less than half of the jobs it has lost since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago.
Average hourly earnings in March were $33.98 (up 50 cents an hour from a year ago) and the average private-sector weekly wage was $1,152. The New Haven labor market area had the largest year-over year job growth rate at 3.9%, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk at 3.7% and the Waterbury area at 2.8%.
“Connecticut has had two consecutive months of solid job increases to build on the growth we saw last year,” said Patrick Flaherty, Director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. “Construction and manufacturing have shown particular strength in recent months. The unemployment rate declined 2.4% points in the past year. Before the pandemic, there had not been a 12-month period with a decline that large since the 1970s.”
Democratic Labor and Commerce Leaders Welcome Good News on Connecticut’s Job Growth
Democratic Labor and Commerce Leaders Welcome Good News on Connecticut’s Job Growth
HARTFORD – The Democratic chair of Connecticut’s Labor Committee and the vice-chair of its Commerce Committee today welcomed the news of increasing job growth and declining unemployment in the state, according to a new jobs report from the state Department of Labor.
State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, and Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), who is Senate Vice-Chair of the Commerce Committee, said the report (https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/laborsit.pdf) shows Connecticut’s private-sector businesses gained 5,500 jobs last month, moving private-sector state employment up to 1.42 million jobs, with nearly 46,000 new private-sector jobs created in Connecticut over the past year. Unemployment dropped three-tenths of one percent to 4.6%.
“It’s gratifying to see that our commitment not only to Connecticut businesses but also to the employees who make them successful continues to pay off,” Sen. Kushner said. “Higher wages, more jobs, and less unemployment are the hallmarks of successful public policy, and that’s what we have been working toward in the Labor Committee for years, with a focus on a higher minimum wage, paid family leave, and working conditions that empower and reward employees, which encourages more hiring and more job satisfaction.”
“As a small-business owner myself and as vice-chair of the Commerce Committee, I have been working across the aisle with my colleagues for years to invest in job training, business tax credits, rollbacks of regulations and a host of other measures to ensure that Connecticut businesses are poised to take advantage of all of the economic opportunities they can,” Sen. Cohen said. “As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic I think we’re going to see much more job and wage growth, and I’m particularly pleased that a lot of it is happening in the greater New Haven area, which has become a real hub for biotech in New England.”
Connecticut has now recovered about 85% of the private-sector jobs its lost since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation and the globe in 2020. The overall state employment level is 1.646 million jobs, including government and farm jobs.
Leading supersector job growth leaders for March in Connecticut include 2,900 new jobs in professional & business services, 1,300 in construction and mining, 900 in trade, transportation and utilities, 500 in leisure and hospitality, 300 in manufacturing, and 200 in education and health services. Meanwhile, the public government sector lost 900 jobs last month and has recovered less than half of the jobs it has lost since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago.
Average hourly earnings in March were $33.98 (up 50 cents an hour from a year ago) and the average private-sector weekly wage was $1,152. The New Haven labor market area had the largest year-over year job growth rate at 3.9%, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk at 3.7% and the Waterbury area at 2.8%.
“Connecticut has had two consecutive months of solid job increases to build on the growth we saw last year,” said Patrick Flaherty, Director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. “Construction and manufacturing have shown particular strength in recent months. The unemployment rate declined 2.4% points in the past year. Before the pandemic, there had not been a 12-month period with a decline that large since the 1970s.”
Free Small Business Internet Education Courses Pass Senate
Free Small Business Internet Education Courses Pass Senate
Today, the Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 3, legislation that will lead to the development of online seminar courses supporting small businesses in developing and expanding online infrastructure for their businesses. State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury, Naugatuck, and Middlebury) joined in passing a bill that is intended to support small businesses in their recovery from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to ongoing shifts in the state and global economy, including the further rapid growth of e-commerce sales. It is vital that small businesses have pathways to learn best practices on how to adapt their businesses for the post-pandemic economy and to protect themselves from the increasingly prevalent threat of cyberattacks,” said Sen. Hartley.
Senate Bill 3, “An Act Requiring The Board of Regents For Higher Education To Develop Seminar Programs For Small Businesses,” would see the Board of Regents develop programs designed to aid small businesses with 25 or fewer employees adapt to changing business environments. The programs would offer electronic commerce, social media, cybersecurity and virtual currency courses, among others, and would be available to small businesses by September 1.
Through the programs, up to two small business employees would be able to enroll at no cost in up to five seminar programs, or any courses within seminar programs, at the Northwestern Connecticut Community College Entrepreneurial Center or the Werth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Center at Housatonic Community College.
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities reported that the seminars would be offered online and in-person for businesses.
Since 2014, worldwide e-commerce sales have more than tripled in value, with e-commerce growing sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media, online platforms and internet presence are all more valuable to market success than they were a decade ago. At the same time, 75% of small businesses experienced a decline of at least 25% in revenue from 2019 to 2020. The Small Business Administration reported that tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of small businesses were lost just at the beginning of the pandemic, with many still struggling to make full recoveries.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association testified in support of this bill, noting that many small businesses do not have the ability to invest time and resources into researching online practices. The CBIA said in testimony that it strongly supports the creation of these seminars to aid small businesses in easily accessing reputable material, specifically citing the advantages that cybersecurity training could provide in protecting business and customer data.
This legislation follows similar programs in other states; for example, several North Carolina community colleges currently offer free seminars for small businesses to aid job creation and retention.
The bill passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a unanimous vote. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Senator James Maroney Joins Senate Democrats in Approving Free Small Business Internet Education Courses
Senator James Maroney Joins Senate Democrats in Approving Free Small Business Internet Education Courses
Today, the Senate passed Senate Bill 3, legislation that will lead to the development of online seminar courses supporting small businesses in developing and expanding online infrastructure for their businesses. State Senator James Maroney (D-Milford) joined Senate Democrats in leading the vote, passing a bill that stands as a major priority of Senate Democrats this year, intended to support small businesses in their recovery from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When you support small businesses, you’re supporting the community,” said Sen. Maroney. “As a small business owner, I know how hard it is to keep up with changes, and this free program creates a way for small business owners to stay on the cutting edge of marketing and other technologies. By investing in in this new program, we are helping those who have suffered recover.”
Senate Bill 3, “An Act Requiring The Board of Regents For Higher Education To Develop Seminar Programs For Small Businesses,” would see the Board of Regents develop programs designed to aid small businesses with 25 or fewer employees adapt to changing business environments. The programs would offer electronic commerce, social media, cybersecurity and virtual currency courses, among others, and would be available to small businesses by September 1.
Through the programs, up to two small business employees would be able to enroll at no cost in up to five seminar programs, or any courses within seminar programs, at the Northwestern Connecticut Community College Entrepreneurial Center or the Werth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Center at Housatonic Community College. The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities reported that the seminars would be offered online and in-person for businesses.
Since 2014, worldwide e-commerce sales have more than tripled in value, with e-commerce growing sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media, online platforms and internet presence are all more valuable to market success than they were a decade ago. At the same time, 75% of small businesses experienced a decline of at least 25% in revenue from 2019 to 2020. The Small Business Administration reported that tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of small businesses were lost just at the beginning of the pandemic, with many still struggling to make full recoveries.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association testified in support of this bill, noting that many small businesses do not have the ability to invest time and resources into researching online practices. The CBIA said in testimony that it strongly supports the creation of these seminars to aid small businesses in easily accessing reputable material, specifically citing the advantages that cybersecurity training could provide in protecting business and customer data.
This legislation follows similar programs in other states; for example, several North Carolina community colleges currently offer free seminars for small businesses to aid job creation and retention.
The bill passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a unanimous vote. It now heads to the House for further consideration.