Senator Honig Votes to Shield Residents from Data Brokers, Surveillance Tech

Posted on April 23, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Honig Votes to Shield Residents from Data Brokers, Surveillance Tech

Senator Paul Honig (D-Harwinton) voted Thursday to pass legislation that will safeguard Connecticut residents’ personal information from exploitation by data brokers, surveillance technology companies, and federal agencies.

Senate Bill 4, “An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy and Protection,” addresses a broad range of emerging privacy threats.

“Connecticut residents shouldn’t have to wonder whether their personal data is being bought and sold without their knowledge, and this bill addresses that concern,” Senator Honig said. “Senate Bill 4 gives people the ability to remove their information from data broker databases, restricts how businesses can use facial recognition in public spaces, and bans the sale of precise geolocation data that has already been used by federal agencies to track people. This is straightforward consumer protection that puts residents back in control of their own information.”

Senate Bill 4 introduces comprehensive privacy measures that address emerging threats to consumer data. The bill tackles critical privacy concerns, including the lightly regulated sale of geolocation data, facial recognition technology, and the exploitative practices of data brokers.

Senate Bill 4 will target the following specific threats to consumer privacy:

Data brokers: Consumers may request, at no cost, the deletion of any personal data collected by a data broker.
Facial recognition: Businesses using facial recognition in public spaces must disclose it at each entrance and provide a process for consumers to request removal of their images.
Dynamic pricing: Strict disclosure requirements apply when businesses use algorithmic pricing to increase prices.
Geolocation data: Controllers and processors are banned from selling or sharing precise geolocation data.
Genetic Testing: Consumers would have the right to their own genetic data when using direct to consumer genetic testing services and create more transparency in their policies.
Volume of Ads: Streaming platforms cannot transmit the audio of any commercial advertisement at a volume that is louder than the volume established by the Federal Communications Commission for television commercials.

Real-World Harm Driving the Legislation

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff submitted written testimony explaining how his friend and colleague, Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, were assassinated last summer. Although this terrible tragedy was widely reported in the news, what most people do not know is that the murderer, Vance Boelter, obtained Speaker Hortman’s residential address through data broker websites. For just a few dollars, anyone can gain access to personal sensitive information, including home addresses, phone numbers, and even photos of legislators’ homes and license plates.

Earlier this year, Wegmans disclosed the use of facial recognition in its stores, raising concerns that such data could be sold or shared with federal immigration agencies, a concern already realized with geolocation data, which ICE has purchased from commercial data brokers.

Senate Bill 4 now heads to the House.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | hugh.mcquaid@cga.ct.gov |

New Britain Delegation and Mayor Call for Accountability, Audit of School Finances, and Responsible Leadership for Students

Posted on April 23, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

New Britain Delegation and Mayor Call for Accountability, Audit of School Finances, and Responsible Leadership for Students

New Britain, CT — The New Britain legislative delegation, Sen. Rick Lopes and State Reps Manny Sanchez, David DeFronzo, Iris Sanchez and Gary Turco along with Mayor Bobby Sanchez issued the following joint statement regarding the Consolidated School District of New Britain budget process and recent actions by Superintendent Anthony Gaspar:

“The children of New Britain deserve stability, honesty, and leadership focused on solutions. Unfortunately, the recent actions and public statements of the Superintendent have raised serious concerns about whether he is providing that leadership.

For years, the New Britain delegation has delivered millions of dollars in additional education funding for our city, and this year is no different. The Mayor’s proposed budget increases the City’s recurring Minimum Budget Requirement by $1 million, creating a stronger permanent foundation for school funding. In addition, the delegation and Mayor are actively working with state leaders to secure millions more in education support for New Britain.

Yet before the final amount of state funding is known, and before every internal option has been exhausted, layoff notices have been issued to teachers who serve our students every day well before the required notice date. That is unacceptable. Teachers should not be used as leverage in a political budget strategy. Before threatening classrooms, the district should have fully examined administrative reductions, operational efficiencies, non-classroom savings, and every other responsible alternative available.

The Superintendent’s public statements have been as troubling as they are revealing. They reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of how the City budget is structured and how education funding is provided. It is easy to demand tens of millions of dollars from New Britain taxpayers when you do not personally bear the burden of those tax increases yourself while proposing a raise for yourself on an already nearly $300,000 salary. Working families, seniors, renters, and homeowners already stretched thin are the ones who would be asked to pay the price for a request of this magnitude. They deserve better than scare tactics, misplaced blame, and finger-pointing.

The numbers matter. The district’s own proposed budget requests $146,971,610 in General Fund spending. Of that amount, $72,450,710 is funded through the ECS formula and $55,549,290 is already committed by the City through the Minimum Budget Requirement. The remaining request is $18,971,610. With the Mayor’s proposed $1 million MBR increase and millions in anticipated additional state support, the remaining gap will be significantly reduced. Those facts should have guided a more responsible and measured approach.

Given these ongoing concerns, we will work in collaboration with the Board of Education to engage with the State on an independent audit of the district’s budget practices, financial assumptions, and administrative spending decisions. Taxpayers, parents, educators, and staff deserve full transparency and accountability.

We must also be candid: based on the decisions made in this process, we lack confidence in the Superintendent’s ability to lead the district through the serious financial and academic challenges ahead.

New Britain students deserve leadership that is collaborative, solutions-oriented, fiscally responsible, and relentlessly focused on student outcomes. That is the standard our children deserve, and it is the standard we will continue to demand.”

Senator Maher Joins Senate Passage of Consumer Privacy Bill Protecting Residents’ Personal Data

Posted on April 23, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Maher Joins Senate Passage of Consumer Privacy Bill Protecting Residents’ Personal Data

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Today, State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) joined the Senate’s passage of a bill that will safeguard Connecticut residents’ personal information from exploitation by data brokers, surveillance technology companies, and federal agencies.

Senate Bill 4, “An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy and Protection,” addresses a broad range of emerging privacy threats.

“In the modern age, it’s getting harder to know when our information is being tracked – while also knowing it can be both bought and sold,” said Sen. Maher. “Connecticut consumers deserve the transparency and control over their privacy that Senate Bill 4 delivers. It’s a strong step to rebalance the scales and claw back protections for the public.”

Senate Bill 4 will target the following specific threats to consumer privacy:

Data brokers: Consumers may request, at no cost, the deletion of any personal data collected by a data broker.
Facial recognition: Businesses using facial recognition in public spaces must disclose it at each entrance and provide a process for consumers to request removal of their images.
Dynamic pricing: Strict disclosure requirements apply when businesses use algorithmic pricing to increase prices.
Geolocation data: Controllers and processors are banned from selling or sharing precise geolocation data.
Genetic Testing: Consumers would have the right to their own genetic data when using direct to consumer genetic testing services, and create more transparency in their policies.
Volume of Ads: Streaming platforms cannot transmit the audio of any commercial advertisement at a volume that is louder than the volume established by the Federal Communications Commission for television commercials.

Real-World Harm Driving the Legislation

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff submitted written testimony and explained how his friend and colleague, Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, were assassinated last summer. Although this terrible tragedy was widely reported in the news, what most people do not know is that the murderer, Vance Boelter, obtained Speaker Hortman’s residential address through data broker websites. For just a few dollars, anyone can gain access to personal sensitive information, including home addresses, phone numbers, and even photos of legislators’ homes and license plates.

Senate Bill 4 now heads to the House after passing the Senate by a 31-4 tally.

Senator Marx Joins Senate Passage of Consumer Privacy Bill Protecting Residents Personal Data

Posted on April 23, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Marx Joins Senate Passage of Consumer Privacy Bill Protecting Residents Personal Data

Today, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) joined the Senate’s passage of a bill that will safeguard Connecticut residents’ personal information from exploitation by data brokers, surveillance technology companies, and federal agencies.

Senate Bill 4, “An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy and Protection,” addresses a broad range of emerging privacy threats.

“We don’t know where our data goes anymore, who’s buying or selling it, and how they want to use it,” said Sen. Marx. “Personal privacy should not be a thing of the past. Senate Bill 4 proves it. We’re fighting back against major corporations and data brokers and letting consumers know when they’re being tracked – and tools to better protect themselves. It’s a meaningful step forward in an age of constant change.”

Senate Bill 4 introduces comprehensive privacy measures that address emerging threats to consumer data. The bill tackles critical privacy concerns, including the lightly regulated sale of geolocation data, and facial recognition technology, and the exploitative practices of data brokers.

Senate Bill 4 will target the following specific threats to consumer privacy:

Data brokers: Consumers may request, at no cost, the deletion of any personal data collected by a data broker.
Facial recognition: Businesses using facial recognition in public spaces must disclose it at each entrance and provide a process for consumers to request removal of their images.
Dynamic pricing: Strict disclosure requirements apply when businesses use algorithmic pricing to increase prices.
Geolocation data: Controllers and processors are banned from selling or sharing precise geolocation data.
Genetic Testing: Consumers would have the right to their own genetic data when using direct to consumer genetic testing services, and create more transparency in their policies.
Volume of Ads: Streaming platforms cannot transmit the audio of any commercial advertisement at a volume that is louder than the volume established by the Federal Communications Commission for television commercials.

Real-World Harm Driving the Legislation

Senate Bill 4 now heads to the House after passing the Senate by a 31-4 tally.

###

Senator Maroney Leads Senate Passage of Consumer Privacy Bill Protecting Residents Personal Data

Posted on April 23, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Maroney Leads Senate Passage of Consumer Privacy Bill Protecting Residents Personal Data

Today, state Senator James Maroney (D-Milford), Chair of the General Law Committee, led Senate passage of a bill that will safeguard Connecticut residents’ personal information from exploitation by data brokers, surveillance technology companies, and federal agencies.

Senate Bill 4, “An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy and Protection,” addresses a broad range of emerging privacy threats.

“Every Connecticut resident deserves to know that their personal information including where they live, where they worship, where they seek medical care isn’t being bought and sold without their knowledge or consent,” said Senator Maroney. “Senate Bill 4 puts people back in control of their own data. At the same time, we are making it clear that Connecticut will not be a place where surveillance technology is weaponized against our residents, whether by corporations or by federal agencies overstepping their authority, or used to charge you more than your neighbor.”

“Although there are great benefits to technological innovation, we also must be cognizant of the fact that our personal data is being sold, manipulated, and shared in a manner that undermines our constituents’ civil liberties,” said Senate President Martin Looney. “It is essential that we safeguard our constituents’ personal information. Privacy is a fundamental right.”

“We do not need to be concerned about becoming an Orwellian state,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff. “We are already there. “Big Brother” is listening and if we do not act immediately, we may lose our inherent rights to privacy forever. I am proud of my colleagues and I today for passing this important piece of legislation that works to protect our community that works to protect our community from those who profit off our most sensitive personal information.”

Senate Bill 4 introduces comprehensive privacy measures that address emerging threats to consumer data. The bill tackles critical privacy concerns, including the lightly regulated sale of geolocation data, and facial recognition technology, and the exploitative practices of data brokers.

Senate Bill 4 will target the following specific threats to consumer privacy:

Data brokers: Consumers may request, at no cost, the deletion of any personal data collected by a data broker.
Facial recognition: Businesses using facial recognition in public spaces must disclose it at each entrance and provide a process for consumers to request removal of their images.
Dynamic pricing: Strict disclosure requirements apply when businesses use algorithmic pricing to increase prices.
Geolocation data: Controllers and processors are banned from selling or sharing precise geolocation data.
Genetic Testing: Consumers would have the right to their own genetic data when using direct to consumer genetic testing services, and create more transparency in their policies.
Volume of Ads: Streaming platforms cannot transmit the audio of any commercial advertisement at a volume that is louder than the volume established by the Federal Communications Commission for television commercials.

Real-World Harm Driving the Legislation
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff submitted written testimony and explained how his friend and colleague, Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, were assassinated last summer. Although this terrible tragedy was widely reported in the news, what most people do not know is that the murderer, Vance Boelter, obtained Speaker Hortman’s residential address through data broker websites. For just a few dollars, anyone can gain access to personal sensitive information, including home addresses, phone numbers, and even photos of legislators’ homes and license plates.

Earlier this year, Wegmans disclosed the use of facial recognition in its stores, raising concerns that such data could be sold or shared with federal immigration agencies, a concern already realized with geolocation data, which ICE has purchased from commercial data brokers.

Senate Bill 4 now heads to the House.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michelle Rappaport | Michelle.Rappaport@cga.ct.gov| 860-240-8671

SENATE TO PRESERVE CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS

Posted on April 23, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

SENATE TO PRESERVE CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS

Amid frequent changes to federal vaccine policy, the Connecticut State Senate today will pass legislation preserving a standard of care for immunization and protecting state public health infrastructure from federal rollbacks on common health policies.

House Bill 5044, “An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards,” establishes a standard of care for immunization specific to the state. In effect, its change is simple: as vaccine access is often tied to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the state’s standard will also incorporate recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

That will effectively allow the state to retain its current vaccination standards amid increased scrutiny on the behaviors and practices of the CDC’s ACIP Committee. In June 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy removed all 17 sitting members of the ACIP and replaced them with new members, at least several of which have been directly tied to vaccine skepticism. Since then, the body has already attempted to remove vaccines from standard schedules, among other actions casting doubt on its dedication to the practice.

The legislation additionally creates a Vaccines for Adults program, which will provide free vaccines to uninsured and underinsured adults ages 19+ through free clinics, municipal health departments and other eligible providers. That allows the state increased supply chain flexibility as its current program is tied to the ACIP; expanding that will support the state’s access and care for members of the public accordingly.

Further changes the bill makes include allowing the Public Health Commissioner to develop respiratory virus vaccine requirements in nursing homes, which already allow non-medical exemptions. Schools, higher education, child care centers and family care homes, among other agencies, will retain current requirements.

The legislation also clarifies what the legislature intended in removing the non-medical exemption from vaccination in 2021, ensuring there are no such exemptions in schools, childcare and college.

With about 495,000 schoolchildren currently attending Connecticut schools, the legislation preserves the existing status quo and keeps children safe from preventable illnesses. Connecticut currently has a best-in-the-nation vaccination rate of 98.2%. Just .02% of Connecticut students have non-medical exemptions compared to 3.4% nationally.

The legislation also requires individual and group health insurance policies to cover immunizations on the standard of care and allows pharmacists to administer any vaccine on Connecticut’s own immunization schedule, preserving and expanding access to vaccinations regardless of federal action.

With today’s Senate passage, after the House passed the bill on April 21 by an 89-60 tally, the bill will head to Governor Lamont’s desk for final signature.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193

SENATE TO PRESERVE CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS

Posted on April 23, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

SENATE TO PRESERVE CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS

The legislation also clarifies what the legislature intended in removing the non-medical exemption from vaccination in 2021, ensuring there are no such exemptions in schools, childcare and college.

With today’s Senate passage, after the House passed the bill on April 21 by an 89-60 tally, the bill will head to Governor Lamont’s desk for final signature.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193

Senate Passes Looney-Backed Homestead Property Tax Exemption Bill

Posted on April 23, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senate Passes Looney-Backed Homestead Property Tax Exemption Bill

HARTFORD — The Connecticut State Senate on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 447, legislation that Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) has championed as a necessary step toward correcting the deep structural inequities in Connecticut’s property tax system.

The bill, as amended, would create a local option to exempt the first $50,000 of assessed value of owner-occupied single-family homes from property tax, directing greater proportional relief to working families in modest homes.

Senator Looney testified in favor of the legislation before the Planning and Development Committee on March 11, citing data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy showing that Connecticut residents in the lowest 20% of income pay 7.3% of their income in property taxes, while those in the top 1% pay only 1.4%.

“Our income tax has grown more progressive over the decades, but the regressivity of our property tax system persists, and working families feel that burden every year,” Senator Looney said. “A homestead exemption gives every owner-occupant the same dollar benefit, but that relief means far more as a share of income and home value to a family in a modest home than to the owner of a million-dollar property. At a time when federal tariffs are raising the cost of everyday goods, when health insurance subsidies are being cut, and when the price of heating oil and gasoline have surged due to President Trump’s war in Iran, the Connecticut General Assembly must do what Washington will not and take concrete action to put fairness back into our tax system.”

Connecticut currently assesses property at 70% of market value, meaning that while the owner of a $1 million home receives a $300,000 exemption from taxable value by operation of the assessment ratio, the owner of a $300,000 home receives only a $90,000 exemption. Under SB 447, both homeowners would receive an additional $50,000 exemption, shifting the effective exemption rate for the owner of the more modest home from 30% to 46.7% of market value.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | hugh.mcquaid@cga.ct.gov

Senator Hochadel Votes to Pass Bill Restricting Private Equity in Connecticut Healthcare

Posted on April 22, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Hochadel Votes to Pass Bill Restricting Private Equity in Connecticut Healthcare

Senator Jan Hochadel, D-Meriden, Senate Chair of the legislature’s Aging Committee, voted Wednesday to pass Senate Bill 196, a proposal to restrict private equity control of Connecticut healthcare facilities.

“When private equity comes into a hospital with no interest in patient care and no accountability to the community, patients are the ones who pay the price,” Senator Hochadel said. “Connecticut lived through that reality and it nearly cost us three community hospitals. This bill draws a clear line: Connecticut’s hospitals exist to serve patients, not to enrich investors, and we will not let Wall Street strip those institutions down to their bones while the people who need care are left behind.”

Senate Bill 196 takes two steps to limit private equity presence in Connecticut healthcare. First, it would prevent so-called “sale-leaseback” arrangements of Connecticut hospitals beginning in July, 2027. This change would prevent hospital owners from selling their properties to another party then leasing the same land in a transaction that has generated profits for private equity firms but weakened the financial standing of the facilities.

The bill would also require hospitals to annually attest to the Department of Public Health that private equity does not have controlling interest in their main campus operations. Hospitals would also need to attest that private equity had no ability to influence their policies or interfere with the decisions of doctors. Violations of these provisions could result in civil penalties of up to $2,000.

State legislators prioritized these safeguards in response to the recent mismanagement of three Connecticut hospitals by for-profit Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. Prospect’s management of Manchester Memorial, Rockville Memorial, and Waterbury Hospital led to declines in the quality of service until Prospect entered bankruptcy last year.

Prospect engaged in sale-leaseback agreements at its three hospitals, increasing its revenue while leaving the hospitals to pay increased costs.

The Connecticut Hospital Association testified in support of SB 196 when the bill received a public hearing on Feb. 18. The association’s testimony acknowledged the “damage that unregulated private equity investment has caused” healthcare facilities.

The Senate’s Wednesday vote sends SB 196 to the House of Representatives for consideration before the legislative session’s May 6 adjournment.

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | Hugh.McQuaid@cga.ct.gov

Senator MD Rahman Votes to Limit Private Equity Control of Connecticut Hospitals

Posted on April 22, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator MD Rahman Votes to Limit Private Equity Control of Connecticut Hospitals

HARTFORD — Senator MD Rahman (D-Manchester) voted Wednesday to pass Senate Bill 196, a proposal to restrict private equity control of Connecticut healthcare facilities, as Manchester Memorial Hospital recovers from years of mismanagement under for-profit ownership.

“When Manchester Memorial was struggling under Prospect’s ownership, families in my district had real reason to worry about whether their community hospital would survive,” said Senator Rahman, who co-sponsored the bill. “No one should have to wonder whether their hospital will be there when they need it. This legislation protects Connecticut hospitals from the financial engineering that brought Prospect to bankruptcy and left our communities in danger of losing a key healthcare provider.”

Senate Bill 196 takes two steps to limit private equity presence in Connecticut healthcare. First, it would prevent so-called “sale-leaseback” arrangements of Connecticut hospitals beginning in July 2027. This change would prevent hospital owners from selling their properties to another party then leasing the same land in a transaction that has generated profits for private equity firms while weakening the financial standing of the facilities.

Prospect engaged in sale-leaseback agreements at its three hospitals, increasing its revenue while leaving the hospitals to pay increased costs.

The Connecticut Hospital Association testified in support of SB 196 when the bill received a public hearing on February 18. The association’s testimony acknowledged the “damage that unregulated private equity investment has caused” healthcare facilities.

The Senate’s Wednesday vote sends SB 196 to the House of Representatives for consideration before the legislative session’s May 6 adjournment.