Author: sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senators Gaston and Gadkar-Wilcox Secure Additional $25 Million for Bridgeport

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Senators Gaston and Gadkar-Wilcox Secure Additional $25 Million for Bridgeport

After months of persistent advocacy, Bridgeport State Senators Herron Keyon Gaston and Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox have secured $25 million in critical funding for the City of Bridgeport, including a significant investment in education.

From the very first day of this legislative session, Senators Gaston and Gadkar-Wilcox made education funding for Bridgeport a non-negotiable priority. While others talked, they stood firm making it clear to Senate leadership that Bridgeport’s students could not afford to be shortchanged. Their relentless advocacy made this a Senate Democratic priority this session.

“We are thrilled to see this funding pass the Senate, but as they say, it takes two to tango. The work isn’t done until the House sends this budget to the Governor’s desk,” said Sens. Gaston and Gadkar-Wilcox. “We thank our Senate leadership for hearing our advocacy and standing with us to secure this critical investment for Bridgeport’s schools and families. Our students and communities deserve nothing less, and we will not stop fighting until this is signed into law. We also thank our House delegation for their shared advocacy.”

Senator Herron Keyon Gaston, himself an administrator at a higher education institution in Bridgeport, has made education funding a cornerstone of his legislative work. He understands firsthand that for students to succeed, they must first be equipped with the resources, support, and foundation they need in K-12 schools and he has fought to ensure Bridgeport’s students have exactly that.

Senator Gadkar-Wilcox, the former Senate Chair of the Select Committee on Special Education, has championed the needs of Connecticut’s most vulnerable students. Ensuring that Bridgeport’s schools receive the resources they need has been a commitment she has honored from the moment she was sworn in.

Both Senators throughout the legislative session heard from education leaders, advocates, town officials, students, teachers, about how critical this funding is.

The $25 million investment will provide significant relief to Bridgeport’s public school system, supporting students, educators, and school communities across the city at a time when they need it most.

Senators Gaston and Gadkar-Wilcox will continue to monitor the budget’s progress in the House and remain committed to ensuring that every dollar secured for Bridgeport makes it to the finish line.

Major, positive changes statewide in the second year of the adjusted budget include:

  • $152 million in increased aid for local boards of education in the form of an additional ECS grant. This $152 million increase will also be built into the ECS grant in FY 28, which begins on July 1, 2027.
  • $20 million in additional funding to ensure that all school districts receive a minimum of a 4% increase in their ECS grant this year, regardless of student enrollment.
  • $18 million in additional aid for magnet schools, the Open Choice program, charter schools, and vocational-technical schools.
  • $100 million for state grants to cities and towns.
  • A $30 million increase to the state’s HUSKY health care program on top of the $45 million already budgeted, resulting in a total $75 million increase. HUSKY Health provides comprehensive, no-cost or low-cost medical coverage to eligible low-income residents, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
  • A $300 million transfer of ‘volatile’ state revenue to the Early Childhood Endowment which helps families access child care, supports higher wages for educators, and improves child care facilities.

Senate Democratic Budget Plan Sending Towns $190 Million in Additional Funding for Local Education Heads to Senate Floor

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Senate Democratic Budget Plan Sending Towns $190 Million in Additional Funding for Local Education Heads to Senate Floor

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Senate has begun debate on Senate Bill 1, legislation delivering on the priorities of the Senate Democratic Caucus by adjusting the two-year budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, reducing pressure on local tax burdens by providing towns and cities with $190 million in additional education funding and a $100 million increase in town aid.

The budget is balanced, under the spending cap and includes $300 million for early child care and an additional $30 million in healthcare assistance for lower income families.

“For years, towns and cities across Connecticut have absorbed the growing cost of public education with insufficient state support, and that burden has landed squarely on local property taxpayers, Senate President Pro Tem. Martin M. Looney said. “Senate Bill 1 addresses that imbalance directly, directing substantial new resources to local boards of education and ensuring that every district receives an increase regardless of enrollment. Paired with $100 million in direct aid to municipalities, this budget gives Connecticut’s cities and towns the tools they need to serve their residents without reaching deeper into taxpayers’ pockets.”

“While Washington Republicans are busy exploding the federal deficit and slashing education funding, Connecticut is doing the exact opposite: sending $190 million more to our local schools and cutting taxes for families buying back-to-school supplies, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said. “This budget is balanced, under the spending cap, and puts money back in the pockets of working- and middle-class families who have been squeezed from every direction. Connecticut Democrats are delivering real relief, and the contrast with what’s happening in Washington could not be clearer.”

Senate Bill 1 responds directly to an urgent need articulated by municipal leaders from across Connecticut: the rising cost of educating the next generation has placed unsustainable pressure on municipal budgets and local taxpayers.

Through S.B. 1, the state is committing to use its resources to pick up part of that tab and reduce the need of towns and cities to raise local property taxes. The bill accomplishes that goal through the following provisions:

  • $152 million for local boards of education, in the form of an additional Education Cost Sharing payment. The additional funding will be built into the ECS grant in FY 28, which begins on July 1, 2027.
  • $20 million in additional funding to ensure that all school districts receive a minimum of a 4% increase in their ECS grant this year, regardless of student enrollment.
  • $18 million in additional aid for magnet schools, the Open Choice program, charter schools, and vocational-technical schools.

The new budget also includes:

  • $100 million for state grants to Connecticut cities and towns.
  • A $30 million increase to the state’s HUSKY health care program on top of the $45 million already budgeted, resulting in a total $75 million increase. HUSKY Health provides comprehensive, no-cost or low-cost medical coverage to eligible low-income residents, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
  • A $300 million transfer of ‘volatile’ state revenue to the Early Childhood Endowment which helps families access child care, supports higher wages for educators, and improves child care facilities.

Senate Bill 1 also includes a new, $5 million tax cut on back-to-school supplies beginning on July 1 of this year. The new tax cut will save parents money on essentials like notebooks, pens, paper, lunchboxes.

The budget will also bolster Connecticut’s annual Sales Tax Holiday by increasing the exemption cap on clothing, footwear, and backpacks from $100 to $300.

Senate Democratic Budget Plan Sending Towns $190 Million in Additional Funding for Local Education Heads to Senate Floor

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Senate Democratic Budget Plan Sending Towns $190 Million in Additional Funding for Local Education Heads to Senate Floor

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Senate has begun debate on Senate Bill 1, legislation delivering on the priorities of the Senate Democratic Caucus by adjusting the two-year budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, reducing pressure on local tax burdens by providing towns and cities with $190 million in additional education funding and a $100 million increase in town aid.

The budget is balanced, under the spending cap and includes $300 million for early child care and an additional $30 million in healthcare assistance for lower income families.

“For years, towns and cities across Connecticut have absorbed the growing cost of public education with insufficient state support, and that burden has landed squarely on local property taxpayers, Senate President Pro Tem. Martin M. Looney said. “Senate Bill 1 addresses that imbalance directly, directing substantial new resources to local boards of education and ensuring that every district receives an increase regardless of enrollment. Paired with $100 million in direct aid to municipalities, this budget gives Connecticut’s cities and towns the tools they need to serve their residents without reaching deeper into taxpayers’ pockets.”

“While Washington Republicans are busy exploding the federal deficit and slashing education funding, Connecticut is doing the exact opposite: sending $190 million more to our local schools and cutting taxes for families buying back-to-school supplies, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said. “This budget is balanced, under the spending cap, and puts money back in the pockets of working- and middle-class families who have been squeezed from every direction. Connecticut Democrats are delivering real relief, and the contrast with what’s happening in Washington could not be clearer.”

Senate Bill 1 responds directly to an urgent need articulated by municipal leaders from across Connecticut: the rising cost of educating the next generation has placed unsustainable pressure on municipal budgets and local taxpayers.

Through S.B. 1, the state is committing to use its resources to pick up part of that tab and reduce the need of towns and cities to raise local property taxes. The bill accomplishes that goal through the following provisions:

  • $152 million for local boards of education, in the form of an additional Education Cost Sharing payment. The additional funding will be built into the ECS grant in FY 28, which begins on July 1, 2027.
  • $20 million in additional funding to ensure that all school districts receive a minimum of a 4% increase in their ECS grant this year, regardless of student enrollment.
  • $18 million in additional aid for magnet schools, the Open Choice program, charter schools, and vocational-technical schools.

The new budget also includes:

  • $100 million for state grants to Connecticut cities and towns.
  • A $30 million increase to the state’s HUSKY health care program on top of the $45 million already budgeted, resulting in a total $75 million increase. HUSKY Health provides comprehensive, no-cost or low-cost medical coverage to eligible low-income residents, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
  • A $300 million transfer of ‘volatile’ state revenue to the Early Childhood Endowment which helps families access child care, supports higher wages for educators, and improves child care facilities.

Senate Bill 1 also includes a new, $5 million tax cut on back-to-school supplies beginning on July 1 of this year. The new tax cut will save parents money on essentials like notebooks, pens, paper, lunchboxes.

The budget will also bolster Connecticut’s annual Sales Tax Holiday by increasing the exemption cap on clothing, footwear, and backpacks from $100 to $300.

Senate President Martin M. Looney Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection in 2026

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection in 2026

HARTFORD — Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) announced today that he will not seek reelection to the Connecticut State Senate in 2026, concluding a 46-year legislative career that began in 1981.

Senator Looney has represented the 11th Senate District, encompassing New Haven and parts of Hamden, since 1993, and has served in the Connecticut General Assembly since 1981. He is the longest-serving Senate President Pro Tempore (2015 to present) and, prior to that time, he was the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader (2003 to 2015) in Connecticut’s history.

Understanding the time limits of the end of session and true to his passion to ensure passage of meaningful legislation, a celebration of Senator Looney’s work will be held in late May, not during the final days of the 2026 General Assembly session.

Senator Looney released the following statement:

“Serving the people of Connecticut in the General Assembly for 46 years has been the great privilege of my public life, and it is not a privilege I have ever taken lightly. To this day, I still find it hard to believe that a child of Irish immigrant parents and growing up in the Fair Haven section of New Haven became the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader and Senate President in state history. In many ways, I grew up and grew old in the General Assembly. I was elected to the House unmarried and now leave with three amazing grandchildren. I entered the General Assembly before I began law school and went on to be engaged at a leadership level with every issue pending before the State Senate for the last 24 years. After all this time, I want to leave the General Assembly while more people are still encouraging me to stay than to leave. I believe that after many years in Senate leadership, the time has come for someone else to take the helm. I have the utmost confidence that the Senate Democratic caucus will continue to produce superb public policy under the leadership of Senator Bob Duff, who is primed and supremely ready for the challenge.

“No career of this length is sustained without the love, support, and sacrifice of those who are closest. My loving wife Ellen has been my partner, confidant, and source of comfort and strength through it all, and I am more grateful to her than I can adequately express in any statement. My son Michael and my grandchildren, Matthew, Anna, and Isabel, have reminded me, across all the years, sessions, and late nights this work demands, of what a commitment to public life means in all respects. They are my greatest joy. I am grateful to my colleagues in the General Assembly, past and present, and to Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff for his partnership and his friendship. I am grateful to our Chief of Staff Courtney Cullinan and former Chief of Staff Vinnie Mauro, whose dedication made our caucus’s work possible, and to the constituents of the 11th Senate District and, before that, the 96th House District, who have honored me with their trust across so many years.

“I was raised by New Deal Democratic immigrant parents and believe to my core that enlightened public policy can deliver positive transformation when government takes its obligations seriously. I have spent more than four decades in the Capitol, believing that government, when it is honest, purposeful, and willing to make hard choices, is a singularly powerful tool available to a democratic society for advancing human dignity. That belief has not wavered.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Senate President Martin M. Looney Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection in 2026

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection in 2026

HARTFORD — Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) announced today that he will not seek reelection to the Connecticut State Senate in 2026, concluding a 46-year legislative career that began in 1981.

Senator Looney has represented the 11th Senate District, encompassing New Haven and parts of Hamden, since 1993, and has served in the Connecticut General Assembly since 1981. He is the longest-serving Senate President Pro Tempore (2015 to present) and, prior to that time, he was the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader (2003 to 2015) in Connecticut’s history.

Understanding the time limits of the end of session and true to his passion to ensure passage of meaningful legislation, a celebration of Senator Looney’s work will be held in late May, not during the final days of the 2026 General Assembly session.

Senator Looney released the following statement:

“Serving the people of Connecticut in the General Assembly for 46 years has been the great privilege of my public life, and it is not a privilege I have ever taken lightly. To this day, I still find it hard to believe that a child of Irish immigrant parents and growing up in the Fair Haven section of New Haven became the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader and Senate President in state history. In many ways, I grew up and grew old in the General Assembly. I was elected to the House unmarried and now leave with three amazing grandchildren. I entered the General Assembly before I began law school and went on to be engaged at a leadership level with every issue pending before the State Senate for the last 24 years. After all this time, I want to leave the General Assembly while more people are still encouraging me to stay than to leave. I believe that after many years in Senate leadership, the time has come for someone else to take the helm. I have the utmost confidence that the Senate Democratic caucus will continue to produce superb public policy under the leadership of Senator Bob Duff, who is primed and supremely ready for the challenge.

“No career of this length is sustained without the love, support, and sacrifice of those who are closest. My loving wife Ellen has been my partner, confidant, and source of comfort and strength through it all, and I am more grateful to her than I can adequately express in any statement. My son Michael and my grandchildren, Matthew, Anna, and Isabel, have reminded me, across all the years, sessions, and late nights this work demands, of what a commitment to public life means in all respects. They are my greatest joy. I am grateful to my colleagues in the General Assembly, past and present, and to Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff for his partnership and his friendship. I am grateful to our Chief of Staff Courtney Cullinan and former Chief of Staff Vinnie Mauro, whose dedication made our caucus’s work possible, and to the constituents of the 11th Senate District and, before that, the 96th House District, who have honored me with their trust across so many years.

“I was raised by New Deal Democratic immigrant parents and believe to my core that enlightened public policy can deliver positive transformation when government takes its obligations seriously. I have spent more than four decades in the Capitol, believing that government, when it is honest, purposeful, and willing to make hard choices, is a singularly powerful tool available to a democratic society for advancing human dignity. That belief has not wavered.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

SEN. KUSHNER LEADS BIPARTISAN PASSAGE OF COMPREHENSIVE WORKERS’ RIGHTS BILL IN STATE SENATE

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SEN. KUSHNER LEADS BIPARTISAN PASSAGE OF COMPREHENSIVE WORKERS’ RIGHTS BILL IN STATE SENATE

HARTFORD – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) tonight led the bipartisan passage of a large, omnibus workforce bill that impacts labor, education, public safety, and veterans’ issues, creating new worker protections, stronger wage transparency rules, and joint liability for unpaid wages on construction sites.
House Bill 5003 passed the Senate on a bipartisan 28-7 vote and now heads to Governor Ned Lamont for his signature into law.

“It feels really important to finally get this bill done,” said Sen. Kushner, who is Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. “It contains pieces of legislation that we’ve been working on for years: teachers not being treated fairly, nurses who suffer assault, wage theft in the construction industry, people who have worked for 20 years at a company and then are given two weeks’ notice that their contract isn’t going to be renewed. These are real-life issues affecting working families in Connecticut. It’s gratifying to get this legislation passed.”

H.B. 5003 contains 75 sections of new laws, including:

  • Enhanced workers’ compensation for assaulted workers. Teachers, health care providers, and related employees who cannot work due to an on-the-job assault will now receive 100% of their average weekly earnings (vs. the standard 75% after-tax cap), plus medical expenses and lost wages for court appearances.
  • Construction contractor and subcontractor joint liability for unpaid wages. For construction contracts executed on or after January 1, 2027, general contractors are jointly and severally liable for wages that their subcontractor fails to pay its workers.
  • Retention of service contract workers. Entities taking over service contracts at covered locations (multifamily housing with 50+ units, commercial centers over 75,000 square feet, airports, schools, hospitals, warehouses, private colleges, and others) must retain the prior contractor’s employees for at least 90 days. After 90 days, satisfactory performers must receive an offer of continued employment.
  • Teacher termination process. The bill creates a fair termination process with a binding decision from an impartial hearing officer, offering the same protections provided to other public service workers such as police officers and firefighters.
  • Breastfeeding/expressing milk. Requires employers to provide reasonable break time for breastfeeding or pumping in addition to scheduled breaks (current law only permits use of existing meal/break time).
  • Wage range and benefits disclosure. The bill expands existing pay transparency law to require employers to include both a wage range and a general benefits description (health insurance, retirement, fringe, paid leave, other compensation) in all public and internal job postings.
  • First responder tuition and mortgage assistance: State community colleges and universities must waive tuition for eligible police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel, and the Connecticut Home Finance Authority must develop a mortgage assistance program for first responders buying homes in the communities where they serve.
  • National Guard fee waivers: The bill expands the existing tuition waiver for active Guard members at CT State, CSCU, and UConn to cover all mandatory fees, not just tuition.
  • The state Department of Labor (DOL) must update its veteran employment webpage with links to training, counseling, and veteran-friendly employers, and optimize it for search engines. The state Department of Veterans Affairs must send periodic newsletters linking to the page, and the DOL must study AI-based tools for connecting veterans and service members with employers.

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SENATOR ANWAR LEADS FINAL SENATE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION IMPLEMENTING KEY CHANGES TO BENEFIT CONNECTICUT PUBLIC HEALTH

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Anwar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

May 1, 2026
 

SENATOR ANWAR LEADS FINAL SENATE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION IMPLEMENTING KEY CHANGES TO BENEFIT CONNECTICUT PUBLIC HEALTH

 
Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, led the final Senate passage of legislation implementing a number of key changes benefitting public health in Connecticut.

These range from creating advisory councils and working groups to better monitor conditions like chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and endometriosis, ensuring high school athletes are screened for serious cardiac conditions, and developing better extreme weather protocols to aid members of the public in crisis.

“With numerous pressures constantly impacting public health in Connecticut, we need to take strong action to support our residents,” said Sen. Anwar. “This bill includes a number of updates to state standards, allowing for increased care access, new studies of important issues and vital connections seeking to save and improve lives and care alike. I’m excited to see its changes aid state residents for years to come.”

House Bill 5514 includes a number of key advances for Connecticut public health including:

  • The creation of an advisory council on Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, or CAR T-cell therapy, to advise and make recommendations on expanding access to the emerging cancer treatment therapy
  • Creates working groups considering issues including managed residential communities’ licensing, veterinary telehealth options and endometriosis
  • Establishes a bridge program for hospitals to administer opioid antagonists to someone who visits the emergency department experiencing symptoms of opioid use disorder, and offering them prescriptions and referrals to outpatient care
  • Requiring public school students to have an annual athletics health assessment to screen for serious cardiac conditions before playing interscholastic sports
  • Expands the nurse’s aide registry to include aides working at any licensed health care institution
  • Requires the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to develop guidance on extreme hot and cold weather protocols and improvements to public communication and the Department of Housing to increase outreach to unhoused people during extreme weather events
  • Requires hospitals to consider nutritional needs of community members with diabetes and congestive heart failure in community health needs assessments

The bill previously passed the House by a 142-4 tally on April 28, the Public Health Committee by a 29-3 vote on March 23 and the Appropriations Committee by a 44-9 vote on April 17. With today’s Senate approval, it now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk to be signed into law.

SEN. KUSHNER VOTES TO PRESERVE CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS FROM TRUMP INTERFERENCE

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SEN. KUSHNER HONORED WITH AFL-CIO HEALTH & SAFETY AWARD AT WORKERS MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY

State Senator Julie Kushner (left) at the annual Workers Memorial Day Ceremony in Hartford, April 28, 2026.

HARTFORD – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, was honored today with the AFL-CIO’s “Legislative Health and Safety Award” for her “unwavering commitment to the health and safety of Connecticut workers, fair compensation for work-related physical and mental impacts, and financial support during  periods of incapacity.”

Sen. Kushner’s award was presented at the annual Workers Memorial Day Ceremony in Hartford to honor the 41 Connecticut workers who lost their lives to work-related injuries in 2024; an additional 34,600 workers suffered on-the-job injuries or illnesses.

Each year on April 28, the labor movement observes Workers Memorial Day to honor those who have lost their lives on the job. During these ceremonies, we remember their sacrifices and the families they left behind, drawing strength and purpose from their stories.

“For me, it’s total privilege to be able to represent the labor movement in the State Capitol and to work every day to pass laws that will improve the lives, and improve the conditions, and save the lives, of working men and women,” Sen. Kushner told the crowd assembled in Bushnell Park.

“When I started working as a union organizer, I was 24, in New York City, in the 1970s. And it was just a few years later when one of our members was killed at a corrugated box factory. And it was a really horrible, horrible death, getting caught on that machine. And it made a huge impression on me. This shouldn’t happen to anybody, ever. That could have been prevented, and there’s no way it should have happened, but it was because the employers were not taking care of their workers, they weren’t putting in the necessary, and sometimes costly, equipment that would have prevented that death,” she added. “These things leave a mark on you.”

Sen. Kushner was introduced as a longtime fighter for working people, where her legislative leadership is guided by principle and grounded in the real experiences of everyday working people.

Under Sen. Kushner, Connecticut has seen the expansion of PTSI coverage, acknowledging the very real mental health challenges faced by those who serve on the front lines. She has championed the firefighter cancer relief fund, standing with the brave men and women who risk their lives daily and ensuring that they are not left to face a devastating diagnosis alone. Sen. Kushner is also one of the main reasons why Connecticut has access to paid sick days and paid family and medical leave.

 
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Senator Marx Joins Passage of Legislation to Support Commuters, Aid Shore Line East and Expand Microtransit Services

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Senator Marx Joins Passage of Legislation to Support Commuters, Aid Shore Line East and Expand Microtransit Services

Friday, May 1, 2026
 

HARTFORD — State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) voted for the passage today of legislation to reduce the cost of commuting for Connecticut workers, dedicate funding to maintain Shore Line East rail operations and increase service, and expand public transportation options in communities across the state.
 
“This bill is going to benefit our state’s commuters in several exciting ways,” said Sen. Marx. “In New London, we’ve got a wonderful microtransit program helping people get to the doctor and the grocery store when they’re in need. Knowing this and other programs will continue to provide these benefits around the state is a huge benefit for commuters, as is additional support for Shore Line East, key in our region, and additional aid for employers providing commuter benefits to their employees. This legislation represents valuable investments in local and regional transportation.”
 
Senate Bill 9 establishes a tax credit for Connecticut employers who provide commuter benefits to their workers. Eligible employers must operate a licensed business in the state, employ at least five workers in Connecticut, and provide a qualifying commuter transportation benefit to at least one participating employee pursuant to a commuter benefit plan approved by the Commissioner of Transportation. 
 
The credit is available for the first five income years in which an employer provides qualifying benefits under an approved plan, starting at 25% of total commuter benefit expenditures in the first year and declining to 5% by the fifth year. The total amount of credits under this program shall not exceed $7.5 million. The credit takes effect for income years beginning on or after January 1, 2027.
 
The legislation directs the Commissioner of Transportation to develop a public awareness campaign, in consultation with chambers of commerce and business advocacy organizations, to ensure employers know the new credit is available.
 
Additionally, Senate Bill 9 extends the state’s microtransit pilot program for another year and requires the Department of Transportation to report back to the legislature and make recommendations on the program by January, 2028. The pilot tests multi-passenger microtransit services in communities across Connecticut, including rural areas not currently served by public transportation.
 
The legislation also dedicates $7 million to maintain Shore Line East rail operations, including $3 million for service enhancements in fiscal year 2027.

SENATOR ANWAR APPLAUDS LEGISLATURE’S PASSAGE OF HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE PROTECTIONS

Posted on by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

Senator Anwar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

May 1, 2026

SENATOR ANWAR APPLAUDS LEGISLATURE’S PASSAGE OF HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE PROTECTIONS

HARTFORD — State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, today joined final passage of legislation to protect and strengthen the state’s health care workforce. Sen. Anwar praised the bill’s health care provisions that will support workers, patients, and the communities that depend on them.

“This legislation is a meaningful step forward for Connecticut’s health care workforce on three fronts,” said Sen. Anwar. “Health care workers and teachers deserve to know that if they are assaulted doing their jobs, they will be made whole financially, not penalized on top of being hurt. Expanding certified nursing assistant training in Hartford and in our rural communities addresses a workforce shortage that affects patient care every single day. Requiring hospitals to report how often they deviate from their own nurse staffing plans brings long-overdue transparency to an issue that matters enormously for both workers and patients. Connecticut’s health care workers deserve all three of these protections, and I’m grateful to see this legislature deliver them.”

The bill’s provisions include strengthening financial protections for health care workers and teachers assaulted on the job. Under current law, workers injured on the job generally receive workers’ compensation equal to 75% of their after-tax average weekly earnings, subject to a cap tied to the average weekly wage. For health care providers and teachers assaulted on the job, the bill raises that benefit to 100 percent of their average weekly earnings with no cap on the benefit amount. It also covers medical expenses and lost wages for court appearances connected to the assault, and ensures the absence cannot be charged against an employee’s sick leave, vacation time, or personal leave.

The bill also invests in expanding the health care pipeline by creating a new grant program growing certified nursing assistant training in the greater Hartford area and rural communities across the state. The program will provide grants to organizations training prospective CNAs.

To strengthen accountability in hospital staffing, the bill requires the DPH Commissioner to produce a public report tracking how often hospitals have deviated from the nurse staffing plans they are required by law to develop. The report must detail both hospital-wide and unit-level variations and will be submitted to the Public Health and Labor and Public Employees committees, giving legislators and the public a clearer picture of staffing compliance across Connecticut.

The health care worker assault protections apply to anyone directly or indirectly employed by, or volunteering for, a hospital, nursing home, home health care agency, community health center, urgent care facility, outpatient clinic, or similar institution who is involved in direct patient care or has direct contact with patients or their families. State-operated facilities are excluded, with the exception of the UConn Health Center.

In addition to House Bill 5003’s provisions for health care workers and teachers, it includes dozens of measures supporting workers ranging from disclosure of wage ranges and benefits in job advertisements to bolstering the Fallen Heroes Fund to support families of the deceased and developing a police officer and firefighter cancer pipeline program.

It passed the House by a 117-29 tally on April 28 and now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk to be signed into law.