SEN. LESSER WELCOMES EXTENSION OF LAND CONVEYANCE TO SHILOH BAPTIST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Posted on April 24, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

SEN. LESSER WELCOMES EXTENSION OF LAND CONVEYANCE TO SHILOH BAPTIST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

MIDDLETOWN – State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) announced that the state Senate has approved a state land conveyance bill that allows the Shiloh Baptist Community Development Corporation of Middletown until June 30, 2029, to start work on their plan to build moderate-income housing and recreational facilities in town.

The bill was necessary because Shioloh Baptist was originally given until June 30, 2029, to complete their planned projects.

“There’s been an ongoing effort by Shiloh Baptist for many years to complete these projects. Of course, the local land use boards will be the final arbiter, but it’s a laudable goal to build more community housing in Middletown, and this bill helps them do that,” Sen. Lesser said. “Congratulations to Bishop Cotten and the entire team at Shiloh. I wish them the best!”

Senate Bill 518 passed on a bipartisan 34-2 vote and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

###

ANWAR, ELLIOTT OUTRAGED OVER DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RESTORING DEATH PENALTY

Posted on April 24, 2026 by sdozapier@senatedems.ct.gov

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

April 24, 2026

ANWAR, ELLIOTT OUTRAGED OVER DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RESTORING DEATH PENALTY

State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) and State Representative Josh Elliott (D-Hamden) today expressed outrage over the Trump administration’s Department of Justice taking several actions to increase use and speed up the process of the death penalty, including reinstating use of execution protocols allowing for use of a lethal chemical they worked to stop the production of in Connecticut.

“About half of the United States have banned the death penalty. While criminals who commit serious crimes must face consequences for those offenses, a long and horrifying history of wrongful executions, unnecessary agony and bias against the underprivileged have all exposed this policy as cruel and demeaning,” said Sen. Anwar and Rep. Elliott. “As we’ve fought to ensure our state upholds its standards recognizing this policy as abhorrent, the federal government’s embrace and attempted acceleration of it under President Trump is an ominous sign amid a culture of violence and cruelty it continues to advertise.”

On April 24, the Department of Justice announced developments following an executive order President Trump signed on his first day in office to prioritize seeking and implementing death sentences.

The developments include readopting lethal injection protocols that reinstate use of a chemical barred by the Justice Department under President Joe Biden, pentobarbital, with its use in executions risking “unnecessary pain and suffering.”

It also expands death penalty protocol to include manners of execution like the firing squad and seeks to streamline expediting death penalty cases, speeding the process in which they’re administered. The DOJ seeks to potentially expand or relocate federal death row or build additional execution facilities and restrict appeals and petitions from individuals.

The issue of pentobarbital is directly relevant for Anwar and Elliott, following reports that Connecticut company Absolute Standards was producing pentobarbital for use in other states’ executions despite Connecticut repealing the death penalty in 2012.

After public outcry and attempted outreach to Absolute Standards leaders, the company announced in 2024 it was no longer producing the substance. In 2025, they introduced legislation to block the manufacturing or supply of any drug for the purpose of executing the death penalty, though the bill did not become law.

The Guardian reported this is the latest adjustment encouraging use of the death penalty as executions rose 88% from 2024 to 2025, the highest figure seen in about 15 years. That came despite public support for executions among the American people fell to 52% in 2025, the lowest figure seen in 50 years.

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

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

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

HARTFORD – Amid frequent changes to federal vaccine policies, state Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) and the Connecticut State Senate today passed legislation preserving a standard of care for immunizations and protecting state public health from the Trump administration’s federal rollbacks on essential, common-sense health guidelines.

House Bill 5044, “An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards,” establishes a standard of care for immunizations in Connecticut. Its changes are simple: although vaccine access is often tied to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Connecticut’s vaccine standard will now also incorporate recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

This will effectively allow Connecticut to retain its current vaccination standards regardless of what the Trump administration attempts to dictate.

“We’ve seen Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. strip the CDC of its vaccine expertise and replace its members with yes-men and vaccine skeptics. That’s no way to run a national health care system,” said Sen. Cabrera. “Connecticut has to protect itself from the bad health care decisions of the Trump administration, and that’s what this bill does.”

HB 5044 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, allowing Connecticut increased supply chain flexibility.

HB 5044 allows the Public Health Commissioner to develop respiratory virus vaccine requirements in nursing homes, which already allow non-medical exemptions. Schools, higher education, childcare centers and family care homes, among other agencies, will retain current requirements.

HB 5044 clarifies what the General Assembly intended in 2021 when it voted to remove the non-medical exemption from state vaccination policy, thereby ensuring there are no such exemptions in schools, childcare and college. With about 495,000 schoolchildren currently attending Connecticut schools, HB 5044 preserves Connecticut’s vaccine 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.

HB 5044 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, the bill now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk for his final signature into law.

SEN. CABRERA VOTES FOR CONSUMER PRIVACY BILL TO PROTECT PERSONAL DATA IN CONNECTICUT

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

SEN. CABRERA VOTES FOR CONSUMER PRIVACY BILL TO PROTECT PERSONAL DATA IN CONNECTICUT

HARTFORD – State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D- Hamden) today voted for a bill that will safeguard Connecticut residents’ personal information from exploitation by data brokers, surveillance technology companies, and federal agencies.

“Artificial intelligence advancements and energy-sucking data centers seem to be expanding by leaps and bounds every week, all with one goal in mind: to capture, sell, and profit from your personal information. We need a better system than that, and that’s what this legislation does,” said Sen. Cabrera.

Senate Bill 4 “An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy and Protection,” addresses a broad range of emerging privacy threats and introduces comprehensive privacy measures that address new 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 Majority Leader Bob Duff submitted written testimony on SB 4 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 information, including home addresses, phone numbers, and even photos of a legislator’s home and license plates.

“We do not need to be concerned about becoming an Orwellian state,” said Sen. 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 today for passing this important piece of legislation that works to protect our community from those who profit off our most sensitive personal information.”

Senate Bill 4 targets 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.

Senate Bill 4 passed the Senate today on a bipartisan 31-4 vote and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration; the 2026 legislative session ends on Wednesday, May 6.

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

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

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

HARTFORD – Amid frequent changes to federal vaccine policies, state Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) and the Connecticut State Senate today passed legislation preserving a standard of care for immunizations and protecting state public health from the Trump administration’s federal rollbacks on essential, common-sense health guidelines.

House Bill 5044, “An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards,” establishes a standard of care for immunizations in Connecticut. Its changes are simple: although vaccine access is often tied to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Connecticut’s vaccine standard will now also incorporate recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

This will effectively allow Connecticut to retain its current vaccination standards regardless of what the Trump administration attempts to dictate.

“The Trump administration and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have gutted the vaccine experts in the federal Centers for Disease Control and essentially replaced them with science deniers,” said Sen. Kushner. “I have zero confidence that the actions of Washington, D.C. are in the best interests of Connecticut residents and our health and the health of our children, so I proudly cast my vote today for vaccine independence from the Trump administration.”

HB 5044 clarifies what the General Assembly intended in 2021 when it voted to allow only medical exemptions from state vaccination policy, thereby ensuring there are no such exemptions in schools, childcare and college. With about 495,000 schoolchildren currently attending Connecticut schools, HB 5044 preserves Connecticut’s vaccine 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.

With today’s Senate passage, the bill now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk for his final signature into law.

###

SENATE PRESERVES CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS

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

SENATE PRESERVES CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS

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

“Vaccines save lives, and this bill reflects that by protecting Connecticut residents’ access to them despite potential federal changes,” said State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), who voted for the bill. “Significant confusion and vaccine denial at the federal level threatens to upend systems we take for granted. This bill ensures our state retains its current success in protecting residents against preventable disease outbreaks. That’s a necessary step.”

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 on a 22-12 vote, after the House passed the bill on April 21 by an 89-60 tally, the bill now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk for final signature.

Senator Hochadel Votes to Preserve Connecticut Vaccine Standards

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

Senator Hochadel Votes to Preserve Connecticut Vaccine Standards

HARTFORD — Senator Jan Hochadel (D-Meriden) voted Thursday to pass House Bill 5044, legislation maintaining access to vaccines and preserving Connecticut’s immunization standards of care.

The bill passed the Senate on a 22-12 vote after winning approval from the House on Tuesday. It now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.

“Most people do not send their kids to school wondering whether they are protected from preventable diseases, and that is because Connecticut has spent decades building one of the strongest vaccination records in the country,” said Senator Hochadel. “The Trump administration has spent the last year undermining that work at the federal level, and this bill makes sure Connecticut maintains that progress. Our kids, our seniors, and our most vulnerable residents deserve better than vaccine policy driven by skepticism and politics.”

H.B. 5044 ensures Connecticut residents retain access to vaccines despite the efforts of the Trump administration’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Under the bill:

Connecticut’s vaccine standards will also incorporate recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
This change will allow the state to retain its current vaccination standards amid vaccine skepticism at the CDC’s ACIP Committee.
Last year, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy removed all 17 sitting members of the ACIP and replaced them with new members, many of whom have voiced skepticism of the efficacy of vaccines.
Since then, the body has attempted to remove vaccines from standard schedules.

The legislation also 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. The change allows the state increased supply chain flexibility from its current ACIP-tied program.

The bill allows the Public Health Commissioner to develop respiratory virus vaccine requirements in nursing homes, which already allow non-medical exemptions. Current vaccine requirements will remain unchanged at schools, higher education, child care centers and family care homes, among other agencies.

The legislation also clarifies the legislative intent behind a 2021 law which discontinued non-medical vaccine exemptions at schools, childcare facilities and colleges.

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 one of the nation’s highest vaccination rates at 98.2%. Just .02% of Connecticut students have non-medical exemptions compared to 3.4% nationally.

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

SENATE APPROVES FINAL PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION PRESERVING CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS

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

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

April 23, 2026

SENATE APPROVES FINAL PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION PRESERVING CONNECTICUT’S CURRENT VACCINE STANDARDS

State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, led the bill’s passage.

“It’s easy to get whiplash from the federal government’s recent decision-making, which has upended decades of standard, accepted practices regarding vaccination,” said Sen. Anwar. “This bill is simply making sure Connecticut knows where it stands, adopting a new standard where state residents can rest assured they can get access to any vaccination needed or desired by themselves and their families. We’re not forcing anything here. We’re expanding options to make sure the public can access the care they desire. It’s a meaningful step forward to support public health in Connecticut.”

Connecticut families should not have to wonder whether the vaccines their children and loved ones rely on will remain available because of federal dysfunction,” said Senate President Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk). “This legislation ensures that our state’s immunization standards are grounded in the consensus professional judgment of the nation’s leading medical and public health practitioners, not in the ideological agenda of the Trump regime. We are making clear this state will not allow Washington’s recklessness to lead to public health crises here at home. We commend Senator Anwar for his leadership in moving this legislation forward and we are proud to stand with the medical community and the families of Connecticut in protecting access to safe, effective vaccines.”

With about 495,000 schoolchildren currently attending Connecticut schools, the legislation preserves the existing status quo and keeps children safe from preventable illnesses.

It 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 on a 22-12 vote, after the House passed the bill on April 21 by an 89-60 tally, the bill now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk for final signature.

Senator MD Rahman Votes to Put Residents Back in Control of Their Personal Data

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

Senator MD Rahman Votes to Put Residents Back in Control of Their Personal Data

Senator MD Rahman (D-Manchester) 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.

“People in Manchester, Glastonbury, Andover, and Bolton have a right to know that their personal information is not being quietly sold to whoever is willing to pay for it,” Senator Rahman said. “This bill puts residents back in control of their own data and makes clear that Connecticut will not allow surveillance tools to be turned against the people who live here. This is a practical step to protect the privacy and safety of every family in our state.”

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.

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.

SENATOR LESSSER VOTES TO PASS BILL REINING IN ICE ABUSES IN CONNECTICUT

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

SENS. LESSER & CABRERA: HOW MUCH DID CT FINE INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR SHORT-CHANGING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENTS?

HARTFORD – Just days after the state Insurance Department issued a report saying it has fined five Connecticut insurance companies for short-changing customers seeking mental health treatments, state Senators Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) and Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) have written a letter asking the commissioner: How much did you fine them?

The Insurance Department never specified its penalties, which are capped at $625,000 if an insurance company fails to file its annual mental health compliance certifications.

Sens. Lesser and Cabrera are arguing not just for tough fines, but also for tougher follow-up enforcement actions to prevent future occurrences.

“Several carriers refused to provide adequate comparative analyses… even after multiple follow-up interrogatories from the Department. This conduct reflects non-cooperation that, in our view, warrants serious consideration in determining the appropriate scope of penalties,” Sens. Lesser and Cabrera wrote on April 17. “We respectfully urge the Department to ensure that this enforcement action goes beyond financial penalties alone.”

Sen. Lesser – who is Senate Chair of the Human Services Committee – and Sen. Cabrera – who is Senate Chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee – suggest the Insurance Department adopt the “Kennedy Forum’s Gold Standards for Corrective Enforcement Actions” which includes formal corrective action plans with clear timelines and measurable benchmarks and reimbursement to enrollees for out-of-network costs incurred as a result of the insurance company’s violations.

The Kennedy Forum document can be found here.

“States including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California have successfully deployed these tools in parity enforcement actions, and Connecticut could do the same,” the senators said. “While financial penalties are an important means of holding insurers accountable, changed insurer behavior and equal access to care are the ultimate goals of parity enforcement.”

In the meantime, Sens. Lesser and Cabrera are asking the Insurance Department to answer four questions:

What are the specific fine amounts assessed against each of the five carriers, and how were these amounts calculated?
What is the Department’s process and timeline for finalizing enforcement actions and making penalty determinations public?
Does the Department intend to require formal corrective action plans from the cited carriers, and if so, what elements will those plans be required to address?
What is the Department’s plan for ensuring that the violations identified in this report result in durable changes in carrier practices?

Last week’s Insurance Department report found that:

Several insurance companies submitted reports that lacked details about case management, clinical auditing, and drug screening/testing;
There were “material operational disparities” affecting policyholder access to mental health and substance use disorder networks across all five insurance companies;
All five insurance companies maintained “non-comparative reimbursement rate methodologies” when compared to their medical and surgical reimbursement rates;
All five carriers need to strengthen their evaluation of unequal outcome data and identify corrective actions.

In 2019, the General Assembly passed a bill requiring more mental health parity from insurance companies so that their networks and payments more closely mirrored those of medical/surgical patients. Last year, Democrats passed Senate Bill 10, which requires health carriers to annually file a mental health parity compliance certification with the state Insurance Department, which then makes public a carrier’s compliance – or lack of compliance with Connecticut’s mental health parity laws.

The 2025 bill allows the Insurance Department to fine insurance companies up to a maximum of $625,000 if they fail to file these annual mental health compliance certifications.

###