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

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

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

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) 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 more and more difficult to know our privacy rights, and we deserve the security of knowing our personal information isn’t being turned into a commodity to be bought and sold without us ever knowing,” said Sen. Anwar. “I’m proud the Senate is advancing legislation today that makes sure we know where our data is going and prevents our information to be used against us. I’m grateful to Senator James Maroney for his hard work and look forward to this bill becoming law.”

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 after passing the Senate by a 31-4 tally.

SENATOR CABRERA VOTES TO CRACK DOWN ON CONTRACTOR THEFT IN CONNECTICUT

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

SENS. CABRERA & LESSER: 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 Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) and Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) 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. “We respectfully urge the Department to ensure that this enforcement action goes beyond financial penalties alone.”

Sen. Lessser – 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.

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

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

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

April 23, 2026

Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) 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.

“Our data and our information is being tracked, bought and sold, often without our knowledge,” said Sen. Needleman. “We need better controls and restrictions that preserve privacy in the state of Connecticut. This bill gives consumers control over their data, informs them when they’re subject to tracking and makes common-sense adjustments that will improve consumer rights 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.

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 after passing the Senate by a 31-4 tally.

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.

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 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 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 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.

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