Duff & Maroney to Introduce Bill Banning Facial Recognition in Retail Establishments

HARTFORD, CT — Today, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and State Senator James Maroney (D-Milford) announced they will introduce a bill in the upcoming 2026 legislative session to ban the use of facial recognition technology in retail establishments across Connecticut.

The proposal comes amid growing national concern over consumer privacy and the rapid expansion of biometric surveillance technologies in everyday settings. Facial recognition systems can capture, store, and analyze uniquely identifying biometric data without a customer’s knowledge or meaningful consent, raising serious questions about data security, misuse, and civil liberties.

Recent developments in neighboring states have heightened those concerns. Wegmans Food Markets, which operates stores throughout the Northeast, has posted notices at several New York locations informing customers that personally identifying biometric information, including facial recognition data, may be collected and stored while they shop. According to a recent CT Insider report, it is currently unclear whether the Wegmans in Norwalk, Connecticut, uses facial recognition technology.

The soon-to-be-introduced bill is intended to proactively protect Connecticut consumers before similar practices become widespread in the state. Under the bill, retail establishments would be prohibited from using facial recognition technology on customers, ensuring that individuals can shop without being subject to biometric surveillance.

“Connecticut residents shouldn’t have to worry about giving up information about themselves while grocery shopping,” said Senator Duff. “Facial recognition technology is highly invasive and poses real risks to privacy and trust. This bill will put people first and ensure retailers cannot collect or store personal biometric information about someone just because they walked into a store.”

Senator Maroney, who has been a leader on data privacy and consumer protection issues, emphasized the need for lawmakers to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.

“As technology continues to advance, we must be proactive and step in to protect consumers from surveillance they did not consent to,” said Senator Maroney. “Our bill will ensure people can shop for everyday necessities without being unknowingly tracked or having their biometric data collected.”

Consumer advocates have increasingly warned that biometric data, once collected, cannot be changed or reissued like a password or credit card number. If compromised, facial recognition data can expose individuals to long-term privacy and security risks.

The proposal will be part of a broader consumer protection and data privacy package that the senators will introduce during the 2026 session, aimed at strengthening Connecticut’s regulations governing the collection, use, storage, and sharing of personal data. Duff and Maroney say the bill reflects Connecticut’s commitment to protecting residents’ privacy while setting clear guardrails for the responsible use of emerging technologies.

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

Looney, Duff, Anwar Respond To New Childhood Vaccine Schedule, Which Will Leave More Children At Risk Of Serious Illness

Today, Connecticut Senate President Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, released the following statement following an announced change to the childhood vaccine schedule Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

While the new schedule continues recommending some routine childhood vaccinations, others, like those for RSV and hepatitis, will be recommended only for “high risk” children. Additionally, parents who want their children to be vaccinated against flu, Covid and rotavirus will be required to consult with a health provider.

“This haphazard and alarming decision from Republicans in Washington is divorced from reality,” the lawmakers said. “Requiring parents to schedule annual doctor’s appointments for the sole purpose of getting their children vaccinated against common seasonal illnesses is needlessly complicated, even more so as flu is raging throughout Connecticut right now. The more hoops parents have to jump through for childhood vaccinations, the fewer children will be protected against viruses that can cause serious health complications. It’s another move that weakens our public health systems, contributes to the spread of illness and makes our communities less safe.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Sen. Duff Statement on Military Action in Venezuela

HARTFORD – Today, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) released the following statement in response to the military action in Venezuela.

“President Trump never laid out the need or the plan to the American people or Congress before attacking a sovereign nation and putting the lives of the men and women of our military at risk. This is an unpopular and illegal attack motivated by the vanity of a President focused on TV ratings instead of exploding prices here at home.

“Trump has been playing pretend strong man by going on a bombing spree around the world after campaigning on ending wars and putting America first. He’s done the exact opposite, making America weaker. No matter how many military actions he takes, Trump can’t deflect from his failed policies of higher prices and a country that is less affordable today than in 2024.”

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

Sen. Duff Signs National Letter Urging Federal Government to Withdraw Changes to Endangered Species Act

HARTFORD – Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) signed onto a letter with several other state legislators from across the country to urge the federal government to withdraw proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The letter, addressed to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Brian Nesvik, argues that four proposed changes to the ESA will strip key policies that have protected our nation’s wildlife and their habitats for decades.

“Our country enjoys some of the most diverse wildlife on the planet, from the New England coastline where I live, to rugged mountain ranges from Appalachia to the Sierra Nevada, to rich forestry in the Pacific Northwest and lush Hawaiian rainforests,” said Majority Leader Duff. “Our rich American landscape is under threat from climate change, overdevelopment, and resource mining, and these rules weaken our ability to protect the biodiversity that makes this country great.”

The letter argues that:

• The ESA has prevented the extinction of 99% of listed threatened and endangered species and has facilitated the recovery of iconic symbols of American heritage, such as the bald eagle, gray whale, bison, sea otter, and more.
• The ESA enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support among Americans, and a June 2025 poll shows that 84% believe it’s important to prevent species extinction, and that a majority favor habitat protections for imperiled species.
• These proposed changes will undermine state and federal cooperation in recovery efforts by weakening the partnership between the federal government and state agencies.
• These changes could cause economic harm, as endangered species offer economic benefits, including to tourism, modern medicine, agriculture, and recreation.

The legislators signed onto the letter opposing four specific proposed changes that would:

• Weaken Threatened Species Protections by rescinding the blanket 4(d) rule option and requiring that a species-specific rule is written. Threatened species would no longer be automatically protected from killing, harming, or habitat destruction. Instead, they would be vulnerable to weaker protections and face regulatory protection gaps.
• Exclude Areas from Critical Habitat Designation by requiring the Fish and Wildlife Service to consider economic impacts and follow a rigid process for critical habitat decisions. Such habitat is essential to the survival of endangered species. This new process would shift away from science-backed decisions while also reducing the size and effectiveness of critical habitat designations.
• Reduce Interagency Consultation by limiting the requirements for and the scope of instances in which federal agencies must consult each other to ensure their actions do not jeopardize listed species or destroy critical habitat. Under the proposed rule, it would be easier for federal agencies to overlook harmful impacts from pipelines, dams, mining approvals, grazing permits, and other federal actions.
• Remove Eligibility for New Critical Habitat Designation by making it harder to designate unoccupied critical habitat, narrowing the criteria for the term “foreseeable future,” and eliminating consideration of climate change impacts. This would make it significantly harder to protect species affected by drought, flooding, disease, and cumulative impacts.

Sen. Duff Joins National Coalition of State Legislators Opposing Federal Rollback of Water Protections

HARTFORD – Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) joined state legislators from across the nation this month in urging the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reject a proposed rule that could eliminate protections for more than 80% of the nation’s wetlands and waterways.

The letter, signed by more than 100 legislators from 29 states, called on EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Lieutenant General William Graham to retain current protections under the “Waters of the United States” rule rather than endorse the proposed rollback.

“It’s hard to fathom why the Trump administration has proposed to strip away the federal safeguards that protect American waterways and wetlands, especially given polls show near-universal support for preserving our nation’s water resources,” Senator Duff said. “Here in Connecticut, we recognize how essential these protections are to our public health and our economy. That’s why we’ve been a leader in adopting strong environmental policies. I’m proud to stand with legislators across the nation in demanding the federal government maintain the protections that Americans overwhelmingly support and that our communities desperately need.”

The proposed rule is expected to have devastating economic consequences nationwide. Research suggests that coastal wetlands save communities $23 billion each year in storm protection and support hundreds of thousands of jobs, including in the fishing industry. In 2018, anglers generated more than $72 billion in sales impacts across the country.

The change would also place greater burdens on state governments, which would be forced to assume responsibility for protecting wetlands and waterways without additional resources or the legal authority to manage the new role.

Legislators who signed the letter stressed that clean water protections are critical to preserving safe drinking water for millions of Americans. Protections for streams, rivers, and lakes enjoy overwhelming public support, with 94% of Americans saying such protections are essential, according to a 2024 poll by Morning Consult for the Walton Family Foundation.

CT Senate Democrats Condemn CBS’s Cowardice

HARTFORD – Today, Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk), and members of the Connecticut Senate Democratic caucus condemned CBS for pulling its report on Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), the massive prison in El Salvador, calling the decision a disturbing failure of journalistic courage at a moment when the public deserves transparency and accountability.

“The decision by CBS to pull its reporting on CECOT is deeply troubling and confirms serious concerns about outside political pressure and corporate influence overriding the public’s right to know. The press exists to hold the powerful accountable. When a pillar of American media like CBS walks away from its own reporting, it is an act of cowardice. A functioning democracy relies on having leaders in our media who are willing to challenge power and stand by their work. Political and corporate pressure to abandon the truth erodes the public’s confidence in government at every level. Now more than ever, at a moment when authoritarianism is being openly normalized and democratic institutions are under assault, the media must have the courage to stand up to power rather than cower in silence. The American people deserve fearless reporting, not political censorship disguised as editorial judgment.”

The statement was signed by Senate President Looney, Senate Majority Leader Duff, Senator Saud Anwar, Senator Christine Cohen, Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Senator Herron Keyon Gaston, Senator Jan Hochadel, Senator Paul Honig, Senator Julie Kushner, Senator Matt Lesser, Senator Rick Lopes, Senator Ceci Maher, Senator Martha Marx, Senator Norm Needleman, Senator MD Rahman, and Senator Derek Slap.

Please Note: a previous version of this press release did not include Senator Herron Keyon Gaston and Senator Jan Hochadel, who both also signed the statement.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

CT Senate Democrats Condemn CBS’s Cowardice

HARTFORD – Today, Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk), and members of the Connecticut Senate Democratic caucus condemned CBS for pulling its report on Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), the massive prison in El Salvador, calling the decision a disturbing failure of journalistic courage at a moment when the public deserves transparency and accountability.

“The decision by CBS to pull its reporting on CECOT is deeply troubling and confirms serious concerns about outside political pressure and corporate influence overriding the public’s right to know. The press exists to hold the powerful accountable. When a pillar of American media like CBS walks away from its own reporting, it is an act of cowardice. A functioning democracy relies on having leaders in our media who are willing to challenge power and stand by their work. Political and corporate pressure to abandon the truth erodes the public’s confidence in government at every level. Now more than ever, at a moment when authoritarianism is being openly normalized and democratic institutions are under assault, the media must have the courage to stand up to power rather than cower in silence. The American people deserve fearless reporting, not political censorship disguised as editorial judgment.”

The statement was signed by Senate President Looney, Senate Majority Leader Duff, Senator Saud Anwar, Senator Christine Cohen, Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Senator Paul Honig, Senator Julie Kushner, Senator Matt Lesser, Senator Rick Lopes, Senator Ceci Maher, Senator Martha Marx, Senator Norm Needleman, Senator MD Rahman, and Senator Derek Slap.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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