Sen. McCrory Supports Passage of Bill for Health Insurance Coverage of Newborns
Today, state Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford, Bloomfield and Windsor) supported passage of Senate Bill 377, An Act Concerning Health Insurance Coverage For Newborns. Senate Bill 377 will extend the time period for which a parent would need to provide notice of the birth of a newborn, and pay any required premium or subscription fee to continue the newborn’s coverage.
“This is a straight-forward piece of legislation that will give greater flexibility to new parents and help ensure they can focus on what matters most, the health and well-being of their newborn,” said Sen. McCrory.
Currently, certain health insurance policies that cover family members must cover newborns from birth for a set period before requiring payment to continue the coverage. This bill extends the period within which the insured person must notify the health carrier about the birth from 61 days after birth to 121 days after birth or the hospital discharge date.
SB 377 applies to those fully insured and to group health insurance policies that cover basic hospital expenses, basic medical-surgical expenses, major medical expenses, accidents, and hospital or medical services.
This bill has support from Connecticut Children’s with the President of the Connecticut Children’s Specialty Group and the Director of Neonatology at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center submitting positive testimony urging for passage to allow families to be able to easily access and maintain health insurance coverage for their newborns, whichever is later.
Through Connecticut Children’s growing neonatal network, they are expanding access to communities across the state. The hospital collaborates on the care teams for more than 55% of babies born annually; meaning almost 20,000 Connecticut babies each year get a healthy start in life because their first doctor is one of Connecticut Children’s pediatric experts. This bill would help ensure that those who have a state regulated healthcare plan, will be able to have their newborn receive health insurance coverage through their caregivers’ plans.
Infants in the Hartford NICU often stay for weeks and months at a time as they receive highly specialized care. In Fiscal Year 2021, Connecticut Children’s treated 850 patients across the NICU; 206 of which stayed greater than 30 days. The average length of stay for these patients was 77 days. As it relates to this bill, CT Children’s are supportive of an extended period of time to notify insurers as navigating the complexities of enrollment is often the last thing on a parent’s mind when their newborn is receiving care in a NICU.
Appropriations Committee Votes to Support Mental Health Initiatives in Police Work, Expanded Workers’ Compensation for Dispatchers
Appropriations Committee Votes to Support Mental Health Initiatives in Police Work, Expanded Workers’ Compensation for Dispatchers
Police to receive additional training and mental health support
Today, the Appropriations Committee voted in support of legislation bolstering mental health initiatives both for police officers working in the field and police officers needing care themselves. One piece of legislation receiving support extends workers’ compensation coverage to police dispatchers in addition to police officers and firefighters; the other increases both protections for police officers regarding mental health and seeks to improve police relations with individuals with mental health issues.
State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), a member of the Appropriations Committee and sponsor of the workers’ compensation bill, voted to approve both pieces of legislation today.
“In recent years, the increased consideration of mental health needs for police and policing alike has benefitted our society,” said Sen. Anwar. “By reducing the stigma of mental health issues among officers and changing their approach to dealing with members of the public with mental health concerns, our state can further improve our standards both to ensure officers receive the care they need without question or judging and that members of the public will receive aid in a manner that will be safe and effective regarding their individual needs.”
House Bill 5420, “An Act Concerning Mental Health Needs Of and Services For Police Officers, Certain Requirements Regarding Police Training and Certain Reports,” makes several changes to law enforcement and related agencies, mainly about mental health, including:
- Extending existing employment protections to police officers seeking or receiving mental health care services after required behavioral health assessments
- Creating training on interacting with people with mental or physical disabilities or who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind, which will replace current standards of contact
- Providing $100,000 of grants to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, which will be given to nonprofit organizations providing police officer crisis intervention training
- Creating a task force to study officer mental health needs
- Studying a sample of 911 calls and analyzing which would be more appropriately handled through 211
House Bill 5251, “An Act Concerning Workers’ Compensation For Dispatchers,” extends “portal-to-portal” workers’ compensation coverage to 911 emergency dispatchers when they’re responding to a direct order to work when normally excused from working or after working two or more mandatory overtime shifts on consecutive days. “Portal-to-portal” coverage sees injury occurring while an employee is traveling from their home to their workplace having occurred in the course of employment; this would be extended to dispatchers from current law’s provision of standards for police officers, firefighters and Department of Corrections employees.
Both bills were unanimously approved by the Public Safety and Security Committee before their approval by the Appropriations Committee today. They proceed to the House for further consideration.
Senator Lesser Leads Passage Of Bill For Health Insurance Coverage Of Newborns
Senator Lesser Leads Passage Of Bill For Health Insurance Coverage Of Newborns
Today, state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), Chair of the Insurance & Real Estate Committee led passage of Senate Bill 377, An Act Concerning Health Insurance Coverage For Newborns. Senate Bill 377 will extend the time period for which a parent would need to provide notice of the birth of a newborn, and pay any required premium or subscription fee to continue the newborn’s coverage.
“As a father, I know the most important thing a parent wants for their newborn child to be healthy and safe,” said Sen. Lesser. “If a new parent has a child, especially a newborn with health-related complications, the last thing on a parents mind is going into their HR department at work and enroll their newborn in a health insurance plan. This bill allows parents to focus on what is important.”
Currently, certain health insurance policies that cover family members must cover newborns from birth for a set period before requiring payment to continue the coverage. This bill extends the period within which the insured person must notify the health carrier about the birth from 61 days after birth to 121 days after birth or the hospital discharge date.
SB 377 applies to those fully insured and to group health insurance policies that cover basic hospital expenses, basic medical-surgical expenses, major medical expenses, accidents, and hospital or medical services.
This bill has support from Connecticut Children’s with the President of the Connecticut Children’s Specialty Group and the Director of Neonatology at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center submitting positive testimony urging for passage to allow families to be able to easily access and maintain health insurance coverage for their newborns, whichever is later.
Through Connecticut Children’s growing neonatal network, they are expanding access to communities across the state. The hospital collaborates on the care teams for more than 55% of babies born annually; meaning almost 20,000 Connecticut babies each year get a healthy start in life because their first doctor is one of Connecticut Children’s pediatric experts. This bill would help ensure that those who have a state regulated healthcare plan, will be able to have their newborn receive health insurance coverage through their caregivers’ plans.
Infants in the Hartford NICU often stay for weeks and months at a time as they receive highly specialized care. In Fiscal Year 2021, Connecticut Children’s treated 850 patients across the NICU; 206 of which stayed greater than 30 days. The average length of stay for these patients was 77 days. As it relates to this bill, CT Children’s are supportive of an extended period of time to notify insurers as navigating the complexities of enrollment is often the last thing on a parent’s mind when their newborn is receiving care in a NICU.
Senator Anwar Joins Senate in Approving Medicaid Reimbursement for Surgical, Prescription Treatment of Severe Obesity
Senator Anwar Joins Senate in Approving Medicaid Reimbursement for Surgical, Prescription Treatment of Severe Obesity
Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined the Senate in its approval of legislation allowing Medicaid and HUSKY-B reimbursement for medically necessary covered treatment of severe obesity, including surgery and outpatient drugs. Currently, Medicaid reimbursement of treatment for those conditions is only covered when obesity is caused by or exacerbates an illness. This bill effectively eliminates the requirement that a comorbidity exists in reimbursement of services and includes prescription drugs as a reimbursable treatment. Sen. Anwar helped introduce this legislation.
“Nearly 40 percent of American adults are obese, and this condition is linked to common chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease,” said Sen. Anwar. “Complicating matters is that many Americans who are obese lack nutritional education, reside in food deserts or otherwise experience societal conditions making obesity more likely. By allowing Medicaid coverage and CHIP coverage for obesity treatments such as prescription drugs and surgery, we can aid individuals in attaining the care they need and reduce the impacts of the obesity epidemic on our communities.”
“Obesity is treatable, it is associated with significant comorbidities and impacts the quality of life of a patient,” said Dr. Wajahat Mehal, a Professor of Medicine at Yale and the director of Yale’s Weight Loss Program. “Thankfully, science has reached a point where we have medicines which can address this. Not everyone needs a surgery; medical treatment can be very effective in a significant number of patients.”
Senate Bill 282, “An Act Concerning Medical Assistance For Surgical and Prescription Drug Treatment of Severe Obesity,” will beginning in April 2023 authorize the Social Services Commissioner to reimburse treatment for severe obesity including surgery and outpatient prescription drugs.
Under the legislation, “severe obesity” is defined as obesity with a body mass index of 40 or higher, or 35 or higher with comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. A BMI of 40+ would indicate a six-foot-tall man weighing more than 300 pounds or a woman standing 5′ 3″ weighing more than 225 pounds.
In public testimony, medical professionals approved of the legislation; Jonathan Aranow, MD, a former president of the Connecticut Chapters of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, said the bill would generate more cost savings than expenditures within five years of passage, potentially saving the state $12 million annually. The legislation’s focus on individuals with increased risk of chronic diseases related to obesity will directly benefit state public health, medical professionals added. What’s more, obesity disproportionately affects minorities in Connecticut, 13.4% of children in the state are obese and more than half of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the pandemic’s initial waves were obese, according to Pavlos Papasavas, MD, immediate past president of the CCASMBS.
Additionally, Papasavas said, Connecticut is the only state in New England where Affordable Care Act plans do not cover bariatric surgery; this legislation would benefit the state in cost savings while helping to improve public health and individual patients’ outcomes.
Democratic Labor and Commerce Leaders Welcome Good News on Connecticut’s Job Growth
Democratic Labor and Commerce Leaders Welcome Good News on Connecticut’s Job Growth
HARTFORD – The Democratic chair of Connecticut’s Labor Committee and the vice-chair of its Commerce Committee today welcomed the news of increasing job growth and declining unemployment in the state, according to a new jobs report from the state Department of Labor.
State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, and Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), who is Senate Vice-Chair of the Commerce Committee, said the report (https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/laborsit.pdf) shows Connecticut’s private-sector businesses gained 5,500 jobs last month, moving private-sector state employment up to 1.42 million jobs, with nearly 46,000 new private-sector jobs created in Connecticut over the past year. Unemployment dropped three-tenths of one percent to 4.6%.
“It’s gratifying to see that our commitment not only to Connecticut businesses but also to the employees who make them successful continues to pay off,” Sen. Kushner said. “Higher wages, more jobs, and less unemployment are the hallmarks of successful public policy, and that’s what we have been working toward in the Labor Committee for years, with a focus on a higher minimum wage, paid family leave, and working conditions that empower and reward employees, which encourages more hiring and more job satisfaction.”
“As a small-business owner myself and as vice-chair of the Commerce Committee, I have been working across the aisle with my colleagues for years to invest in job training, business tax credits, rollbacks of regulations and a host of other measures to ensure that Connecticut businesses are poised to take advantage of all of the economic opportunities they can,” Sen. Cohen said. “As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic I think we’re going to see much more job and wage growth, and I’m particularly pleased that a lot of it is happening in the greater New Haven area, which has become a real hub for biotech in New England.”
Connecticut has now recovered about 85% of the private-sector jobs its lost since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation and the globe in 2020. The overall state employment level is 1.646 million jobs, including government and farm jobs.
Leading supersector job growth leaders for March in Connecticut include 2,900 new jobs in professional & business services, 1,300 in construction and mining, 900 in trade, transportation and utilities, 500 in leisure and hospitality, 300 in manufacturing, and 200 in education and health services. Meanwhile, the public government sector lost 900 jobs last month and has recovered less than half of the jobs it has lost since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago.
Average hourly earnings in March were $33.98 (up 50 cents an hour from a year ago) and the average private-sector weekly wage was $1,152. The New Haven labor market area had the largest year-over year job growth rate at 3.9%, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk at 3.7% and the Waterbury area at 2.8%.
“Connecticut has had two consecutive months of solid job increases to build on the growth we saw last year,” said Patrick Flaherty, Director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. “Construction and manufacturing have shown particular strength in recent months. The unemployment rate declined 2.4% points in the past year. Before the pandemic, there had not been a 12-month period with a decline that large since the 1970s.”
Democratic Labor and Commerce Leaders Welcome Good News on Connecticut’s Job Growth
Democratic Labor and Commerce Leaders Welcome Good News on Connecticut’s Job Growth
HARTFORD – The Democratic chair of Connecticut’s Labor Committee and the vice-chair of its Commerce Committee today welcomed the news of increasing job growth and declining unemployment in the state, according to a new jobs report from the state Department of Labor.
State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is Senate Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, and Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), who is Senate Vice-Chair of the Commerce Committee, said the report (https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/laborsit.pdf) shows Connecticut’s private-sector businesses gained 5,500 jobs last month, moving private-sector state employment up to 1.42 million jobs, with nearly 46,000 new private-sector jobs created in Connecticut over the past year. Unemployment dropped three-tenths of one percent to 4.6%.
“It’s gratifying to see that our commitment not only to Connecticut businesses but also to the employees who make them successful continues to pay off,” Sen. Kushner said. “Higher wages, more jobs, and less unemployment are the hallmarks of successful public policy, and that’s what we have been working toward in the Labor Committee for years, with a focus on a higher minimum wage, paid family leave, and working conditions that empower and reward employees, which encourages more hiring and more job satisfaction.”
“As a small-business owner myself and as vice-chair of the Commerce Committee, I have been working across the aisle with my colleagues for years to invest in job training, business tax credits, rollbacks of regulations and a host of other measures to ensure that Connecticut businesses are poised to take advantage of all of the economic opportunities they can,” Sen. Cohen said. “As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic I think we’re going to see much more job and wage growth, and I’m particularly pleased that a lot of it is happening in the greater New Haven area, which has become a real hub for biotech in New England.”
Connecticut has now recovered about 85% of the private-sector jobs its lost since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation and the globe in 2020. The overall state employment level is 1.646 million jobs, including government and farm jobs.
Leading supersector job growth leaders for March in Connecticut include 2,900 new jobs in professional & business services, 1,300 in construction and mining, 900 in trade, transportation and utilities, 500 in leisure and hospitality, 300 in manufacturing, and 200 in education and health services. Meanwhile, the public government sector lost 900 jobs last month and has recovered less than half of the jobs it has lost since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago.
Average hourly earnings in March were $33.98 (up 50 cents an hour from a year ago) and the average private-sector weekly wage was $1,152. The New Haven labor market area had the largest year-over year job growth rate at 3.9%, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk at 3.7% and the Waterbury area at 2.8%.
“Connecticut has had two consecutive months of solid job increases to build on the growth we saw last year,” said Patrick Flaherty, Director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. “Construction and manufacturing have shown particular strength in recent months. The unemployment rate declined 2.4% points in the past year. Before the pandemic, there had not been a 12-month period with a decline that large since the 1970s.”
Free Small Business Internet Education Courses Pass Senate
Free Small Business Internet Education Courses Pass Senate
Today, the Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 3, legislation that will lead to the development of online seminar courses supporting small businesses in developing and expanding online infrastructure for their businesses. State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury, Naugatuck, and Middlebury) joined in passing a bill that is intended to support small businesses in their recovery from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to ongoing shifts in the state and global economy, including the further rapid growth of e-commerce sales. It is vital that small businesses have pathways to learn best practices on how to adapt their businesses for the post-pandemic economy and to protect themselves from the increasingly prevalent threat of cyberattacks,” said Sen. Hartley.
Senate Bill 3, “An Act Requiring The Board of Regents For Higher Education To Develop Seminar Programs For Small Businesses,” would see the Board of Regents develop programs designed to aid small businesses with 25 or fewer employees adapt to changing business environments. The programs would offer electronic commerce, social media, cybersecurity and virtual currency courses, among others, and would be available to small businesses by September 1.
Through the programs, up to two small business employees would be able to enroll at no cost in up to five seminar programs, or any courses within seminar programs, at the Northwestern Connecticut Community College Entrepreneurial Center or the Werth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Center at Housatonic Community College.
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities reported that the seminars would be offered online and in-person for businesses.
Since 2014, worldwide e-commerce sales have more than tripled in value, with e-commerce growing sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media, online platforms and internet presence are all more valuable to market success than they were a decade ago. At the same time, 75% of small businesses experienced a decline of at least 25% in revenue from 2019 to 2020. The Small Business Administration reported that tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of small businesses were lost just at the beginning of the pandemic, with many still struggling to make full recoveries.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association testified in support of this bill, noting that many small businesses do not have the ability to invest time and resources into researching online practices. The CBIA said in testimony that it strongly supports the creation of these seminars to aid small businesses in easily accessing reputable material, specifically citing the advantages that cybersecurity training could provide in protecting business and customer data.
This legislation follows similar programs in other states; for example, several North Carolina community colleges currently offer free seminars for small businesses to aid job creation and retention.
The bill passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a unanimous vote. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Senator James Maroney Joins Senate Democrats in Approving Free Small Business Internet Education Courses
Senator James Maroney Joins Senate Democrats in Approving Free Small Business Internet Education Courses
Today, the Senate passed Senate Bill 3, legislation that will lead to the development of online seminar courses supporting small businesses in developing and expanding online infrastructure for their businesses. State Senator James Maroney (D-Milford) joined Senate Democrats in leading the vote, passing a bill that stands as a major priority of Senate Democrats this year, intended to support small businesses in their recovery from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When you support small businesses, you’re supporting the community,” said Sen. Maroney. “As a small business owner, I know how hard it is to keep up with changes, and this free program creates a way for small business owners to stay on the cutting edge of marketing and other technologies. By investing in in this new program, we are helping those who have suffered recover.”
Senate Bill 3, “An Act Requiring The Board of Regents For Higher Education To Develop Seminar Programs For Small Businesses,” would see the Board of Regents develop programs designed to aid small businesses with 25 or fewer employees adapt to changing business environments. The programs would offer electronic commerce, social media, cybersecurity and virtual currency courses, among others, and would be available to small businesses by September 1.
Through the programs, up to two small business employees would be able to enroll at no cost in up to five seminar programs, or any courses within seminar programs, at the Northwestern Connecticut Community College Entrepreneurial Center or the Werth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Center at Housatonic Community College. The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities reported that the seminars would be offered online and in-person for businesses.
Since 2014, worldwide e-commerce sales have more than tripled in value, with e-commerce growing sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media, online platforms and internet presence are all more valuable to market success than they were a decade ago. At the same time, 75% of small businesses experienced a decline of at least 25% in revenue from 2019 to 2020. The Small Business Administration reported that tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of small businesses were lost just at the beginning of the pandemic, with many still struggling to make full recoveries.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association testified in support of this bill, noting that many small businesses do not have the ability to invest time and resources into researching online practices. The CBIA said in testimony that it strongly supports the creation of these seminars to aid small businesses in easily accessing reputable material, specifically citing the advantages that cybersecurity training could provide in protecting business and customer data.
This legislation follows similar programs in other states; for example, several North Carolina community colleges currently offer free seminars for small businesses to aid job creation and retention.
The bill passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee by a unanimous vote. It now heads to the House for further consideration.
Sen. Hartley Leads Passage of Bill Improving Programs Supporting the Clean Up of Contaminated Properties
Sen. Hartley Leads Passage of Bill Improving Programs Supporting the Clean Up of Contaminated Properties
State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury, Naugatuck, and Middlebury) led Senate approval of Senate Bill 218 which would strengthen two of Connecticut’s brownfield remediation programs by expanding the applicant eligibility to include short-term leases, make the vetting process more efficient, and tightening deadlines to acquire properties for remediation. The legislation received support from both the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). It now awaits to be taken up by the state House of Representatives.
“Connecticut has been a model for other states on programs supporting the clean up of contaminated properties and putting them back into use for economic development,” said Sen. Hartley. “I am encouraged by the bipartisan support this bill has received to expand the ability to participate in Connecticut’s brownfield remediation programs and put more guidelines in place to ensure the vetting process is timely and orderly.”
Senate Bill 218, “An Act Concerning Brownfield Remediation,” would make the following changes to the Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program and the Brownfield Remediation & Revitalization Program:
Expanding Eligibility
- Allowing short term leases of five years or less to be considered for participation in both the Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program and Brownfield Remediation & Revitalization Program
- DECD must accept Brownfield Remediation & Revitalization Program property applications or nominations from Connecticut brownfield land banks (CBLB)
- CBLBs, local nonprofit organizations that remediate contaminated properties and sell them for redevelopment, must be the treated the same as municipalities and economic development agencies under the Brownfield Remediation & Revitalization Program
Setting Timeframe to Acquire Properties
- An applicant seeking to participate in the Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program must join the program within six months of acquiring the title to the property, unless granted an exception from DECD in working with DEEP. Currently, no deadline exists for when a person must enter the program
- Applicants looking to be named as eligible for either the Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program or the Brownfield Remediation & Revitalization Program must take the title to the property within two years of being awarded the designation by DECD. The deadline can be extended if requested by the applicant
Make Vetting of Properties More Efficient
Under the Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program, DEEP would be required to decide whether to audit a licensed environmental professional’s verification of a property within 60 days of receiving it. Currently, there is no deadline for DEEP under the program if it will conduct an audit.
- If DEEP decides to conduct an audit of an Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program verification, then it must be done within 180 days starting after the verification is given. The time limit can be waived for reasons including there is reason to believe information provided for verification was misleading or there is information the properties remediation did not prevent substantial threats to public health or the environment
- After completing an audit, DEEP has two weeks to approve or deny verification. The applicant for the property would have up to 60 days to rectify the reasons for denial
Deadlines for auditing are already in effect for the Brownfield Remediation & Revitalization Program.
The Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program gives a chance for developers, who are not responsible for the property’s contamination, to investigate and remediate off-site contamination of projects that meet economic development criteria. Developers in the program would be afforded liability relief.
The Brownfield Remediation and Revitalization Program supports the streamlining of redeveloping brownfield properties. Up to 32 projects per year can be accepted for admission into the program by DECD in consultation with DEEP. Eligible projects are selected on factors including job creation and retention and forecasted increase to a municipal grand list.
Sen. Hartley Leads Approval of Bill Supporting Clean Up of Contaminated Properties
Sen. Hartley Leads Approval of Bill Supporting Clean Up of Contaminated Properties
State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury, Naugatuck, and Middlebury) led Senate approval of Senate Bill 102, which would provide for stronger coordination and review of updates to state regulations supporting revitalizing environmentally contaminated properties. Those regulations are meant to ease the process of remediation for blighted properties with potential commercial value, supporting renewed economic and community development. The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
“We have taken another step forward in finally moving away from the inefficient system under the Transfer Act and to a process that will spur the redevelopment of long-unused properties for economic development,” said Sen. Hartley. “It is vital that we don’t repeat mistakes of the past and ensure a new system for encouraging the cleanup of contaminated properties is straightforward from the start.”
Currently, Connecticut operates under the provisions of the Connecticut Property Transfer Act of 1985, which is a different system from a release-based one used in most other states in the nation. A release-based system places a focus on contamination that poses the greatest risk to the environment and creates a unified set of standards to direct clean ups of low-risk spills, according to the governor’s office.
The current Transfer Act system has been criticized by environmentalists and economic development stakeholders as ineffective in its goal of having property owners clean up hazardous materials from a property. Instead, it has resulted in owners abandoning those properties, which continue to hold hazardous materials. Only about a quarter of the estimated 4,200 properties in Connecticut under the Transfer Act have been cleaned up since the system’s enactment, the governor’s office reported in 2020.
Senate Bill 102 would direct the commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to provide a draft of regulations implementing a release-based system in Connecticut to the full membership of the release-based program working group for review and feedback. The commissioner of DEEP would then put it up for consideration to be adopted into state regulations.
Eight subcommittees and three ad hoc groups have worked under the umbrella of the working group focusing on different sections of the regulation. The members of the working group expressed in testimony supporting Senate Bill 102 that the “silo” nature of the various subcommittees and ad hoc groups has raised a need for better coordination.
The chance for a review of the full drafted regulations would support the working group’s desire for improved collaboration and unified direction of the released-based system regulation.
The working group was established as part of 2020 legislation championed by Sen. Hartley that was approved to move Connecticut away from the Transfer Act to a released-based system.
Senate Bill 102 was supported by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and Connecticut REALTORS.