Proposes New Legislation to the General Assembly

HARTFORD — State Representative Holly Cheeseman (R-37) has proposed more bills to Legislative leaders; this time, they concern our students and public health policies.

Bills submitted by Rep. Cheeseman that were referred to the Education and Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committees largely aim to financially support our schools, protect our students and help our Boards of Education run more efficiently. The specific bills include:

• House Bill (H.B.) 5074: Would reduce costs to school districts related to the mandatory behavior management training required of school personnel.
• H.B. 5077: Would lower the reimbursement threshold for special education costs from 4.5 the average pupil cost to 3 times the average pupil cost, and remove the cap on refunds so that grants can be fully funded
• H.B. 5078: Would remove duplicative reporting requirements on school districts and require the Department of Education to develop a database for boards of education to communicate with one another.
• H.B. 5079: Would eliminate unfunded mandates on school districts.
• H.B. 5086: Would create an incentive grant program for school districts to regionalize their transportation services by providing funds for them to purchase vans.
• H.B. 5087: Would permit a school district to reduce its minimum budget requirement in an amount that reflects any actual decline in student enrollment.
• H.B. 5113: Would require public and private institutions of higher education to establish a policy regarding free speech on campus that is in accordance with federal and state constitutional protections.

Rep. Cheeseman’s proposed legislation regarding public health supports the elderly and disabled, pharmacy customers and prevents further cases of opioid abuse:

• H.B. 5050: Would establish a drug docket pilot program in New London County (referred to the Judiciary Committee).
• H.B. 5343: Would help counter the ever-increasing costs of prescription drugs by redefining “third-party administrator” to include pharmacy benefits managers (referred to the Insurance Committee).
• H.B. 5740: Would permit municipalities to regulate handicapped parking spaces to ensure the availability of ample handicapped parking (referred to the Planning & Development Committee).

A couple final pieces of noteworthy legislation proposed by Rep. Cheeseman benefit our veterans. Senate Bill (S.B.) 10 and Senate Joint Resolution (S.J.) 3 would honor women who served as members of the Cadet Nurse Corps during the Second World War by recognizing them as veterans and establishing June 15^th as “Cadet Nurse Corps Day.”

All bill proposals in the General Assembly are considered by legislative committees, and potentially brought to a public hearing, before being raised to the House and Senate for a vote. To read more about the bills that Rep. Cheeseman has proposed or co-sponsored this session, visit her website at www.repcheeseman.com and click on the “Legislation” tab. If you are interested in sharing your opinion on a bill, information on how to testify at a hearing or via email is available at www.cga.ct.gov.

For more information on these bills, go to www.cga.ct.gov. In the “Quick Bill Search” bar at the bottom of the page, type in the bill number and click “Go.” For contact information on sending testimony to a specific Committee, from the homepage click the “Committees” tab at the top and then select that committee.