June 13, 2025

Sine Die and the close of the 2025 legislative session

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Last Wednesday, the legislature adjourned its business promptly at midnight.

While I’m still processing the entire session – from long committee meetings and public hearings that lasted well into the night and sometimes the next morning, meetings with advocates and lobbyists, and of course the session days spent in the Hall of the House with ALL of my colleagues – I wanted to reach out with a brief update on a few of the good bills that passed the House or were signed into law.

Below is just a small sample of legislation we considered. According to the Courant, “about 3,800 bills were filed this year … more than 900 bills were passed by the legislative committees … (and) 286 bills were passed by both chambers and will be sent to Lamont’s desk for his signature.”

Senate Bill 1426 expands the Firefighters Cancer Relief Program by adding skin cancer to a list of already covered illnesses. The Relief Program covers cancers that may have been caused by a firefighter’s duties and exposure to dangerous toxins and further supports the brave men and women who protect our cities and towns. The Connecticut State Firefighters Association and the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut (UPFFA of CT) strongly supported this legislation.
House Bill 5001 hopefully addresses special education costs by including an additional $30 million for a new “special education expansion grant” for school districts for the next two years. The grant program will be based on the amount they receive through the state’s Education Cost Sharing formula.
House Bill 6438, better known as the Connecticut Hero Act II, assists with National Guard recruitment and expands opportunities for disabled veteran-owned businesses. The bill also adds Veterans’ Service Officers to help connect veterans with essential services.
House Bill 7160 – the Yellow Envelope Bill is a compassionate way to improve interactions between first responders and individuals with cognitive or physical disabilities by creating a simple system to keep a license, registration, and insurance in a yellow envelope with helpful communication tips on the outside.
House Bill 5064 establishes a grant program to fund agricultural land preservation by agricultural nonprofits, municipalities, groups of municipalities, municipalities in a regional agreement, or regional councils of governments.

You can find a list of all bills that passed by clicking here.

I appreciate the opportunity to be your voice in Hartford, and my door is always open if you have questions or concerns about state government or legislation.