Rep. Jensen Votes in Strong Support of Bill to Address Abuse of 'Earmark' Process

HARTFORD - State Rep. Arnold Jensen, R-Oxford, on Thursday voted in strong support of legislation that would add new transparency, reporting and oversight requirements to legislatively directed funds, more commonly known as earmarks.

The legislation, H.B. 5039, was developed in response to media scrutiny of state funding provided to nonprofit and community organizations. A federal probe into a Hartford-based organization that received state funding, combined with sustained pressure from House Republicans, proved to be a catalyst for change.

The scrutiny has centered on the Blue Hills Civic Association, a Hartford-based nonprofit that received more than $15 million in state funds in recent years. A state audit released in early 2026 found serious problems with how Blue Hills spent taxpayer money, including what auditors described as a troubling pattern of financial mismanagement and a breakdown of internal controls. The Blue Hills controversy compounded broader Republican concerns about earmarks during the 2025 debate over the two-year budget, with House and Senate GOP leaders later holding a press conference pointing to several nonprofit recipients they said lacked any verifiable public presence or track record of work.

Among the most impactful elements of the legislation are reforms targeting a current gap in the system that allows earmark recipients to pass funds along to other organizations without approval, transparency, or accountability. Under the bill, that practice would require prior approval, and any organization receiving passed-along funds would face the same transparency requirements as the original earmark recipient.

The legislation also requires the Office of Policy and Management (OPM)—the governor's budget office—to provide quarterly reports to the Appropriations, Finance and Government Oversight committees on disbursements to date and plans for remaining funds. Earmark recipients must also report annually to the administering state agency on how they and any organizations they passed funds to used the money. OPM would be required to post that information to a publicly accessible website.

The bill further directs OPM to establish policies requiring funding recipients to disclose key organizational details, from the entity's legal name and leadership information to certifications that neither the recipient nor any organization they passed funds to has been convicted of or found civilly liable for fraud in connection with a government contract. OPM must share details of those policies with the leaders of the General Assembly.

The legislation was passed with bipartisan support. It awaits further action in the State Senate.