Sine Die and the end of the 2025 Legislative Session

Last Wednesday, the 2025 legislative session came to a close and I wanted to share some information about a few of the bills that passed before we adjourned. You can find a list of all bills that passed by clicking here.

As always, the state budget dominates the session, as it sets the tone for state spending over the next two years. Unfortunately, I could not support the Democrats’ $55.8 billion budget because it smashes Connecticut’s fiscal guardrails, increases state spending by more than 10%, and creates an additional $2 billion tax-and-fee burden on Connecticut’s families and businesses. And as you may have heard, this year’s budget included a series of policy changes that had absolutely no connection to the budget.

Sadly, our House Republican Reality Check budget proposal was dismissed without consideration. Despite that rejection, during the debate we offered several amendments to make improvements to their bill, including support for Special Education and funding for healthcare services through Medicaid Rate Increases. Unfortunately, those amendments failed along mostly party lines.

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.

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.