New Laws Taking Effect July 1st

This Saturday, July 1st, will mark the first day of the new fiscal year. On this day, new laws that may affect you and our community will become effective. Several of these laws were acknowledged by the Office of Legislative Research (OLR), the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA), and the Legislative Commissioners’ Office (LCO) as Major Public Acts (PA) to pass through the Legislature this session. Examples include:

Education

PA 17-3: Increases teacher training requirements for supporting students with Dyslexia.

PA 17- 220: Provides state education mandate relief.

Environment

PA 17-144: Promotes clean energy initiatives by making changes to renewable energy policies.

PA 17-218: Requires consideration of the environmental and agricultural impacts (with a focus on prime farmland and core forest) of constructing new solar energy generating facilities.

Economic Development

PA 17-214: Authorizes the certification of new and existing nonprofit organizations as Connecticut Brownfield Land Banks to help municipalities clean up brownfields and prepare them for productive uses.

PA 17-90: Increases permitting for farmers’ market wine sales.

Healthcare

PA 17-135: Limits Medicaid provider audits and enhances the efficiency of the Electronic Visit Verification System (EVV).

PA 17-96: Ensures that long-term care programs are accessible and sufficient to meet the needs of state residents with disabilities.

PA 17-131: Helps prevent prescription opioid diversion and abuse.

An entire list of laws coming into effect July 1st can be found here. The full report on 2017 Major Public Acts is also available here.

 
Please note that the report does not include an OFA budget summary, as it normally does, because the General Assembly did not adopt a budget by the end of the regular session, which adjourned on June 7th. A supplemental report will be issued when that information becomes available.