Rep. Scott Provides Legislative Wrap Up of 2024 General Assembly Session

The Connecticut General Assembly has adjourned for the 2024 session. I’m pleased to let you know that some bills I championed over the past few months made it through the legislative process and were sent to Governor Lamont for his signature. The House passed a wide range of bills, from education to seniors and telehealth services to improved opioid monitoring. There was also a bill to grant a property tax exemption for veterans who have a service-connected permanent and total disability rating.

One proposal that cleared both the House and Senate would expand the period of time when the death of an officer or firefighter is considered in the line of duty to include 24 hours after attending training or engaging in duties. Governor Lamont signed the bill, which also expands the presumption of workers’ compensation coverage for the death or disability of a police officer or firefighter to include deaths or disabilities resulting from a cerebrovascular incident or pulmonary embolism.

Wednesday, May 15 was National Peace Officers Memorial Day and Governor Lamont signed a bill into law establishing a Fallen Officer Fund to provide payments to the surviving family of a police officer killed in the line of duty. This been a priority issue for the House Republican Caucus. The fund provides a lump-sum, non-taxable payment totaling $100k to surviving family members or beneficiaries of any Connecticut local or state police officer killed in the line of duty or who sustained injuries that cause an officer’s death. The legislation also creates a path for surviving family members to maintain health insurance coverage.

The House passed a bill repealing the statutes authorizing dog tracks and dog racing in Connecticut. While there has not been an active dog racetrack in the state since 2006, 42 other states that have already banned greyhound racing. This measure was recently signed into law.

I also co-sponsored An Act Concerning the Criminal Justice Response to Victims of Sexual Assault. This bill, if signed into law, would require development and distribution of information about services for victims of sexual assault. It also establishes a council to develop a model policy related to the criminal justice response to sexual assault and require distribution of such policy to law enforcement units.