Good and Bad Bills 2025
I began tracking any bills that meet one of the following five areas of concern:
1) Take from one group or persons and give to another group or persons.
2) Add costs to the already cost-burdened & hard-working residents of CT (this includes unfunded mandates placed onto our cities & towns)
3) Have a “sounds good” or “feel good” title but is ultimately misleading in the end goal.
4) Add burdensome regulations or reduce free commerce between citizens.
5)Takes away rights or freedoms from property owners and citizens.
BAD BILLS
H.B. 6889, An Act Concerning Evictions for Cause
- Removes property rights from owners.
- Effectively converts an annual lease into an indefinite occupancy.
- It allows tenants to remain in a rental unit after the lease expires.
- Requires the landlord to inform tenants of their “right” to occupy the unit without penalty.
- It limits the housing provider’s ability to evict, except for very narrowly defined circumstances.
This might as well be a violation of the 4th amendment of our Constitution.
Sec. 1 – Expands the just cause eviction protections in CGS 47a-23c (which currently only applies to tenants who are either disabled or over age 62) to include any person who has resided in the housing unit “for not less than twelve months.”
Establishes exceptions to these protections for anyone who is NOT disabled or elderly in the following situations:
Where the housing unit will be used for principal residence for the landlord’s child, grandchild, parent, or grandparent so long as (1) the landlord is a natural person, (2) the landlord gives the tenant 90 days’ notice, and (3) there is no other unit in the complex/building reasonably available to the landlord’s family member, and (4) there is a bona fide belief that the use for such principal residency will last for no less than 6 months.
Sec. 2 – Changes the types of proof necessary for a tenant to provide a landlords to prove that they are disabled and therefore subject to the just-cause eviction protections of CGS Sec. 47a-23c.
Current Law: Requires proof of disability with a statement from a physician, PA or APRN
Bill’s Changes: Would expand the allowable forms of proof to include:
receipt of Social Security disability benefits or supplemental security income or; the statement of a “medical professional, social services agency, counselor, case manager or peer support group concerning such disability, or statement from another reliable third party who is in a position to know about such person’s disability”
H.B. 6943, An Act Concerning Protections for Residential Tenants
Sec 1) Landlord must provide ledger of payments and charges upon request of tenant.
Sec 2) Any payment is applied to current rental period before arrearage (can never evict for non-payment).
Sec 3) strikes leases from being able to require surcharge or increased rent for a month to month lease.
Sec 4) landlord must provide tenant with fair housing commission information when increasing rent.
Sec 5) landlord must provide voter registration card upon acceptance of tenant- Landlords are not state or town employees and shouldn’t have to act as agents of the state.
Sec 6) it is considered an unfair trade practice to market for use in the state a residential lease or form lease containing provisions that are contrary to state law (enforced by DCP, allows for restraining orders, award of actual and punitive damages, costs, and attorneys’ free and civil penalties up to $5,000 for willful violations and $25,000 for violation of a restraining order.
- This deeply flawed bill undermines housing providers in several ways. Most notably, it strips their ability to evict for nonpayment if a tenant makes only a partial past-due payment, effectively forcing landlords to carry the financial burden.
- Additionally, it prohibits housing providers from charging higher rates for short-term, month-to-month leases. This restriction will likely reduce the availability of such leases, which are often essential for travel nurses, students, and others in need of temporary housing.
- The bill also imposes excessive mandates, requiring landlords to distribute Fair Housing Commission information when increasing rent and to provide voter information and state program details upon lease acceptance. This turns housing providers into de facto government agents, forcing them to distribute materials unrelated to their role.
- Landlords are not state employees and should not be compelled to act as such.
H.B. 6939, An Act Authorizing State Funding for the Right to Counsel Program
Provides state funding to provide “free” legal counsel to tenants, while housing providers must seek and pay for their own counsel.
H.B. 6944, An Act Requiring a Municipality to Include Certain Information in its Affordable Housing Plan
Makes adjustments to required affordable housing plan, includes for developers seeking to build 20% of project affordable non age restricted units, requires the plans of municipalities with highest 80% grand list per capita to plan for at least 20% of new units constructed in town to be affordable, 50% be rental units, 75% to not be age restricted, 50% non age restricted two bedroom or more, DOH may accept or reject such plans; DOH to create evaluation policy for these plans. Allows any interested party to bring action in Superior Court against such housing plans. Requires DOH in 2035 and every ten years after to produce affordable housing estimates and allocations. Prioritizes discretionary funding for compliance.
H.B. 6891, An Act Prohibiting a Landlord from Requiring a Security Deposit in Excess of One Month’s Rent from Any Tenant
Expands current protection of tenants over 62 years of age to everyone; limits security deposit a landlord can demand to one month’s rent. Requires return of any security deposit currently held that is above one months’ rent. Removes the opportunity for both parties to negotiate terms of a contract without the state benefitting.
H.B. 6892, An Act Limiting the Increase of Rental Charges Upon Transfer of Residential Property to a New Owner
A fair rent commission in determining if a rental increase is excessive may additionally consider; If the ownership of the accommodation has been transferred to a new owner within the preceding 12 months. Immediately consider an increase of 10% or greater as excessive unless major renovations are made; major renovations at least two of are but not limited to plumbing, hvac, electrical, envelope or foundation.
S.B. 1305, An Act Establishing a Task Force to Study Municipal Penalties for Landlords for Health and Safety Violations
Taskforce to study municipal penalties for landlords for health and safety violations.
H.B. 6945, An Act Establishing a Task Force to Study Municipal Penalties for Landlords for Health and Safety Violations
Taskforce to study municipal penalties for landlords for health and safety violations.
H.B. 6950, An Act Concerning the Income Threshold for Tenants Renting a Dwelling Unit in a Set-Aside Development
Allows a person to continue to occupy a deed-restricted unit for three years after losing income eligibility.
H.B. 6949, An Act Concerning a Landlord’s Ability to Enter a Dwelling Unit
Defines unreasonably denial of access to a unit as six or more consecutive days.
S.B. 1304, An Act Prohibiting a Landlord from Retaliating Against a Tenant Who Prevails in a Fair Rent Commission Proceeding
Adds a possible criteria for considering a rental increase retaliatory as the tenant having prevailed in a fair rent proceeding within the last six months (6 months from end of process)
- Sec 1) undated definitions
- Sec 2) It is newly a discriminatory practice to consider or make oral inquiry into an applicant’s criminal record prior to the provision of a conditional offer; must afterward allow such applicant to explain their criminal history, limits what criminal history may be considered, sets what a landlord may consider in withdrawing a conditional offer and requires they provide written notification that specificizes reason for withdrawal; and then must allow prospective tenant 5 days to respond with “relevant mitigating information” and requires landlords to maintain written records of these interactions.
- Makes it a discriminatory practice to advertise that a criminal record or any kind would bar access to a rental unit.
- Additionally disallows background screening companies from reporting criminal histories except those defined in this proposed bill.
- Carves out four or less units if landlord occupies one of them.
- Complaints to CHRO.
- Sec 3) CHRO required to update website with this legislation.
- Sec 4) landlord is immune to liability in any civil action arising as a result of the landlord’s decision to rent to individuals with a criminal record.
- Sec 5) Housing authorities to follow this legislation except when federal law bans additional criminal activities from access.
- Sec 6-16) conforming
H.B. 6947, An Act Prohibiting Residential Property Owners from Using Practicing Algorithms and Competitors’ Sensitive Data to Set Rental Prices
Disallows use of knowledge or algorithm in setting rents which includes any competitors’ data or use of computer assisted math (excel); deems such practice as an unfair or deceptive trade practice
H.B. 6890, An Act Concerning the Rental Assistance Program
Allows for a year plus if approved an additional 180 for a recipient to find housing upon award of certificate. Requires DOH to determine if a housing unit is eligible for the program within 5 business days of certificate hold request; if approval is denied for defects reinspection within 3 business days. DOH may allow owner of unit to certify eligibility and tenant may occupy pending results of inspection. Payment by DOH within 10 days of tenancy. Allows for electronic submission of for required administrative documents.
H.B. 6941, An Act Exempting the Income Earned by a Child of an Applicant from the Calculations of Gross Income in Consideration for Participation in the Rental Assistance Program
Income eligibility guidelines shall exempt income earned by any child who resides with applicant until 26 years old… from calculation of gross income for RAP benefits.
H.B. 6942, An Act Establishing a Radon Mitigation Assistance Program for Low-Income Households
Uses Healthy Homes account to fund radon remediation for low-income households (person or family with an annual income at or below 80% f the median income.
H.B. 6946, An Act Concerning the Annual Report of Housing Authorities
Require Housing Authorities post a report on their website that additionally includes affordability levels of their units, number of units, annual change in affordability level, dates when such units qualified as affordable.
Good Bills:
SB 1264 An Act Requiring a Notification of Rights to Parties Before a Fair Rent Commission
HB-6940, AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP A UNIFORM STATUTORY DEFINITION OF “AFFORDABLE HOUSING”
Establishes working group to develop an uniform statutory definition of “affordable housing”
S.B. 1307, AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY AND DEVELOP BEST PRACTICES TO PROMOTE HOUSING GROWTH AND PROTECT THE STATE’S WATER SUPPLY
Working group to develop best practices to promote housing growth and protect the state’s water Supply.
S.B. 1306, AN ACT ELIMINATING CERTAIN FUNDING PROVISIONS FROM THE HEALTHY HOMES FUND
Eliminates $12 surcharge on issuance or renewal of each insurance policy for an owned dwelling unit except for mobile home
S.B. No. 1308, AN ACT ESTABLISHING A STARTER HOME WORKING GROUP
Establishes working group to examine the barriers at state and municipal level to include zoning subdivision requirements, building and fire safety codes and common interest community regs.
H.B. 6888, AN ACT CONCERNING REAL PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS FOR CERTAIN FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS
Any municipality may abate property taxes for first time home buyers up to $500 for 5 years if they used CHFA financing ; must be single family residential dwelling that is the principal residence of the owner.
S.B. 1264, AN ACT REQUIRING A NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS TO PARTIES BEFORE A FAIR RENT COMMISSION
To require that a fair rent commission notify parties of their rights and the scope of such commission’s lawful authority.