Connecticut

To transition to battery powered leaf blowers and related equipment throughout the state.

To require a study for expanding vocational education to grades kindergarten to eight, inclusive, and establish a pilot program for training wastewater treatment facility operators.

To establish a task force to study the effects of the use of artificial intelligence on the trades industry and require the Commissioner of Public Health to study the feasibility of establishing a certified nursing assistant training program.

To redefine "commercial financing", require commercial financing providers to disclose estimated annual percentage rates and revise and establish certain requirements applicable to commercial financing contracts.

To require executive branch state agencies to develop and implement annual performance plans.

To: (1) require certain health insurers, preferred provider networks and other entities to include certain provisions in contracts with health care providers regarding reimbursement for certain covered health benefits, (2) clarify the definition of "anti-steering clause" under section 38a-477i of the general statutes, (3) require the Insurance Commissioner to conduct a study concerning various revisions to the insurance statutes, (4) change the time period that a health carrier and participating provider shall continue to abide by the terms of a contract under section 38a-472f of the general statutes, (5) prohibit a health carrier from using a software tool to downcode or deny certain health insurance claims, (6) establish a rebuttable presumption for purposes of the review of an adverse determination under section 38a-591e of the general statutes, and (7) prohibit certain health carriers from requiring step therapy for prescription drugs used to treat a chronic, disabling or life-threatening condition.

To study the needs of senior citizens in the state in order to ensure the adequate allocation of resources.

To (1) transfer to the Department of Consumer Protection various duties concerning the Real Estate and Connecticut Health Club Guaranty Funds, (2) with respect to the Real Estate Guaranty Fund, (A) provide that no application to recover compensation from said fund shall be brought later than two years from final determination of, or expiration of time for appeal in connection with, a binding arbitration decision or a court order or decree, and (B) subrogate the department to the rights of the creditor under a decision, order or decree, (3) require an applicant for payment from the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund to attest that the applicant made a good faith effort to satisfy a decision, judgment order or decree against a contractor or proprietor, (4) provide that interest shall not accrue on a debt owed to the Real Estate, Home Improvement, Connecticut Health Club or New Home Construction Guaranty Fund after such debt has been referred to the Department of Administrative Services for collection, and (5) repeal a provision concerning the Connecticut Real Estate Commission's procedure following receipt of a notice concerning the Real Estate Guaranty Fund.

To require the Office of Legislative Management to conduct a study of reestablishing the duties, responsibilities and staffing of the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee within the Government Oversight Committee.

To clarify certain publication requirements of actions or decisions of a planning commission.

To (1) require members of boards, commissions, committees and councils within the Executive Department with contract authority to file statements of financial interests, (2) permit the filing of the name of certain tax-sheltered annuity retirement plans in lieu of naming specific securities within such statements, and (3) apply substantial conflict of interest provisions in the state code of ethics for public officials and state employees to conflicts involving the public official's or state employee's nonstate employer or spouse's nonstate employer.

To require (1) the reporting of major and minor incidents at certain electric generating or storage facilities, (2) the designation of emergency contact persons for such facilities, and (3) the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to convene a working group to assess the resumption of electric generation at such facilities after an extended shutoff period.

To expand the definition of "child sexual abuse material".

To implement the recommendations of the State Contracting Standards Board, including requiring a notice of bidder rights in solicitations, requiring minimum staffing for the board, amending what is required for privatization business cases, permitting waiver of bidding requirements for minor, nonrecurring or emergency purchases and expanding disqualification grounds.

To study the civil and criminal laws of this state.

To (1) increase the financial assistance cap provided in section 32-462, and (2) create an exception to the employment promissory note prohibition in section 31-51r.

To exempt from the sales and use taxes the sale of and the storage, use or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property or services to certain military and veterans-related organizations described in Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code.

To expand provisions concerning the sentencing of a child who committed a class A or B felony and parole of persons who committed a crime under the age of twenty-one years, to those persons who were under twenty-six years of age when they committed such crimes.

To require the Insurance Commissioner to conduct a study concerning insurance regulation in the state.

To establish an exemption from debt collection for any part of the balance of an account deemed a joint account in which the exemptioner has no equitable interest.

To require the Commissioner of Administrative Services to (1) conduct a study regarding state-wide "essential worker" and "first responder" job classifications, and (2) submit a report on the results of such study.

To establish a cooperative framework between the state and Native American tribes for the shared stewardship of wildlife and fisheries resources and expand conservation participation for tribal members, while supporting tribal food sovereignty and resource management infrastructure.

To permit a court to award a party to a civil action affecting title to real property the actual expense of an examination of the land records concerning the title to the real property in question.

To make revisions to the Freedom of Information Act recommended by the Freedom of Information Commission, including concerning the application of the definition of "governmental function", which statutory provisions require training by the commission, redefining "hand-held scanner", electronic notice of special meetings and appeals for denial of access to certain public records.

To implement the recommendations of the Majority Leader's Roundtable on Affordable Housing and make other changes to the affordable housing statutes.