State Legislators Of Color B|E Brief - Connecticut

The B|E note, in partnership with the Council of State Governments (CSG) and with direct support from the Council on Communities of Color at CSG East, presents the “State Legislators of Color B|E Brief.” This is a regular summary capturing legislation introduced and/or supported by legislators of color and related to Black, Latino, Native American, Asian/Pacific Islander and other communities of color in the United States they represent.

This week it’s Connecticut, located in CSG East.

For more information: Connecticut General Assembly

Legislative Search Tool By Bill Number(s): Legiscan CT

Connecticut Office of Legislative Research: Bill Analysis

SB 7 – An Act Concerning Educational Equity … Education/high-need districts. Increases public-school funding; expressly framed around educational equity. Substitute bill; advanced favorably from Education and Appropriations.

HB 5078 – Increasing Funding for Public Schools, Magnet Schools and Charter Schools … Education. Proposed increased funding intended to provide “equitable and adequate” school funding statewide.Proposed bill; referred to Education.

HB 5148 – Racial Imbalance in Public Schools … Race/education. Addresses the existence of and methods for addressing racial imbalance in Connecticut public schools. Substitute raised bill; advanced from Education and Appropriations.

SB 138 – Department of Education Recommendations … Educator diversity / education. Broad education legislation containing provisions relevant to Connecticut’s educator-diversity framework. Enacted, PA 26-106; signed June 4.

SB 221 – Aspiring Educators … Educator pipeline / diversity. Expands eligibility for Connecticut’s aspiring-educators scholarship program, part of the state’s efforts to broaden the educator pipeline. Substitute bill; favorable Education report.

SB 311 – Disconnected Youth … Opportunity youth. Establishes a Disconnected Youth Investment Grant program and addresses school discipline and data sharing for disconnected youth. Substitute bill; favorable change of reference to Appropriations.

HB 5259 – Education of Homeless Children and Youth … Homeless students. Codifies rights involving district choice, transportation, notice and appeals for students experiencing homelessness and their guardians. Enacted, PA 26-125; signed June 4.

HB 5160 – Funds to Assist Homeless Persons … Homelessness. Appropriates funding to the Department of Housing to assist people experiencing homelessness.Favorable Housing report; referred to Appropriations.

HB 5370 – Medical Respite Pilot Program … Homeless population / health. Establishes supportive medical-respite care for homeless individuals undergoing medical treatment. Favorable Housing report; referred to Appropriations.

SB 383 – Office of Workforce Strategy Recommendations … Underserved/disadvantaged workers & students. Implements workforce/higher-education recommendations with relevance to populations facing barriers to education and employment. Enacted, PA 26-85; signed June 2.

HB 5351 – Social Equity Council Recommendations Regarding Cannabis Regulation … Social-equity applicants. Protects ownership/control requirements for social-equity cannabis businesses and strengthens Social Equity Council oversight. Joint favorable; House calendar.

SB 307 – DECD Recommendations … Minority businesses / concentrated poverty. Revises the Minority Business Initiative Advisory Board and statutes involving concentrated poverty, among other economic-development provisions. Substitute raised bill.

SB 96 – Grocery Stores in Low-Income Areas … Low-income / food-access communities. Creates tax credits for grocery stores built in low-income areas with limited grocery access. Proposed bill; referred to Finance.

SB 430 – Integrated Setting Standard of the ADA … People with disabilities. Incorporates the ADA integrated-setting standard into Connecticut law for public entities. Enacted, PA 26-150; signed June 4.

HB 5523 – Tribal Wildlife and Fisheries Advisory Council … Native American tribes. Establishes state-tribal cooperation on wildlife/fisheries, expands tribal participation and supports tribal food sovereignty and resource-management capacity. Substitute raised bill; passed House as amended according to CGA record.

HB 5398 – Health Care Entity Transactions … Health-care access/equity. Strengthens state review of health-care transactions and antitrust enforcement; relevant to equitable health-care access, although equity is not its sole purpose. Raised bill; Public Health Committee.

SB 496 - Low-income/uninsured patients … Hospital financial-assistance legislation with provisions concerning income verification, homelessness protections and language access; testimony explicitly identified reducing health inequities and disparities as an objective. Joint favorable Human Services record located.

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