6 CT Bills That Could Change Your Life

CONNECTICUT — The state legislature is due to close business for the regular session on May 4. Legislators have approved or considering approving several potentially life-changing laws.

Here are five bills that could make a big difference in the lives of some Connecticut residents:

Childhood mental health and childcare

Senate Bill 1 passed the Senate 33-2 and will head to the House for a vote.

The bill includes $21.24 million to expand existing school-based health centers to include mental health services, according to the state Office of Fiscal Analysis. Another $13 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding would be used to support 15 districts participating in the Learner Engagement and Attendance Program and expand it to another five high-need districts.

Another $70 million would go to increasing the salaries of child care workers and to increase early childcare capacity for 1,300 additional kids in child development centers, according to CT News Junkie.

Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 5001 also address mental health for children; both passed their original chamber votes and will head to the other chamber for consideration.

Juvenile justice

Republicans and Democrats largely came together in the House to pass a bipartisan bill to address juvenile motor vehicle thefts.

The bill would generally require arrested juveniles to be brought before a judge within five business days after an arrest. Courts can order GPS monitoring for juveniles who are charged with two or more motor vehicles or other property theft incidents.

The bill also gives municipal employees access to juvenile requires if they are involved in the delivery of related services. It also requires electronic records of recent proceedings to be available to law enforcement for criminal investigations.

Currently, motor vehicle theft is a larceny charge that is tied to the value of a vehicle. The bill would establish a specific penalty structure for theft of motor vehicles that is tied to the number of offenses.

Tax cut package

Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative Democratic leaders have proposed a mixture of tax cuts, including a one-time child tax credit, suspension of the gas tax through early December and a cap on car tax rates.

Data privacy

Both the House and Senate have passed a bill that would lead to better data privacy and transparency for Connecticut consumers.

The bill would limit targeting advertising to children and the sale of their data. It would give all consumers the right to access, correct, delete and get a copy of their personal data.

The bill would apply to businesses and individuals in Connecticut that produce products that target Connecticut residents, according to the Office of Legislative Research. Generally, it applies to businesses that collect the data of 75,000 or more consumers or 25,000 or more consumers if the company derives more than 25 percent of its revenue from personal data sales.

Clean Air Act

The House and Senate have passed a bill aimed at expanding electric vehicle use.

The bill would make it easier to install electric vehicle chargers in condominiums, expand the state’s electric vehicle rebate and expand Connecticut’s electric vehicle charging network.

It would also curtail the state from purchasing diesel transit buses and mandate the state change its car and light-duty truck fleet to 100 percent electric by 2030.

Abortion

The state Senate passed a bill 25-9 that would expand legal protections for people who come to Connecticut for abortion procedures. The bill previously passed a House vote.

The bill also allows physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to perform aspiration abortions in the first trimester.

Lamont has indicated he would sign the bill into law.

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