These news briefs are part of The Connecticut Mirror’s 2026 political coverage. For more news about the 2026 legislative session, campaigns, elections and more, sign up here for The Issue, the CT Mirror’s weekly politics newsletter.
Eviction bill not taken up
A bill that would have required landlords to provide a reason when they evict renters failed for the fourth year in a row this legislative session. Senate Bill 257 died without a vote in either chamber. Although Senate leadership said they had the votes for passage, they didn’t want to take the time on it because the House couldn’t pass it, lawmakers said. The controversial bill would have ended no-fault or lapse-of-time evictions, which typically occur at the end of a lease, at larger apartment complexes. These protections already exist for seniors and people with disabilities.
— Ginny Monk, Housing & Children’s Issues Reporter
Microtransit bill passes
Senate Bill 9, an act supporting commuters and microtransit services, obtained final passage in the House and Senate. The microtransit program operates similarly to Uber or Lyft, but the prices — $0.85 to $4 — are similar to that of public transportation because of the state subsidies. The bill includes a yearlong pilot extension of the microtransit program to allow riders to use the services while transportation leaders examine sustainable state funding strategies for the next year.
The bill also encourages employers to offer transportation benefits for employees and requires the Department of Transportation to allocate $4 million of its rail line operations to increase service on the Shore Line East line. The bill will also create a free bus pass program for students and veterans in the state.
— Sara Bedigian, Legislative Reporting Intern
Overdose prevention centers remain controversial
A bill that would have made Connecticut one of the few states in the country to open overdose prevention centers where people can use illicit drugs under supervision, failed to secure support. A similar bill also failed in 2025, after facing last-minute opposition from Gov. Ned Lamont behind the scenes. On Wednesday, House Majority Leader Rep. Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, told reporters the centers remain controversial, despite benefits to public health: “It’s a very hard thing for people to get their head around.” Advocates say the centers fill a gap in services and prevent deaths.
— Laura Tillman, Human Services Reporter
Human trafficking prevention oversight grows
The House of Representatives passed a bill Monday requiring the Department of Correction to create a crisis hotline for incarcerated people and corrections officers to report sexual violence. The bill also creates a human trafficking prevention effort in the state Office of Policy and Management. Rep. Lucy Dathan, D-New Canaan, said that although Connecticut had made many efforts to help victims of human trafficking, the state still has a “decentralized approach.”
“Hopefully this legislation will improve those conditions [in correctional facilities] and give more oversight of efforts to combat human trafficking,” said Rep. Devin Carney, R-Old Saybrook.
— Emilia Otte, Justice Reporter
Prison healthcare changes to come
The Senate unanimously passed a bill on Monday making changes to prison healthcare and nutrition policies. The bill passed last week in the House. The bill further equips the corrections ombuds to investigate healthcare complaints, transitions the Department of Correction from a paper to an electronic health record system, provides incentives to hire nurses and changes the policies around medication distribution.
“While [incarcerated people] are in our care, we have a responsibility to make sure that certain basic human needs are met. And this bill goes a long way towards moving that process forward in a decent, fair and humane fashion,” said Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield.
— Emilia Otte, Justice Reporter
Data centers bills not taken up
Lawmakers ended the session without taking up two bills intended to slow the development of large-scale data centers in the state. The first, S.B. 245, would have eliminated tax incentives for data centers that were enacted by Gov. Ned Lamont. The second measure, H.B. 5469, would have established regulations for data centers that are located next to, and draw electricity from, an existing power plant such as Millstone Nuclear Power Station. Ultimately, lawmakers said that interest in the issue faded as it became clear that Connecticut’s high electricity costs were dissuading developers from wanting to locate data centers in the state. Only one company has qualified for the data center tax incentives since 2021.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
Dual-credit expansion passes
The House on Monday unanimously passed Senate Bill 427, giving the State Department of Education the power to reimburse colleges and universities that implement dual credit courses for high school students. Advocates say expanding dual credit courses improves access to higher education.
The Office of Fiscal Analysis found the state’s colleges and universities system will lose $21 million in potential revenue this fiscal year by waiving fees for dual credit courses. The bill could help offset such losses. S.B. 427 also creates a position in the Department of Education to track the ongoing growth of dual credit courses.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter
Comptroller wage theft bill gets OK
On Monday, the House voted in favor of final passage for Senate Bill 268, which gives the state comptroller the ability to temporarily withhold paying state contractors that are under Department of Labor investigations for wage violations.
In 2025 a similar bill passed the Senate but did not clear the House.
“Every worker deserves to be paid fairly for the work they do,” state Comptroller Sean Scanlon said in a statement. “And if a contractor on a taxpayer-funded job is short-changing their workers, then the taxpayer dollars for that project should be paused until all workers get paid what they’re owed.”
— P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter
Climate superfund fails to pass
Advocates applauded when the legislature’s Environment Committee passed the framework for a sweeping ‘Climate Superfund’ bill in March. The legislation proposed charging some large oil companies — specifically those which produced more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the last two decades — with the costs of adapting to climate change in Connecticut.
The bill was modeled off of similar laws in New York and Vermont, which have been tied up in legal challenges by the fossil fuel industry. But lawmakers said they wanted more time to see how the lawsuits in other states played out before committing Connecticut down the same path.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
Torrington transfer station to be transferred
The House voted on Monday to convey a parcel of state land containing the Torrington Transfer Station to a new authority set up by local towns for the purposes of keeping the facility in public hands. Senate Bill 521 would hand control of the transfer station over to the Northwest Resources Recovery Authority at a negligible cost. It would also block a counter offer from a private trash-hauling company to purchase the facility for $3.25 million.
While the bill had bipartisan support from area lawmakers, some Republicans voiced concerns that the NRRA does not have the resources to take over operations without state subsidies.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
Ethics bill excludes nepotism ban
The House passed an ethics-related bill in the final weeks of the legislative session, but stripped out a provision that would have created new rules banning public officials from using their positions to obtain jobs for their relatives. That “nepotism” clause was requested by state ethics officials in the wake of the federal prosecution of former state deputy budget director Kosta Diamantis, who helped his daughter land a job at the Connecticut Chief States Attorney’s office. The law would have prohibited “public officials and state employees from using their office or position to help their spouse, child, parent or sibling in obtaining a new job or position.”
— Andrew Brown, Investigative Reporter
Aquarion sale bill fails to pass
Frustrated by regulators’ decision to approve the sale of the Aquarion Water Company in a deal worth $2.4 billion, some Fairfield County lawmakers sought to use the session to throw a new wrinkle into the transaction. Their proposal, H.B. 5249, would have amended parts of a 2024 law allowing the South-Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority to bid on Aquarion. Later, the bill was amended to give the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, which only regulates private, for-profit utilities, the ability to exert continued oversight of Aquarion should it transition toward a quasi-public entity alongside the RWA. The bill failed to get much traction in either chamber and died without a vote. Opponents are now reviewing options to challenge the deal in court.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
Maher honored for efforts to help children
Senators thanked retiring Sen. Ceci Maher, D-Wilton, for her steadfast work on behalf of the state’s children on Tuesday. “When you came into this circle, you didn’t just vote on policy, you brought a human aspect to the work that you have done, and for that I am deeply grateful,” Sen. Herron Keyon Gaston, D-Bridgeport, said.
“A few years from now, I can truly picture a young child coming to school who could not afford to have breakfast and that child will now have breakfast in school,” Sen. Saud Anwar., D-South Windsor, told Maher, naming examples of her impact.
— Laura Tillman, Human Services Reporter
House passes balloon ban
House lawmakers gave final passage Tuesday to a bill that would ban the intentional release of helium-filled balloons. Advocates argue the balloons become litter, clogging beaches and waterways. Current law allows for the release of up to nine balloons in a day. Senate Bill 452 would close that loophole and require retailers to attach weights to any balloons they sell. The fine for illegally releasing a balloon remains the same, at $75.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
AI bill passage marks likely bright spot
After a session where business interests and legislative proposals were often in conflict, one bill is likely a bright spot for small business owners. The House unanimously voted Tuesday for final passage of Senate Bill 417, which calls for the Department of Economic and Community Development to create a program that encourages small businesses to use artificial intelligence. It would offer financial assistance for businesses interested in using AI, and require businesses that receive assistance to develop a plan to support and attempt to retain employees displaced by AI.
The bill passed days after the legislature sent comprehensive AI regulations, which drew considerable concern from business and industry groups this session, to the governor’s desk.
— P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter
International partnerships grow
On Tuesday evening, the House voted in favor of final passage for Senate Bill 132, which establishes trade commissions with Germany and India. They will be tasked with initiating trade deals, promoting business and academic relationships and encouraging “mutual investment” between Connecticut and international partners. The proposals arrive as state leaders look to strengthen international relationships in the wake of the Trump administration’s controversial use of tariffs over the past year.
The new commissions would join already active partnerships with Ireland and Puerto Rico, as well as the U.K.-CT Friendship Caucus.
— P.R. Lockhart, Economic Development Reporter
Hydrilla ‘rapid response’ bill passes
Legislators passed a bill establishing a statewide ‘rapid response’ program to combat the spread of hydrilla and other invasive aquatic species. House Bill 5525 requires the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to coordinate with the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station’s Office of Aquatic Invasive Species to develop a plan to combat hydrilla, which has spread throughout the Connecticut River.
The bill also requires DEEP to expedite permitting for eradication efforts. The use of certain herbicides, including diquat, by the Army Corps of Engineers to control hydrilla attracted controversy and rampant misinformation last summer.
— John Moritz, Energy & Environment Reporter
Golden girls bill doesn’t advance
Although it gained Senate passage ahead of the legislative session’s end, a bill that would have required towns to allow homeowners to rent out rooms in their houses wasn’t called in the House. House leadership said there were concerns about the lack of an age restriction in the bill. Nicknamed the “Golden Girls Bill,” Senate Bill 339 would have required that single-family homeowners be allowed to rent out rooms in their homes to long-term tenants.
— Ginny Monk, Housing & Children’s Issues Reporter
Senate passes bill to relax clean bus mandates
Just after midnight on Wednesday morning, the Senate, in a 32-4 vote, passed House Bill 5464, an omnibus transportation bill that relaxes the state’s clean bus mandates. It would allow the Connecticut Department of Transportation to purchase new diesel buses for the first time since 2024. The bill also eliminates requirements for all school buses to run on zero-emission or alternative fuel engines by January 2035 and requires the DOT to give 14 days’ notice before clearing out homeless encampments on agency property, something they came under fire for after clearing dozens last year.
— Mikayla Bunnell, Legislative Reporting Intern
Bill to allow cameras in residential care homes
A bill that would allow virtual monitoring in residential care homes won final passage, clearing the Senate Monday with unanimous support. The measure extends the use of cameras to residential care homes; they already are permitted in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Residents with roommates must get consent. The resident or his or her family members are responsible for the purchase, activation, installation, maintenance, repair, operation, and removal of the technology at their own expense.
— Jenna Carlesso, Investigative Reporter
Legislature passes free veteran bus fares
There will be no repeat of last year: veterans are getting their free bus passes. The Connecticut state budget passed on Saturday allocates $2.5 million to the Department of Transportation’s bus operations for half-priced passes for veterans and K-12 students, and another $1 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs for free passes for veterans, according to governor spokesperson Cathryn Vaulman. The state passed reduced fares for veterans last year, but the money never appeared in the budget.
— Mikayla Bunnell, Legislative Reporting Intern
Address verification for sex offenders passed
The House on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill lessening penalties for sex offenders who miss sending in an address verification form on time because of circumstances outside their control. The Senate passed the bill last week. Rep. Michael Quinn, D-Meriden, said he represented a client who had difficulty getting the form submitted on time through the mail. “With as fouled up as our postal service has been these last few years, giving someone the benefit of the doubt is the way to go,” said Quinn.
— Emilia Otte, Justice Reporter
Review of hate crimes penalties to come
A bill passed through both chambers will require the Connecticut Sentencing Commission to review the penalties for hate crimes and suggest changes. Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, said some hate crimes were being charged too leniently, and others too severely. Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, said he felt hate crimes should be charged severely, and he hoped the commission might impose stiffer penalties.
— Emilia Otte, Justice Reporter
Literacy bill passes without a key provision
Until 10 p.m. Wednesday night, Senate Bill 220 was an uncontroversial piece of legislation to codify existing rules on in-school literacy assessments and create new guidance on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. But soon after Education Committee co-Chair Rep. Jennifer Leeper, D-Fairfield, took the microphone, debate halted. After a first effort to amend the bill, a second amendment in the literal eleventh hour stripped the literacy assessment language from the bill. It barely made it back to the Senate in time for passage.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter
Funds would bring therapeutic arts to public schools
Tucked into the Education Committee’s “various revisions” bill, House Bill 5323, is a new state grant program to bring therapeutic arts to public schools starting July 1, 2027. The money for the program will come from available appropriations. Any public school system will be eligible to apply, but the bill gives priority to districts or educational service centers “with a high rate of exclusionary discipline” and a lack of existing behavioral and social-emotional supports.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter
Health care affordability gets mixed success
A Senate Democrat priority bill on healthcare affordability — SB 3 — never got taken up by the Senate, but several of its smaller measures passed as part of the budget, including directives for the Lamont administration to plan for state support if federal changes leave residents with higher insurance costs. But the big ticket items failed. These included Affordable Care Act subsidies, $200 million for healthcare affordability from the state’s Federal Cuts Response Fund and measures to strengthen hospital financial assistance policies.
— Katy Golvala, Health Reporter
Fertility care changes to expand coverage
House Bill 5374, which gained final passage earlier this week, expands the definition of “infertility,” requiring state-regulated insurance plans to cover fertility care for LGBTQ+ couples. Current law defines infertility as “being unable to conceive or produce conception or sustain a successful pregnancy during a one-year period or the treatment is medically necessary.” The updated definition will include the inability to “establish or carry a pregnancy” due to a person’s “medical, sexual and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination of these factors.”
— Katy Golvala, Health Reporter
Sale-leasebacks gains final passage
Senate Bill 196, which aims to ban hospitals from engaging in transactions known as “sale-leasebacks,” gained final passage on Monday. “Sale-leasebacks” involve the sale of a hospital’s real estate to an investor, and forcing the hospital to make rent payments to the building’s new owner. Research published last year found sale-leasebacks were associated with greater risk of hospital bankruptcy and closure.
— Katy Golvala, Health Reporter
Shield law expansion fails
In the wake of a recent legal battle over the abortion medication mifepristone, advocates renewed calls to pass Senate Bill 295, a proposal that included specific protections for providers of telehealth reproductive and gender-affirming care from out-of-state legal action. But, by midnight on Wednesday, the bill hadn’t been taken up by either chamber. Following a press conference on Tuesday, Attorney General William Tong encouraged legislators to pass the telehealth protections, but also said he believes the state’s current ‘shield law’ to protect providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care already extends to care delivered via telehealth.
— Katy Golvala, Health Reporter
Lawmakers tightens rules on educator misconduct
Tucked into House Bill 5323 are tweaks to rules surrounding employability and sexual misconduct at schools. Section 11 of the bill adds several lines to existing law around what information applicants to public and nonpublic schools must disclose. The information generally involves allegations of violence or sexual misconduct. It also explicitly authorizes former employers to disclose such information and adds school governing bodies (like school boards) to the definition of “former employer.” Education Committee co-Chair, Sen. Douglas McCrory, D-Hartford, said the changes were meant to stop staff accused of misconduct from simply moving to a different school job.
— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Education Reporter