Special Session Recap

November 14, 2025

I hope this email finds you and your family well. On Wednesday, the House reconvened at the Capitol for a special session to address several critical issues impacting residents across the state of Connecticut. 

There is plenty to get to in the email below, so make sure to keep scrolling for more on:

  • Around Town
  • Special Session breakdown
  • Food Assistance
  • CALM Training
  • GEN Z Virtual Listening Session
  • Community Events

Around Town

Thank you to all veterans, especially those here in Branford, for your courageous service and unwavering dedication to our nation.

Congratulations to Genoa Healthcare Pharmacy by BHcare on their Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting!

The Genoa Healthcare pharmacy:

• Fills all medications (not just behavioral health medications)
• Can mail all your medications (at no extra cost) to your home or place of residence
• Organizes your pills based on the date and time you need to take them, making it easier to stay on track
• Cares for and gets to know each person on an individual level, serving as an extension of your care team

Special Session 

From retirees looking to downsize, to young professionals and families searching for affordable rentals, Connecticut residents at every stage of life share a common goal: finding a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

House Bill 8002: An Act Concerning Housing Growth empowers towns to plan for responsible, data-driven growth using insights from state, local, and regional partners to meet the housing needs of today and tomorrow. Developed in partnership with municipal leaders, regional councils, colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and Governor Lamont, this legislation creates a collaborative and practical framework through local Housing Growth Plans.

The bill also encourages the redevelopment of underused properties, from aging strip malls to vacant commercial spaces, and promotes transit-oriented development that connects residents to jobs, schools, and public transportation. By combining innovation with local control and targeted support, we’re strengthening the partnership between the state and municipalities to modernize infrastructure, improve zoning and land-use planning, and create vibrant, inclusive communities across Connecticut.

There’s still more work ahead, but this bill marks a major step forward in our shared effort to expand housing opportunities, support local economies, and ensure every Connecticut resident can find, and afford, a home in a community they’re proud to call their own.

We also voted to address the need for temporary adjustments to the Budget Reserve Fund and to appropriate funds to offset reductions in federal programs that directly affect Connecticut residents.

House Bill 8003: An Act Concerning Temporary Adjustments to the Budget Reserve Fund and Appropriating Funds to Address Reductions in Federal Funding represents the state’s $500 million response to recent federal funding cutbacks.

This funding will fill critical gaps in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Connecticut will not stand by while the federal government undermines support for middle- and low-income families.

It’s important to note that now that the government shutdown has ended, if Connecticut’s $500 million budget reserve fund is not used by July 1, 2026, any remaining funds will automatically be transferred to help pay down the state’s unfunded pension debt.

During our special session, we voted to approve $390 million in bonding over a five-year period to support capital investments at Waterbury Hospital, as well as Bristol Hospital and Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, which the state is also in talks to acquire. 

With the approval of House Bill 8001: An Act Concerning the University of Connecticut Health Center Joint Venture Initiative, we voted to preserve access to health care at Waterbury Hospital, voting in favor of a $13 million agreement enabling UConn Health to acquire the facility.

This acquisition is structured as a public-private partnership. Under this model, Waterbury Hospital will join the UConn Health network while remaining privately operated. This approach ensures the hospital remains open, protects existing jobs, and strengthens the future of regional health care for those in the community that rely on it.

Through this partnership with UConn Health, we are securing long-term stability for Waterbury Hospital and expanding access to high-quality care for families who deserve it close to home.

We also passed legislation through a comprehensive bill that continues to build on House Democrats’ commitment to children’s behavioral health care.

Highlights include:

  • Statewide study to assess the demand for children’s behavioral health services and improve data collection
  • New grant program to support care coordination and resource navigation for kids and families
  • Insurance companies must now cover autism treatments, including applied behavior analysis and cognitive behavioral therapy, up to age 26
  • Adding substance abuse treatment providers for children to Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee (TCB)  

Together, these measures represent a stronger, more coordinated system of care for Connecticut’s children.

Food Assistance

Branford residents can request a Holiday Food Basket from the Branford Food Pantry. You do not need to be a food pantry client to request one.

The sign-up Deadline is Tuesday, November 19 at 5:00 P.M.

Distribution will be Tuesday, November 25 between 9:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. You MUST BE HOME to receive delivery. NO BASKETS WILL BE LEFT if no one is home. 

Local food pantries across the state are providing essential assistance to those in need and are also seeking donations to help meet the growing demand.

Click here to find food programs and services available through 211 Connecticut. You can also call 2-1-1, or 1-800-203-1234.

Click here to find a Connecticut Foodshare food pantry or mobile food pantry.

For those neighbors who are not struggling, please consider making a monetary donation or even donating your time to Branford food assistance programs. Click the links below for more information.

Branford Food Pantry
Community Dining Room
Feed Branford Kids, Inc.

CALM Training

The East Shore District Health Department (ESDHD) will be hosting a CALM training on Thursday, November 18 at 9:00 A.M.

This suicide prevention training program for mental health professionals and the general public teaches how to reduce an at-risk person's access to lethal items, particularly firearms and dangerous medications.  

Whether you're facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, caring counselors are available to you through the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call 9-8-8, your conversations are free and confidential. The lifeline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.

You are not alone.


There is a free "Open" Grief Support Group every Monday from 6:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. at the Blackstone Library (758 Main Street). 
 

GEN Z Virtual Listening Session

Last week, Governor Ned Lamont and The Governor’s Prevention Partnership announced the launch of a new initiative to distribute 50,000 drug-deactivation pouches across Connecticut. The effort aims to help families safely dispose of unused medications at home, reducing the risk of drug misuse and protecting the environment.

The state is mailing 50,000 Deterra drug-deactivation pouches to residents in about 40 communities. The pouches, particularly targeted at households with children, provide a simple and environmentally friendly way to prevent prescription drug misuse.

The Deterra pouches deactivate prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as liquids, patches, and creams. To use them, individuals place the unwanted substances in the pouch, add warm water, seal it, and dispose of it safely in the household trash.

The initiative, which will distribute approximately another 50,000 pouches each year through 2029, is part of a $2 million prevention program funded by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services through the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee.

Click here for more information on the Governor's Prevention Partnership and click here to request a Deterra pouch.

Community Events