Jennifer Leeper

📃 📃  Birth Certificates for Adult Adoptees
This legislation has been 25 years in the making. Adoptees born between 1944 and 1983 have not had access to their original birth certificates. At the time it was viewed as a measure to protect the privacy of birth mothers. However, the advancements of DNA testing have bypassed this ability to maintain anonymity. This issue is one filled with love, joy, pain, shame, grief, and relief, and represents the very long journeys of adoptees, birth mothers, and families. With the passage of HB 6105, now all adult adoptees have access to their original birth certificates and therefore, their family history.

💻 ⚕️Telehealth Services
Throughout the ongoing pandemic, we've seen not only the benefits of, but the critical need for telehealth services for both patients and providers. HB 5596 will extend the safe, comprehensive access to healthcare that has served patients and providers very well.

💸💸 Student Loan Debt Task Force
I know firsthand the crippling burden of student loan debt. Tragically, this debt has held back our entire generation from major life milestones, from getting married, to starting a family, to buying a house, all because we got an education to try to get ahead. HB 5895 establishes a task force to address this crisis.

📃📃Explanation of Benefits
HB 6389 provides privacy and security for vulnerable individuals seeking medical care. By safeguarding the explanation of benefits, all individuals can more freely obtain care for highly sensitive conditions.
 
👏👏Prohibiting Insurance Discrimination
Sexual orientation, gender identity, or being a survivor of domestic violence survivor should not be a hindrance to accessing insurance, but Connecticut currently does not offer protections against discrimination for these groups. HB 6590 removes a current barrier to accessing this basic need and offers necessary protections to guarantee complete equity and inclusivity.

🐟🐋 Invasive Species
Invasive species can cause significant damage to Connecticut's lakes, ponds, and rivers – threatening the water quality and existing aquatic plant life. HB 6384 provides transparency and additional funding to support needed efforts for combatting this growing problem in our state's waters.