Legislation that Helps You

May 24, 2019

The House of Representatives passed some important legislation this week.

HB 7267, An Act Concerning Public Options for Health Care in Connecticut

A press conference was held yesterday at the Capitol to share some exciting news about efforts to bring down health care costs. This proposed legislation will:

  • Create a "Connecticut Option" plan for individuals and small businesses with 20% guaranteed savings.
  • Lower the cost of drugs by importing cheap drugs from Canada.
  • Settle the annual health care cost growth benchmark.
  • Create a statewide reinsurance program that will reduce premiums.
  • Restore the HUSKY A coverage to 26,000 low income parents.

Connecticut residents deserve relief from high cost of health care and prescription drugs. To view the video update on my Facebook page, click here. To understand more about the legislation, click here.

HB 7125, An Act Concerning Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits

The House unanimously approved legislation that mandates insurance coverage for mental health and treatment of substance abuse. The legislation requires insurance companies to cover mental health and substance use disorder treatment at the same level as physical health. The bill also requires insurance companies to submit documentation annually in March to the Insurance Commissioner certifying whether they are following the legislation.

The Legislature is working tirelessly to advocate for legislation that will benefit you.

People with mental health and substance use disorders deserve the same access to care as those with cancer and heart disease. Proud to support legislation that ensures equal treatment and mental health equality for all our residents in Connecticut.

HB 6996, An Act Extending the Foreclosure Mediation Program

The Foreclosure Mediation Program was created in 2008 by the Connecticut General Assembly as an emergency and temporary solution to respond to the housing crisis. The program has helped nearly 30,000 homeowners to resolve their foreclosure actions since 2008 from which a large majority were able to reach a settlement and retain their homes. The bill extends the foreclosure mediation program by four years from 2019 to 2023.

HB 7277, An Act Concerning the Creation of Land Bank Authorities

The bill would permit municipalities to establish land bank authorities for the purposes of acquiring real property, maintaining any such real property, and disposing of any such real property within such municipalities.

Presently, ruined or abandoned property among towns reduce collected property tax and diminish property values. Although a foreclosure may occur and the property may have a new owner, the property remains ruined. The creation of a land bank allows for the restoration of such properties, if no private owner buys the property and commits to the restoration process. A land bank uses community funds to restore the property, and if the property is sold, the funds will typically be recycled into the bank to be used for future restorations. Hartford has already been permitted to establish a land bank for city use, which has allowed the city to begin the process of restoring its ruined properties.

HB 7306, The Blue Ribbon Commission on Tourism Bill

The legislation will reopen our Visitor Welcome Centers, improve signs for tourist attractions on highways, and create a CT Tourism Council to improve marketing of the state's attractions.

The tourism industry in Connecticut supports more than 82,000 jobs, $14.7 billion in business sales, and $1.7 billion in tax revenues.

According to a recent study by the CT Office of Tourism, in 2018 the CT tourism industry produced:

  • a 5.5% increase in total business sales
  • 84,254 jobs
  • $2.2 billion in tax revenues, including $960 million in state/local taxes
  • 5.4 million visits to CT's tourism site: CTVisit.com

Spread the word about our tourism sites by sharing this website with your family and friends.