Henry Genga

The pace in Hartford is picking up as we approach the final weeks of this year’s legislative session. With the House meeting more frequently, we are focused on pushing key issues forward before the session comes to a close on June 4.

This week, the House passed an education bill that honors civically engaged students, reforms crisis response drills, and much more.

HB 7009 establishes the Connecticut State Seal of Civics Education and Engagement, which recognizes graduating high school seniors for their exceptional achievement in civics.

This seal is for students who demonstrate civic engagement in school, through the completion of classes and assessments, and outside of the classroom by participating in community service, student government, and more.

At a time when civic engagement is alarmingly low in our country, this recognition will encourage students to learn more about the way our government works and the role they play in shaping society.

This seal also sends a powerful message that civics isn't just a class to pass; it's a way to make a difference and give back to your community.

Another key portion of the bill reforms school crisis response drills.

The tragic reality is that children need to be prepared in case of emergencies. But research has shown that some crisis response drills are ineffective and leave children with lasting anxiety.

HB 7009 establishes new standards for school crisis response drills to continue to protect and prepare students and staff while being sensitive to mental health needs.

While schools must be prepared for an emergency, organizers must ensure these drills are conducted effectively and responsibly.

Other key aspects of HB 7009 include: 

• Limiting the use of smart devices in school
• Addressing antisemitism in schools
• Providing curriculum on Islamic and Arab Studies
• Allowing districts to decide whether to allow children under the age of 5 to begin kindergarten early
• Raising the standard for when a student in pre-K to grade 2 can get an out-of-school suspension
• Requiring same-day notification of any use of restraint or seclusion of a student.

HB 7009 is an important bill that encourages civic engagement and protects our students' mental health, and I was proud to cast my vote in support.

We took a step toward addressing the mental health crisis among teens using social media by passing HB 6857 with bipartisan support.

According to the American Psychological Association, U.S. teens, on average, spend 5 hours a day on the seven most popular social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. While that's alarming enough, a majority (60%) of teenage high-frequency social media users who had low parental oversight reported they had poor or very poor mental health. 

To keep eyeballs on screens, social media companies have algorithms designed to keep their youngest users glued to their screens, so much so that teens often exhibit addict-like behavior in continuing to use the apps. 

To address the issue, HB 6857 requires, among other things, age verification methods for minors and limits on the times when social media platforms can send minors notifications.

Connecticut took a major step forward as a national leader with this new effort to reign in big tech’s predatory practices that are reinforcing addictive and harmful choices in minors.

Below is a summary of other bills that passed the House this week:

• HB 6883: strengthens protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by guarding the physical addresses of shelters and group homes from public access and public discussion during agency meetings
• HB 6894: improves interagency communication and collaboration on homeless services by establishing an interagency council on homelessness.  This council will bring together representatives from state agencies, nonprofits, public housing authorities, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness to ensure that our state agencies are coordinating and developing long-term solutions
• HB 7182: cracks down on the legalized scalping of online ticket sales and resales by requiring the disclosure of hidden fees and markups while banning lookalike companies that profit off speculation and jacking up the price
• HB 1234: supports our public libraries so they have more access to digital content