Rachel Khanna

Dear Neighbor,

We are heading into the final few days of the session and bills are coming before us in rapid succession. Two bills in particular I was really happy to see pass were HB 5058 and HB 5197. These bills allow Connecticut to become part of the Nurse Licensure Compact and the Social Worker Compact. My video below explains why this is such an important development.

We also passed two other notable bills supporting our veteran and elderly population:

HB 5491 establishes a property tax exemption for veterans who have a service-connected permanent and total disability rating, as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The exemption will be used for a home that is a primary residence, but if a qualified veteran does not own a home, the exemption will apply to a single motor vehicle that they own.

Veterans put their lives on the line for our country and, as a small way to say “thank you for your service,” the US House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that would help veterans who have been disabled during service.

In CT, we have 1,209 veterans who are totally and permanently disabled as a result of their service. These brave men and women have spent their lives fighting to protect our freedoms. It is our turn to support them when they come home with disabilities, to ensure they live with dignity and without fear of losing their home.

In addition, during Monday's session, we took a significant step toward achieving that goal by passing HB 5001, a top priority for House Democrats this session. As the elderly population steadily grows, there is an urgency to provide resources and assistance.

HB 5001, which passed with bipartisan support, protects and prioritizes elderly residents in our state. This bill:  

• Makes it easier for seniors to age in place
• Creates a nursing home database, providing consumers with an easy and reliable way to compare facilities around the state
• Establishes incentives to encourage nursing homes to improve care

I spent a busy weekend visiting many organizations in the district, all of them doing important  work to improve the lives of residents in our communities.

On Saturday, I spent time cleaning up and beautifying Mianus River Park, a local treasure in Greenwich and Stamford.

On Sunday, I participated in the ARI Walk for Independence, celebrating the amazing work the organization does to serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Stamford. Then I marked National Animal Therapy Day, honoring therapy dogs and other animals for bringing light and love in times of difficulty. I ended my day at the 2nd annual Hope Day, organized to help end the stigma around mental health care and to showcase the mental health care and services available to youth in our community.