What's Happening At The State Capitol

Here is a list of the bills, and their status, introduced by area legislators including State Representative James Crawford (D), State Senator Eileen Daily (D) and State Senator Ed Meyer (D).

State Representative James Crawford, (D-35th), now in his first term has introduced five bills, including:

HB05674, An act to require teachers of school readiness programs to be certified by Jan. 1, 2018.

HB05736, An act giving preference to Connecticut resident bidders in the awarding of state contracts. Reserved for public hearing.

HB06013, An act increasing the required number of school days to 200 and decreasing the maximum length of school vacations to 21 consecutive days.

HB06015, An act to increase state reimbursement of special education to municipalities to 75 percent beginning in the year 2015.

HB06115, An act exempting raffles of $5,000 or less from state regulation.

State Senator Eileen Daily, (D-33), has introduced six bills, including:

HB05802, An act adopting certain safety recommendations of the Thomas Commission. A public hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 15.

HB06129, An act naming route 434 in Colchester easterly to Smith Road the Constable Thomas D. Jehelka Memorial Highway. A public hearing was scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18.

HB06205, An act dedicating the Moodus-Leesville road to the memory of Jacinta Marie Bunnell.

SB00035, An act repealing restrictions on advertisements of bazaars and raffles.

SB00707, An act naming a portion of route 151 in East Haddam the Jacinta Marie Bunnell Memorial Way. A public hearing was scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18.

SB00804, An act concerning recurring post-election audits.

State Senator Edward Meyer, (D-12th), now in his second term, introduced 50 bills, including:

§  HB05171, An act concerning public hearings for health insurance rate approval requests.

§  HB05389, An act concerning water table contamination in the town of Durham.

§  HB05610, An act to: (1) Require that there be no substitutions by pharmacists when filling prescriptions used for the treatment of epilepsy; and (2) expand the use of collaborative drug therapy management agreements between pharmacists and physicians. The Joint Committee on Public Health voted to draft legislation.

§  HB05637, An act requiring lifetime retention of electronic medical records.

§  HB05639, An act concerning the licensing of nuclear medicine technologists. A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 23.

§  HB05939, An act concerning precious metal and stone dealers, to allow law enforcement agencies sufficient time to track down and recover stolen jewelry and other goods by requiring precious metal and stone dealers to keep goods they purchase for a specified period of time before reselling them as is required of pawnbrokers. A public hearing was scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18.

§  HJ00019, A resolution proposing an amendment to the state constitution to allow for no-excuse absentee ballots.

§  SB00042, An act to establish gun safety standards for all firing ranges. A public hearing was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 10.

§  SB00043, An act expanding the recreational land use act, to encourage more landowners to make their land available to the public for recreational purposes. A public hearing was scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14.

§  SB00044, An act concerning election of the Insurance Commissioner. Reserved for public hearing.

§  SB00045, An act concerning public hearings for insurance premium increases.

§  SB00046, An act enabling municipalities to establish a community green fund.

§  SB00047, an act concerning investment in public interest securities, to facilitate investment in securities that advance the public interest. A public hearing was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 10.

§  SB00057, An act expanding the beverage container redemption system. A public hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 9.

§  SB00058, An act establishing a fee for the use of plastic and paper bags at grocery and retail establishments. A public hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 9.

§  SB00059, An act prohibiting the sale or use of fishing sinkers, jigs and tire weights that contain lead. There was a public hearing scheduled for Monday, Jan. 31.

§  SB00060, An act concerning the enforcement and permitting duties of the Department of Environmental Protection. There was a public hearing scheduled for Monday, Jan. 31.

§  SB00061, An act expanding eligibility for the maximum film tax credit.

§  SB00062, An act concerning a revenue accountability commission.

§  SB00063, An act establishing a senate ethics committee.

§  SB00064, An act concerning alternatives to property tax. This bill is reserved for subject matter public hearing.

§  SB00065, An act concerning access to original birth certificates and medical records.

§  SB00066, An act concerning cyber-bullying among students.

§  SB00067, An act concerning energy conservation and the drying of clothes.

§  SB00134, An act requiring criminal background checks of all persons employed by home health care agencies and homemaker-home health aide agencies.

§  SB00135, an act concerning postsecondary educational financial assistance for children in kinship care, to encourage kinship care of children in the care or custody of the Department of Children and Families. There was a public hearing scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8.

§  SB00136, An act concerning victim impact statements in capital murder cases.

§  SB00137, An act reducing habeas corpus petitions.

§  SB00138, An act repealing the death penalty.

§  SB00157, An act concerning special taxing districts, to provide a method by which the residents of the Thimble Islands may raise revenue to fund a ferry service. The Committee on Planning and Development voted to draft legislation, a public hearing was scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18.

§  SB00205, An act requiring certain thermostat manufacturers to pay incentives for the return of mercury thermostats. The Joint Committee on Environment voted to draft legislation.

§  SB00207, An act authorizing the inclusion of nurseries and greenhouses in farmland preservation programs.

§  SB00209,An act providing certain municipal stormwater authorities with credit, contracting, bonding and enforcement powers.

§  SB00210, An act concerning the child safe products act, to protect the health of children. The Joint Committee on Environment voted to draft legislation, a public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 23.

§  SB00226, An act establishing a habitat restoration matching fund.

§  SB00237, An act establishing a minimum per pupil level for ECS grants.

§  SB00244, An act authorizing municipalities to ban and regulate the use of lawn care pesticides.

§  SB00386, An act creating a code of legislative conduct.

§  SB00393, An act concerning access to absentee ballots for referendum votes, to facilitate voting in referendum votes. This bill is reserved for subject matter public hearing.

§  SB00398, An act concerning alternatives to incarceration.

§  SB00399, An act concerning the mission statement of the department of correction.

§  SB00462, an act allowing the sale of farm wines at farmers' markets in an effort to promote Connecticut agriculture and the Connecticut wine industry. A public hearing was scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8 and the Joint Committee on General Law voted to draft legislation.

§  SB00710, An act repealing the renewal requirement for parking placards for persons who are blind or persons with disabilities, which limit or impair the ability to walk. A public hearing was scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14.

§  SB00715, An act creating a universal all-terrain vehicle registration system. A public hearing was scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14.

§  SB00756, An act concerning speedy trials.

§  SB00813, An act establishing a pilot program using civilian volunteers to assist in the enforcement of state and municipal laws concerning parking for persons with blindness and persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14.

§  SB00856, An act concerning the business entity tax.

§  SJ00005, Resolution proposing an amendment to the state constitution to require the election of the insurance commissioner.

§  SJ00011, Resolution proposing an amendment to the state constitution to provide for a nonpartisan reapportionment and redistricting commission.

§  SJ00012, Resolution proposing an amendment to the state constitution to replace the general assembly with a unicameral legislature.