The state legislative session ended on May 4, 2016. See below for information on which bills that related to early childhood were approved and which died. To see more about each bill, follow the link to the Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) website (cga.ct.gov). The CGA site allows you to set up email and text alerts on bills if you are interested in getting bill information as it happens in its Bill Tracking feature (under the Bill Info tab).
Bills passed by the General Assembly in 2016
Senate Bill 178 - AN ACT CONCERNING THE LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONERS' RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNICAL REVISIONS TO THE EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD STATUTES. To make technical revisions to the education and early childhood statutes. Introduced on February 18; referred to the Education Committee. Public hearing on February 24. Amended and approved by Education Committee on March 14. Approved by the Senate on April 20. Approved in concurrence by the House on May 4. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
SB 501 - AN ACT ADJUSTING THE STATE BUDGET FOR THE BIENNIUM BEGINNING JUNE 30, 2017. Approved by Senate on May 12; approved by House on May 13. The budget implementer bill can be seen HERE.
House Bill 5306 - AN ACT CONCERNING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD. To expand the eligibility requirements for the Care4Kids program; to require certain applicants to the Office of Early Childhood to submit to criminal background checks; to permit the Commissioner of Early Childhood to waive the requirement of submitting a new license application in certain instances; to remove the licensure exemption for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; to require the office to provide support to child care service programs seeking accreditation; to expand the membership of the Home Visitation Program Consortium and local school readiness councils; to authorize the commissioner to enter into certain agreements in child care service licensing matters; to repeal the child care facilities grant program; and to make minor and technical changes to the early childhood statutes. Introduced on February 18; referred to the Education Committee. Public hearing on February 24. Amended and approved by Education Committee on March 14. Amended and approved by the Appropriations Committee on April 14. Amended and approved by the House on April 29. Approved in concurrence by the Senate on May 4. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS WITH CHANGES.
House Bill 5466 - AN ACT CONCERNING CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS CHECKS FOR HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS OF A FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME OR GROUP CHILD CARE HOME. To require background checks and notice of convictions for any person who is a household member in a family child care home or group child care home. Introduced on February 25; referred to the Education Committee. Public hearing on March 2. Amended and approved by the Education Committee on March 16. Amended and approved by the House on April 27. Approved in concurrence by the Senate on May 4. ALLIANCE FOLLOWING THIS BILL; NO POSITION.
Bills that were introduced but were not approved
Senate Bill 10 - AN ACT INCREASING ACCESS TO CHILDCARE FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE HOMELESS. To implement the Governor's budget recommendations. Introduced on February 4; referred to the Committee on Children. Public hearing on February 16. Approved by the Committee on Children. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS THIS BILL.
Senate Bill 65 - AN ACT REPEALING THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT. To repeal the earned income tax credit. Introduced on February 9; referred to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. ALLIANCE OPPOSES THIS BILL.
Senate Bill 73 - AN ACT CONCERNING CHILDREN'S SAFETY. To study children's safety within the state. Introduced on February 10; referred to the Committee on Children. Public hearing on February 16. Approved by the Committee on Children on March 8. Recommitted to the Committee on Children on May 3. ALLIANCE FOLLOWING THIS BILL; NO POSITION.
Senate Bill 112 - AN ACT PROVIDING CHILD CARE FOR ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS ENROLLED IN APPROVED HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS. To promote employability of persons who are receiving temporary family assistance by providing child care subsidies for those enrolled in an approved higher education program. Introduced on February 17; referred to the Education Committee. Public hearing on March 2. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS THIS BILL.
Senate Bill 176 - AN ACT CONCERNING THE SMART START PROGRAM. To make revisions to the Connecticut Smart Start competitive grant program regarding priorities for applicants, how grant recipients are to allocate preschool program spaces, and the day when the preschool program is to commence each school year. Introduced on February 18; referred to the Education Committee. Public hearing on February 24. Amended and approved by Education Committee on March 14. Recommitted to the Education Committee on April 29. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS WITH CHANGES.
Senate Bill 216 - AN ACT EXPANDING THE SALES TAX EXEMPTION TO INCLUDE FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS AND DISPOSABLE OR REUSABLE DIAPERS. To provide an exemption from the sales tax for feminine hygiene products and disposable and reusable diapers. Introduced on February 22; referred to the Public Health Committee. Approved by the Public Health Committee on March 16; referred to Finance Committee. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS. Both provisions of this bill were included in the budget implementer; repeal of the tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products is set to take effect on July 1, 2018.
Senate Bill 221 - AN ACT CONCERNING PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE. To implement a system of paid family and medical leave in the state. Introduced on February 22; referred to the Labor Committee. Approved by the Labor Committee on March 10. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
Senate Bill 390 - AN ACT CONCERNING A TWO-GENERATION INITIATIVE. To expand an interagency working group overseeing a two-generation work and academic success pilot program and clarify reporting requirements and other provisions of the program. Introduced on March 3; referred to Human Services Committee. Public hearing on March 8. Amended and approved by Human Services Committee on March 15. Approved by the Senate on April 13. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
Senate Bill 391 - AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECOUPMENT OF STATE COSTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO LOW WAGE EMPLOYERS. To recoup state costs relating to services provided to workers who earn a low wage. Introduced on March 3; referred to Human Services Committee. Public hearing on March 8. Amended and approved by Human Services Committee on March 15. Approved by the Labor Committee on April 12. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5002 - AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, MUNICIPALITIES AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF EDUCATING NONRESIDENT STUDENTS. To require the Department of Children and Families to reimburse towns for the costs of educating nonresident children that are placed in such towns. Introduced on February 3; referred to the Committee on Children. ALLIANCE FOLLOWING THIS BILL; NO POSITION.
House Bill 5005 - AN ACT CONCERNING THE TAXATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME AND THE ELIMINATION OF THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT. To exempt Social Security income from the personal income tax and eliminate the earned income tax credit. Introduced on February 3; referred to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. ALLIANCE OPPOSES THIS BILL.
House Bill 5109 - AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TAX CREDIT PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYERS WHO OFFER ON-SITE CHILD DAY CARE OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYEES. To encourage employers to offer on-site child day care options for the children of employees by establishing a tax credit program for employers who provide such options. Introduced on February 9; referred to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5121 - AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TAX CREDIT FOR DEPENDENT CHILD CARE COSTS. To provide relief to families related to the costs of day care by providing a credit against the personal income tax for day care costs. Introduced on February 9; referred to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5136 - AN ACT CONCERNING THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN. To study the health of children in the state. Introduced on February 10; referred to the Committee on Children. Public hearing on February 16. Approved by the Committee on Children on March 8. ALLIANCE FOLLOWING THIS BILL; NO POSITION.
House Bill 5137 - AN ACT EXEMPTING DISPOSABLE OR REUSABLE DIAPERS FROM THE SALES TAX. To provide an exemption from the sales tax for disposable or reusable diapers. Introduced on February 10; referred to the Committee on Children. Public hearing on February 16. Approved by the Committee on Children. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5139 - AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF RECYCLED TIRE RUBBER AT MUNICIPAL AND PUBLIC SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS. To prohibit the installation of ground cover that contains shredded or ground rubber recycled from motor vehicle tires in municipal and public school playgrounds. Introduced on February 10; referred to the Committee on Children. Public hearing on February 16. Approved by the Committee on Children. Approved by the Planning and Development Committee on April 22. ALLIANCE FOLLOWING THIS BILL; NO POSITION.
House Bill 5217 - AN ACT CONCERNING FULL FUNDING FOR THE ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH CT PROGRAM. To provide full state funding for the Access Mental Health CT program. Introduced on February 16; referred to the Appropriations Committee. ALLIANCE FOLLOWING THIS BILL; NO POSITION.
House Bill 5223 - AN ACT EXEMPTING BABY DIAPERS FROM THE SALES TAX. To provide an exemption from the sales tax for baby diapers. Introduced on February 16; referred to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS. While this bill did not pass, repeal of the sales tax on diapers was included in the budget implementer; repeal of the tax on diapers is set to take effect on July 1, 2018.
House Bill 5224 - AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TAX CREDIT FOR DEPENDENT CHILD CARE COSTS. To lower the cost of child care by providing a credit against the personal income tax for dependent child care costs. Introduced on February 16; referred to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5302 - AN ACT CONCERNING A TAX CREDIT FOR EMPLOYERS OFFERING ON-SITE CHILD CARE. To establish a tax credit for employers offering on-site child care. Introduced on February 18; referred to the Committee on Children. Public hearing on March 3. Approved by the Committee on Children on March 8. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5303 - AN ACT CONCERNING CHILDHOOD OBESITY. To increase the physical health of children by prohibiting or limiting the serving of sweetened beverages in child care settings, prohibiting children's access to certain electronic devices in child care settings, and increasing children's participation in daily exercise. Introduced on February 18; referred to the Committee on Children. Public hearing on March 3. Approved by the Committee on Children on March 8. Approved by the Education Committee on April 4. Amended and approved by the House on April 26. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5307 - AN ACT PROHIBITING THE UNREASONABLE DELAY OF ENROLLING A CHILD IN KINDERGARTEN. To limit the circumstances in which a parent may withhold enrolling their child in kindergarten until the child is seven years old. Introduced on February 18; referred to the Education Committee. Public hearing on February 24. Amended and approved by Education Committee on March 14. ALLIANCE FOLLOWING THIS BILL; NO POSITION.
House Bill 5370 - AN ACT INCREASING THE MINIMUM FAIR WAGE. To raise the minimum wage, incrementally, to fifteen dollars per hour. Introduced on February 22; referred to the Labor Committee. Public hearing on March 3. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5557 - AN ACT CONCERNING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS. To establish an early childhood educator compensation schedule for early childhood educators that ensures the retention and recruitment of qualified educators, secures a standard of living that meets such educators' needs, and reflects the true costs associated with quality standards for early childhood care and education programs. Introduced on March 2; referred to Education Committee. Amended and approved by the Education Committee on March 18. Approved by the House on April 12. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.
House Bill 5626 - AN ACT CONCERNING THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT. To require the Department of Revenue Services to study the income limits applicable to the earned income tax credit and personal income tax refund distribution for recipients of such credit. Introduced on February 10; referred to Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee. Public hearing on March 18. Approved by the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee on March 24. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS.