CSFA Legislative Update – 3/22/2021
The session activity was a little busier this week. Within the next 2 – 3 weeks most all committees will be closing (JF deadline) to any new bills. The first committee (Veterans) had their JF day on Thursday 3/18. There are 23 individual committees that will randomly reach their JF days until Finance (4/22) and Appropriations (4/23). They are always the last two committees. Listed are the bills that had activity this past week.
Bills that were JF’d out of committee were H.B. #5666, #6050, #6316, S.B. #119, #121, & #141.
Bills that were previously JF’d out of committee and were placed on the calendar were H.B. #5412, #6395, #6420, #6422, S.B. #123, & #261
Bills that had public hearings were H.B. #6626, S.B. #926, & #1042
All worked hard last week getting ready for the public hearing for S.B. #1042. This is the bill that would use an insurance policy surcharge to fund fire service training at the Regional Fire Schools. It also has a portion that deals with extending the Sunset provision of the State’s crumbling foundations program. Starting with a minimum of FF-1 and moving upward as the funding grows. Scott Bisson from the Fairfield RFS and Rick Hart from the UPFFA worked together to provide two separate but very well done oral testimonies on a ZOOM program that the CGA is using this year.
You may notice that I have two bills at the end of the bill listing matrix printed in brown. These are two other bills in the hopper that deal with some portion of the crumbling foundations issue. I have just listed them so that I can keep a watch on what is happening with them.
Activity for next week includes:
PUBLIC HEARINGS——-3/22=Judiciary & Planning & Development; 3/24=Pub Hlth, Finance, Judiciary, & GAE; 3/26=Judiciary, Appropriations, & GAE
Public Hearings have published agendas, but it does not appear that any of the bills are Fire Service related
COMMITTEE MEETINGS–3/22=Insurance, Hi Educ, Agency Bond Committee presentations; 3/23=Pub Safety, Gen Law, Labor, & a Senate session; 3/25=Labor
Committee Meetings usually do not publish their agendas early. They are not usually available until sometime between 6 P.M and 10 P.M.
I am available by email at the address at the bottom of the bill listing.
Ted Schroll Jr., Legislative Representative
Connecticut State Firefighters Association
Email thschroll@snet.net