The 2021 CGA session continues to move forward albeit slowly.  The Capitol Complex continues to be closed to normal usage.  Meetings are still held via a ZOOM format.  That in itself slows the process.  Per the rules, committee votes that are by a roll call requires that the individual legislators must be seen as well as heard when casting their votes.  The system does not always coordinate both actions which require many repeat responses.

Only the House met in session this past week, and only one item was on their agenda.  That was the religious exemption immunization bill that was 17 hours in length.

Also this past week, 2 bills were JF’d out of committee.  H.B. #6439 is the budget bill and S.B. #887 is the Bonding bill.  Within H.B. #6439, the Regional Fire Schools (RFS) Operating budgets, State & County radio maintenance funds, the CSFA disability fund and the Firefighters Fund (cancer) items were flat funded the same as last year.  H.B. #5666, the training funding for distressed municipalities was funded to the $70,000.00 level in the budget bill.  S.B. #887, the bonding bill, did not provide for any new monies for the Capital Improvement Project for the RFS.

Next week the House is scheduled to meet on Monday and the Senate is scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Bills added to their respective calendars this week were H.B. #5653, #6646, #6666 & S.B. #1083.

Ted Schroll, Jr.
Legislative Representative
Email  thschroll@snet.net

Session activity has slowed down now that most committees are closed to new bills.  There were few committee meetings last week except Judiciary, Finance, & Appropriations.  Judicial reached it’s JF day on Friday.  Finance and Appropriations are still meeting but will each reach their JF day by weeks end.  

Many bills that had been JFd out of committee continue to be released from the LCO.  Released this week and placed on their respective calendars are:  H.B. #5420, 5722, 6302, 6386, 6477, & 6484.  Also included are:  S.B. #1, 102, 660, 845, 846, 926, 982, 983, & 1002.

The Senate met in session on Friday for several hours and passed several bills.  None appeared to have any F.D. significance.  The House is scheduled to meet in session on Monday.  They usually do not release their agenda until one hour before session, so we will not know the agenda until Monday A.M.

As usual, you can email me if any questions.

Ted Schroll Jr., Legislative Representative
Connecticut State Firefighters Association
Email  thschroll@snet.net

At this time all committees except Appropriations and Finance have passed their JF date.  That should mean that no new bills will be forth coming.  The last bills out TO LCO are:

H.B. #5653, #6386, S.B. #926 & #1083.

Within the past 2 weeks you may note that many bills that were moved out of committee are now coming out after being written by the LCO office and are being placed on the Calendar of their respective chambers.  Those are: H.B. #5666, #6050, #6236, #6391, #6626, S.B. #119, #121, & #965.

I would ask some of you who follow the EMS activities closely to look at H.B. #6449 on my list.  This bill has been a “normal” Committee bill.  I noticed this week that it is now a Substitute Bill.  That usually happens when a bill is JFS’d out of committee.  I can’t find what changed it, but when I looked to find what was changed, all I was able to find was the rather lengthy explanation that is on my list.  I would just ask anyone to look at what is on my list to see if there is any F.D. concerns.  I have copied it from the CGA website.

One more item.  Myself and P.P. Carew met with the new House Co-Chair of the Bonding Subcommittee.  We had a face to face to discuss the RFS Capital Improvement project.  She is from West Haven, so John was a great assist in getting a meet.  No promises, but a good dialogue.  As some know, I was communicating with the former Co-Chair when the pandemic hit.  That ended our conversations and there has not been a House Co-Chair from the beginning of this session,  The new person was appointed near mid-March.

Email if any concerns or questions. 

Ted Schroll Jr., Legislative Representative
Connecticut State Firefighters Association
Email  thschroll@snet.net

After last week, activity is starting to slow down.  If you remember last week’s information showed many bills being JF’d out of committee.  Some are starting to come out of the legal office (LCO) after being written.  From there they go onto the calendars of their respective chambers.  Bills placed on the calendar this week were H.B. #6316, #6449, #6450, S.B. #141, & #931.

Bills JF’d from committees to LCO were H.B. #6646 & #6666.  

Last week at least 3 of the committees that were working bills that I was following closed for new bills.  By the end of this upcoming week, 6 more committees will be closing.  After that only Appropriations and Finance will be working on their agenda items.  Since they will be setting the legislative budget, they are always the last two committees to close.  They close on 4/22 & 4/23.  

You may also note that I have deleted many items on the listing.  For anyone that may print the list, this week the form is 21 pages long, but there is only info on 18 pages.  (Save your paper)  Anything that did not have a public hearing was deleted.  Also, some that had public hearings but had passed their JF day were also deleted.  Some with public hearings only, but are from the Approps or Finance I have left in.  Never say Never.

Please email if any questions.

Ted Schroll Jr., Legislative Representative
Connecticut State Firefighters Association
Email  thschroll@snet.net

Only three new bills this week, but the listing is up to 33 pages.  All the bills that will be moving forward are coming out of committee.  The reason is because the committees are starting to close for any new bills.  In the last 7 days, 5 committees are closed.  And by the end of the day tomorrow there will be 2 more.  Once the committees close I will start deleting all the left overs.  If you see any bill that has not had at least a public hearing, it will likely not make it.  Although as I have mentioned in past years, sometimes individual initiatives that were part of larger bills will show up buried inside others.  

These are the bills that came out of committee last week: H.B. #5722, 6302, 6477, 6484, 6595, 6626, S.B. #1, 102, 660, 845, 846, 982, 983, & 1002.  These bills go to the Legislative Commissioners Office or LCO where the legal beagles write them into legalese language.  I believe that they have either 10 days or 14 days to be released and they go onto the calendar of their respective chamber, House or Senate.

There was one bill that came out of LCO this past week.  It is S.B. #837 and is in the Senate calendar as of 3/24.  

Public Hearings this week are Public Health (H.B. #6666 & S.B. #1083) on 3/29, and G.A.E. (No F.D. items on their agenda) also on 3/29.

Committee Meetings are Environment (H.B. #6386 & S.B. #926) on 3/29  and G.A.E. again w/o an agenda.  Also Environment and Planning & Development will be meeting on 3/31.  There was no agenda at this time.

AND, Friday is a State Holiday.  4 day week this week.

Again, it there are any questions you can email me.  If you are aware of any issues that I have not addressed, please let me know.     

Ted Schroll Jr., Legislative Representative
Connecticut State Firefighters Association
Email  thschroll@snet.net

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

We had some good news this week.  The bill that would fund firefighter training was finally released by the Insurance & Real Estate committee.  The bill # is Senate Raised Bill S. B. #1042 entitled AAC FIREFIGHTER TRAINING AND CRUMBLING CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS.  Our hopeful thought is that the crumbling foundations issue will drag us through to the finish line.  We have been told that the crumbling foundations issue is near to “sunsetting” and they need to extend that issue.  Here is where we need a LOT OF HELP.  The committee chair told us that not all of the committee was not fully on board with doing this and that we will need a large show of support to move the bill.  We need all of the fire service to get behind this issue.  At the end of this report I will include the heading from within the CGA Bulletin which shows the bill number and an explanation of how to provide written testimony.  There are three different ways, on-line ZOOM, on line telephone, and written email.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!!  All three processes are simple.  Especially the last one.  No different than sending a normal email which we all do every day.  The first listed process is also very easy, you just have to click onto the on-Line registration in the heading and sign in.  After sign-in you will be sent a personal ZOOM “code”  Thursday A.M. you just click on the code like a regular ZOOM meeting.  The only downer is that the sign-in is first come, first serve, and you have to wait your turn.  It could be a few minutes or a few hours before you testify cuz legislators and elected town/city officials go first for the first hour.  BUT, the good part is that you are home, or in your office, and are able to do your regular business waiting for your turn.  The list is published so you know exactly where you are and when it’s your turn.  If you are not near the beginning, you can even go to lunch if you are down the list.  The worst part is that you have wait a little while, but think about down the road when you will no longer have to budget for your firefighter training any longer.

Again, we need your support.  If you are a volunteer and have a second position with a fire service organization, send 2 letters on different letter heads.  They won’t read them, just count them.  If a Fire Chief, have the mayor send a letter too.

Activity Last Week  3/8 thru 3/12

New Bills   3/11  HB #6626 & SB #1024

Public Hearings  3/8 = HB #5420, SB #102, #982 & #983

                            3/9 = SB #119 & #1010

                            3/10 = SB #760

                            3/11 = HB #6595 & SM #1002

JF’d Bills             3/12 = SB #931

Next Week  3/15 thru 3/19

Public Hearings   3/18 = HB #6626 & SB #1042 in Insurance Committee

HOUSE SESSION  3/16

INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021

The Insurance and Real Estate Committee will hold a public hearing on Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 9:00 A.M. via Zoom.  The public hearing can be viewed via YouTube Live.  In addition, the public hearing may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com. 

Individuals who wish to testify via Zoom must register using the On-line Testimony Registration Form.  The registration form must contain the name of the person who will be testifying.  A unique email address must be provided for each person registered to speak.  Registration will close on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.  Speaker order of approved registrants will be listed in a randomized order and posted on the Insurance and Real Estate Committee website on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 8:00 P.M. under Public Hearing Testimony.  If you do not have internet access, you may provide testimony via telephone.  To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at (860) 240-0411 to leave your contact information.  Please email written testimony to instestimony@cga.ct.gov in Word or PDF format.  Testimony should clearly state testifier name and related bill number.  The Committee requests that testimony be limited to matters related to the items on the Agenda.  The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Legislators, Constitutional Officers, Chief Elected Municipal Officials and State Agency Heads.  Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony.  The Committee encourages witnesses to submit a written statement and to condense oral testimony to a summary of that statement.  All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information.  As such, it will be made available on the CGA website and indexed by internet search engines.

SUBJECT MATTER:   Insurance Related Bills

S.B. No. 1042 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING FIREFIGHTER TRAINING AND CRUMBLING CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS. 

If any questions, email me at the address at the bottom of the listing.

Ted Schroll Jr., Legislative Representative
Connecticut State Firefighters Association
Email  thschroll@snet.net

A little more activity this week and more next week.  Bills that got out of committee last week are H.B. #5412, #6395, #6420, #6422, S.B. #123, & 261.

Public Hearings are:

3/8    H.B. #5420, S.B. #982 & S.B. 983 in Transportatiom

3/9    S.B. #119 & S.B. #1010 in Public Safety

3/10  S.B. #760 in Gov Admin & Elect

3/11  S.B. #1002 in Labor

Appropriations is still working on agency budget  presentations, so they have most of the building tied up.  There are also several other committee meetings and public hearings but none have bills we are following.

Email with any concerns. Let me know if you hear something I may be missing.

Ted Schroll Jr., Legislative Representative
Connecticut State Firefighters Association
Email  thschroll@snet.net