I have added a few new bills to this week’s House Bill Status Report that is attached to this update.
The newest legislation includes the following:

• HB-5146 – AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING FOR STATE AND REGIONAL FIRE TRAINING SCHOOLS.
• HB-5227 – AN ACT CONCERNING THE INTIMIDATION ON ACCOUNT OF OCCUPATION AS A
  PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEE.
• HB-5228 – AN ACT REQUIRING CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTION AND WARNING EQUIPMENT IN
  CERTAIN BUSINESSES.
• SB-140 – AN ACT INCREASING FINES FOR VIOLATIONS COMMITTED IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE,
  UTILITY WORK ZONE, TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT ZONE AND FIRE STATION ZONE AND
  IMPROVING THE SIGNS AT SUCH ZONES.
• SB-221 – AN ACT INCREASING THE FINE FOR FAILING TO MOVE OVER FOR AN EMERGENCY
  VEHICLE AND INJURING THE OPERATOR OF THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE.
• SB-222 – AN ACT CONCERNING THE APPOINTMENT OF A FIRE MARSHAL AND POLICE OFFICERS
  AT THE CONNECTICUT AIRPORT AUTHORITY.

Walter Summers of the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association has asked me to share the following
invitation to members of the Fire Service:

I would like to invite the various fire service organizations to send a representative to a meeting of the
Code Amendment Subcommittee next week. This would support CFMA’s and DAS’s efforts to have fire
sprinklers installed in new Townhouse construction. The CT Home Builders are working very hard to get
this provision removed from the new Building Code and we need to show the Committee that the fire
service is in full support of this effort to save lives.

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 02-23-18 in PDF format

Also, please read: CSFA 2018 House Bill Status Report: 02-23-18

The most important issue for the Fire Service this week in Connecticut is the Governor’s adjustment to the state budget for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2019 in HB-5035. A close look at page 6 of the Governor’s Bill ( https://www.cga.ct.gov/2018/TOB/h/pdf/2018HB-05035-R00-HB.pdf ) reveals that operating budgets for the Regional Fire Schools have been zeroed out as in past proposals from Governor Malloy. However, this latest budget proposal shows brackets [ ] around line items T153 and T158 – T166 (the nine Regional Fire Schools), and, that indicates that these budget line items totaling $780,741 are to be altogether eliminated from the state budget if this current proposal is passed in its present form. In fact, it is our opinion that new legislation would actually be required to insert the bracketed [ ] line items back into the state budget moving forward. We feel that passage of this version of the Governor’s budget would be devastating to our Regional Fire School System.

This week, there is a hearing to address HB-5035 and there is an opportunity for public testimony. The Joint Committee on Appropriations’ Regulation and Protection sub-committee will have a public hearing on Friday February 23rd, 2018 at the Legislative Office Building in Room 2C at 5:30PM. I realize that this may be a difficult time for most to plan to attend to offer oral testimony, however, I ask that our membership submit written testimony this week to let the Appropriations sub-committee know that we oppose having the Regional Fire Schools removed from the state budget. Please, we need to make this clear to the members of Appropriations that we feel it makes no sense for Connecticut to bond millions of dollars for much needed fire schools and fail to provide funding to operate them.

Read more by downloading the full CSFA Legislative Update: 02-16-18 in PDF format

Also, please read: CSFA 2018 Fire Service Bill Tracking: 02-16-18

The CSFA has new important information to report regarding plans for the next meeting of the Fire EMS Caucus on February 6th. See details in the latest Legislative Update from Leon Collins.

CSFA Legislative Update – 02-02-18

Fire EMS Caucus meeting minutes –  January 9, 2018

The weeks brief CSFA Legislative Update from Legislative Rep. Leon Collins reminds us that the next Fire EMS Caucus meeting will be February 6th, 2018 at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford at 10 AM Room 1E.

Click to download CSFA Legislative Update 01-26-18

Everyone,

I would like to remind our membership that you should reach out to the appropriate Fire EMS Caucus
sub-committee chairperson regarding any legislation that you would like to see passed during the
upcoming 2018 legislative session of the Connecticut General Assembly.  The next scheduled Fire EMS Caucus meeting is February 6th, 2018, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Room 1E at 10:00AM.

Please see and share the CSFA Legislative Update – 01-19-18.