Appropriations Committee reserves five bills for public hearings, advances 12 raise-bill concepts

The Appropriations Committee voted by voice to reserve five bills for subject-matter public hearings and to advance a package of 12 "raise bill" concepts at a meeting convened by the committee chair on Friday, February 20, at 11:00 a.m. The chair said the voice votes would remain open for attendance recording until agency briefings begin at 1:00 p.m.

Representative Walker moved "that we raise all the bills with one motion," and Representative Nuccio seconded. After brief descriptions of the measures, the committee conducted a voice vote; the chair declared the motions carried and instructed staff to keep the votes open for attendance purposes.

The five bills reserved for subject-matter public hearings include: Senate Bill 19, which would appropriate state General Fund dollars to the Department of Education for school-based mental health services in certain rural areas (fiscal year ending 06/30/2027); Senate Bill 20, proposing to amend subsection 31-102 of the general statutes to increase the per diem for members or alternate members of the State Board of Labor Relations from $150 to $300 per day; House Bill 5144, a bipartisan-sponsored measure to fund school breakfasts at no cost for participating schools and lunches at no cost for students eligible for reduced-price meals (FY 06/30/2027); House Bill 5172, to fund installation and maintenance of radar speed signs along Forest Road in the city of New Haven; and House Bill 5202, proposing a $1,500,000 General Fund appropriation to Continuum of Care Incorporated for emergency housing program operations for FY 06/30/2027.

Committee members asked for brief descriptions during the reading. The chair identified sponsors or cosponsors where noted (for example, Senate Bill 19 was submitted by Senator Harding; the per-diem bill was credited to Senator Perello). When members requested clarification on procedural and substantive points — including a question about the intended definition of the term "alien" — the chair replied that the bill drafters would define that language as the concept develops.

On the package of 12 raise-bill concepts the chair read items including teachers' disability and retirement benefits; an account to compensate victims of unlawful funeral services; a study of unidentified aerial phenomena; an account to provide durable medical equipment; a broader job program described in the meeting as "Connecticut SNAP" to allow access to food, housing, and health-care benefits; summer youth employment and training funds; the Mashantucket, Pequot, and Mohegan Fund formula (the chair said the current formula would be circulated); juvenile justice measures; implementation of recommendations from the Transforming Children's Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee; a micro-transit study; and two items concerning general-fund and non-general-fund appropriations.

Representative Ackert asked what "micro transit" referred to; the chair explained it is a Department of Transportation policy in which smaller vehicles or call-in ride services serve smaller communities and said the committee intends to study costs tied to that model.

All raise-bill concepts were accepted by a voice vote. The chair emphasized that because the committee used voice votes, staff would keep the votes open only until agency briefings start at 1:00 p.m. for any members who needed to record attendance.

The meeting was recessed until agency briefings at 1:00 p.m. After the formal business, staff confirmed attendance for multiple members joining by phone or video.

What happens next: Each reserved bill will proceed to subject-matter public hearings (scheduling and further procedural steps to be determined by committee staff). The raise-bill concepts will move forward for drafting or study as appropriate.