CCA’s 2023 Legislative Priorities
Click here for a full list of public testimony
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Health Justice/Access
- State Medicaid Coverage Expansion
- Expansion of the legal right to Contraception
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Educational Equity
- Provide LGBTQ students to self-identify gender in school without parental consent in a confidential fashion that cannot be revealed to parent/guardian without student’s consent.
- Education funding: Revise how public education is funded in Connecticut
- HB 5003 Decision Update: An Act Concerning Education Funding in Connecticut
- Additional funding for public education has been approved, but HB 5003 has not been implemented.
- HB 5003 Decision Update: An Act Concerning Education Funding in Connecticut
- Minor revisions to the expulsion statute (CGS 10-233d)
- Purpose: Reduce unnecessary expulsions for items that aren’t used as dangerous weapons and to reduce the length of expulsions for students with limited disciplinary backgrounds
- Update statute as follows:
- Remove term “dangerous instrument” from section (a)(2) and (e ) of statute
- Remove phrase “ and who has never been suspended pursuant to section 10-233c” from (c)(2)
- Revision to the arrest notification statute (CGS 10-233h)
- Purpose: To prevent unnecessary school-police communication and protect the confidentiality of students arrested for incidents having nothing to do with school/the school environment.
- Update statute as follows:
- Limit the offenses requiring police to notification to those that are mandatory expellable offenses for off grounds school conduct, i.e. – possession of a firearm or use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a crime or to those involving another enrolled student
- Update to education statutes to ensure magnet joint responsibility for Child Find
- Purpose: To ensure educational agency responsible for educating a student has a shared responsibility in referring students for special education services
- Update statute as follows:
- Update CGS 10-76d to include a reference to magnet schools
- Update CGS 10-15d to reference magnet schools
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Child Welfare
- Older Youth In Foster Care
- Senate Bill No. 1008 An Act Concerning The Age of Eligibility for Legal Representation Provided by the Department of Children and Families
- Raised S.B. No. 1008 Session Year 2023
- Update: The bill was passed unanimously by the appropriations committee
- Older Youth In Foster Care
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Juvenile Justice
- Pedestrian stop data collection
- Review previous language from JJPOC original legislation
- See Section 5 of SB 387: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2022/TOB/S/PDF/2022SB-00387-R00-SB.PDF
- Review previous language from JJPOC original legislation
- Motor vehicle offenses
- Eliminate the imposition of fines and fees related to motor vehicle infractions for youth 16-17 year old.
- Transfer the motor vehicle violations involving youth 16-17 years old from adult court to juvenile court to promote a more restorative and community-oriented response, i.e., non-judicial or JRB.
- See Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-127 (g) https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_815t.htm#sec_46b-127
- An Act Concerning Juvenile Justice
- Implementing policy changes in the juvenile justice system and funding for the Juvenile Justice Policy Oversight Committee
- *CCA is advocating for an amendment to include a plan for the removal of Connecticut’s minors from Connecticut’s adult correctional system. HB 6888
- CCA Public Testimony in Support of HB 6888
- Implementing policy changes in the juvenile justice system and funding for the Juvenile Justice Policy Oversight Committee
- Pedestrian stop data collection
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Homeless Youth Rights
- Access to medical & dental care for unaccompanied homeless minors.
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Immigration Equity
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An Act Concerning An English Language Learner Parent Bill of Rights
- HB 6211: ELL Parent Bill of Rights
- HB 6211: ELL Parent Bill of Rights
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Additional Legislative Advocacy
- An Act To Increase the Budget of the Office of the Public Defender
- An Act Concerning Rent Stabilization