CCA’s 2023 Legislative Priorities

Click here for a full list of public testimony

  1. Health Justice/Access

    1. State Medicaid Coverage Expansion
    2. Expansion of the legal right to Contraception

  2. Educational Equity

    1. 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.
    2. Education funding: Revise how public education is funded in Connecticut
    3. 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)
    4. 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
    5. 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

  3. Child Welfare

    1. 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

  4. Juvenile Justice 

    1. Pedestrian stop data collection 
    2. 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.
    3. 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

  5. Homeless Youth Rights

    1. Access to medical & dental care for unaccompanied homeless minors.

  6. Immigration Equity

    1. An Act Concerning An English Language Learner Parent Bill of Rights

  7. Additional Legislative Advocacy

    1. An Act To Increase the Budget of the Office of the Public Defender
    2. An Act Concerning Rent Stabilization
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