News From The State Capitol

HARTFORD — It’s been a busy two weeks for the Valley’s state representatives and state senators with the legislative session winding down in Hartford.

The following is a series of press releases and news announcements sent by the lawmakers to The Valley Indy over the past 10 days or so.

But first, here’s an independent voice summarizing this week’s developments for the state budget:

CT Mirror reported on April 27:

“Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative leaders have agreed on a new $24 billion state budget that features nearly $600 million in tax cuts, including up to $750 later this year for families with kids, and an extended gasoline tax holiday running through Dec. 1.

The compromise budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 also freezes car taxes in nearly half of all communities and makes new investments in child care, mental health, other social services and the state’s contracting watchdog agency.”

Click here for the full story.

Sen. Berthel Applauds First Step to Curb CT’s Catalytic Converter Theft Crisis

HARTFORD – Today (April 29) State Sen. Eric Berthel (R‑Watertown) applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of S.B. 256, which enacts several changes to how motor vehicle recyclers, scrap metal processors and junk dealers both receive and sell catalytic converters.

Senator Berthel requested for this concept to be raised at the beginning of the 2022 legislative session amidst the statewide catalytic converter theft epidemic. He sees this measure, designed to deter criminals at the point-of-sale, as a first step to addressing the ongoing catalytic converter theft crisis in Connecticut.

“Families in all ten towns of my district have been affected by this epidemic. They are frustrated and want action. Today, we made a positive first step by holding criminals accountable at the sale or disposal side of catalytic converter thefts, when they attempt to turn these devices into cash,” said Senator Berthel.

“We have fallen short, though, to stop the root cause of this criminal activity when criminals cut these devices off a victim’s car. It is important to keep in mind that this is not a victimless crime. Criminals create havoc for their victims, who are burdened financially and left with hours of wasted time because of an inoperable vehicle; catalytic converters can take weeks to replace because of supply shortages.

“I think this is a good place for us to begin. When we come back next year, we will see the results of this measure if it becomes law. It is my hope that we can do something to prevent these crimes from taking place altogether,” he said.

Senator Eric Berthel represents Connecticut’s 32nd Senatorial District, which includes the towns of Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Middlebury, Oxford, Roxbury, Seymour, Southbury, Washington, Watertown and Woodbury. www.senatorberthel.com

Sen. Cabrera Votes in Favor of Student Health Services Expansion and Child Care Support Bill

HARTFORD, CT – (On April 28), state Senator Jorge Cabrera [D – Hamden] voted for Senate Bill 1, ​“An Act Concerning Childhood Mental and Physical Health Services in Schools.” Senate Bill 1 takes a thorough approach on supporting youth from their early years through high school. The expansive legislation would build up the necessary infrastructure – including school personnel, child care and school-based student resources– to support the needs of the whole child. Further, it responds to the impact that COVID-19 has had on young people from exacerbating the youth mental health crisis to student disengagement.

“Students and educators across this state have dealt with a lot, and frequently continued to push forward, but we know that can come at a cost,” Sen. Cabrera. ​“Senate Bill 1 addresses the mental and physical health needs of our students, improves pay for our early childhood educators and diversifies our curriculum. I am proud to vote for the passage of this bill and optimistic that it will pass the House of Representatives and get the governor’s signature.”

Senate Bill 1 would take numerous actions to increase resources and programs available to support children, teenagers, and schools including:

Expanding Student Access to Mental Health Services and Resources for Schools

• Provides $10 million in needs-based grants for improving and expanding services at current school-based health centers. All 36 health centers and 124 schools identified by the state Department of Public Health in need of greater services will be eligible to apply

• Create a grant program for boards of education administered by the Connecticut Department of Education to hire and retain more social workers, psychologists, nurses, and counselors in schools

Increasing Wages for Child Care Workers and Improved Access to Early Childhood Education for Families

• $70 million to fund a new child care and early childhood education worker salary enhancement grant to be administered by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC)
• Nearly doubling the number of infant and toddler spaces in child development centers across Connecticut from currently about 1,500 to around 2,800 spaces. Also, increases to $13,500 the rate provided by the OEC per infant and toddler space in these centers

Enhance School Preparedness to Respond to a Student Opioid Overdose

• Boards of education will be provided information on how to acquire no-cost opioid antagonists, like Narcan, by Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection and Department of Education

• Pharmacists and prescribing practitioners can dispense opioid antagonists to board of educations and school district employees will be trained on proper use and handling
• There must be at least one qualified school employee who can administer an opioid antagonist in the event a school nurse is not available

Supporting Connecticut’s Teacher Workforce

• The state Department of Education will study and identify ways to streamline and improve pathways for teacher certification
• Establishes a teacher shortage and retention task force
• $1 million for a new minority teacher candidate scholarship program. The scholarships will be available to graduates of a priority school district and are enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a four-year higher education institution in Connecticut

Bolstering Education Opportunities, Student Engagement, and Inclusivity

• $7 million for the Learner Engagement and Attendance Program (LEAP), which helps students struggling with absenteeism and disengagement
• The state Board of Education will administer a ​“career and technical pathways instructor permit” to individuals with training or expertise in manufacturing, allied health, computer technology, engineering, or construction in order to teach a class related to their expertise. The permit will be issued following the request of a local or regional board of education or regional educational service center
• Adds Asian American and Pacific Islander studies to the state curriculum for students
• Establishes an Open Choice school program between Guilford and New Haven
• Create separate task forces on combatting ableism in school-settings, and the governance structure and internal procedures of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC)

According to a 2021 advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General, high school students who reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased to more than one in three students between 2009 and 2019. The same advisory found that suicide rates among youth ages 10 to 24 increased by almost 60 percent between 2007 and 2018. This crisis in mental health among youth has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over a third of high school students reported having ​“poor” mental health during the pandemic in 2021, according to a CDC survey of high school students. The survey report underscored that the negative impact of poor mental health extends into other areas of a person’s life including academic performance struggles and increased risk of drug use.

Over 480 young people in Connecticut have lost their lives due to an unintentional drug overdose since 2015, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Fentanyl, an opioid, was involved in over 370 of these overdoses. One life lost is too many and these statistics emphasize the need for schools to strengthen their ability to respond to a student experiencing an opioid overdose.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of young people both during and outside of school hours, especially when it came to child care. 21 percent of child care centers closed due to the pandemic, according to CT Voices for Children. The job sector that provides a critical support to children during their early years of growth and development, along with helping parents balance work and family, has been hampered in recovering from the pandemic because of struggles to hire and retain workers. An early 2022 poll by the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance of more than 120 providers found that almost 90 percent reported difficulty hiring staff. The low pay given to child care employees, who are among the lowest-paid workers in the nation, has been a major factor in the difficulty to hire and keep employees.

Sen. Cabrera Votes for the Passage of the Connecticut Clean Air Act

(On April 26), the state Senator Jorge Cabrera (D‑Hamden) voted for the passage of Senate Bill 4, also known as the Connecticut Clean Air Act, in an overarching and detailed effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and push Connecticut toward a greener and healthier future. As the transportation sector and industry represent Connecticut’s single-largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, this legislation will support cleaner air, reduced pollution and bolster the state’s response to climate change.

“We know the facts, climate change and its effects, such as more and more people suffering from various respiratory ailments, need to be addressed aggressively and now. This is why I am proud to vote in favor of the Connecticut Clean Air Act,” said Sen. Cabrera. ​“Senate Bill 4 continues the momentum we’ve built up in recent years to ensure we’re doing all we can to tackle climate change head on by looking at how transportation can be made more environment-friendly. I look forward to seeing this bill pass the House and receive the governor’s signature.” 

Senate Bill 4 updates Connecticut’s efforts to go green in ways including:

• Emphasizing the state’s efforts to shift to electric vehicles by regulating that by 2026, at least 50% of cars and light trucks purchased by the state will be alternative-fueled, hybrid electric or plug-in electric vehicles, with that rate rising to 100% by 2030.
• Ending the purchase or lease of any diesel-fueled transit bus, shifting to electric buses for public transportation, in the state beginning in 2024.
• Installing electric vehicle charging stations across the state, with existing standards for installation being simplified, installation emphasizing access and use across the state and future state facilities including schools being constructed with electric charging stations in mind.
• Overhauling the CHEAPR electric vehicle rebate systems, with changes made including increases to available rebate amounts, increases to the cap on vehicle prices eligible for rebates, increases to low-income electric vehicle rebates and expansion of rebate eligibility to include business fleets and electric bicycles. Rebates and vouchers will be prioritized to residents of environmental justice communities, residents with household incomes at or below 300% of federal poverty levels and residents participating in state and federal assistance programs.
  • Municipalities, businesses, nonprofit organizations or tribal entities can receive electric vehicle rebates through CHEAPR to purchase electric vehicles or replace current fleets with electric-powered ones.
  • CHEAPR will provide rebates for purchases of electric bicycles valued at up to $3,000 not less than $500.
• The state will invest in a matching grant program supporting municipalities modernizing traffic signal equipment and operations to ensure that equipment matches modern traffic flow and demand, seeking to significantly reduce emissions caused by traffic and idling.
• The state will create regulations and methodologies to ensure transportation projects increasing greenhouse gases offset such emissions by undertaking greenhouse gas mitigation transportation projects including, but not limited to, improving public transit, constructing bikeways, pedestrian walkways and more.
• The legislation recognizes the historic federal infrastructure legislation and includes state bond funds to leverage these federal dollars for our local communities to transition hundreds of diesel school buses to electric buses.
• The state will adopt medium- and heavy-duty motor vehicle standards adopted by California, seeking to heavily reduce emissions from vehicles responsible for some of the state’s highest rates of greenhouse gases. In doing so it will create a voucher program to transition to cleaner electric vehicles and plan transportation projects to offset emissions.

While Connecticut has a marked goal to reduce greenhouse emissions by 45% in 2030 compared to similar rates in 2001, the state has seen its emissions rise in relation to that goal, as Connecticut drivers travel more miles per day now than increased vehicle efficiency can reduce emissions. Further, the state has a goal of 137,500 electric vehicles on the road by 2025, a pace it is running significantly behind.

These efforts to reduce emissions and emphasize greener modes of transportation will play a significant role in aiding Connecticut’s efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. From 2017 to 2018, vehicle emissions in Connecticut grew by 2.7%, with the state’s results about 3% higher than its 2020 emissions goal. Transportation emissions are valued at more than double the combined emissions of the electricity and residential sectors and have risen since 1990 despite a 16% improvement in per-mile emission in that period. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said meeting emission goals will require strategies to improve fuel economy and reduce vehicle miles traveled, strongly supporting the efforts of the Clean Air Act.

The rising frequency and intensity of severe weather in Connecticut may be early indicators of serious effects in the state without adjustments – rising seas on the coasts, higher temperatures especially inland, heavier rainfall, more frequent droughts and more destructive hurricanes all have the potential to harm the state without significant action like that taken in Senate Bill 4.

Just as important: the state saw 21 days with unhealthy levels of ozone in 2021, the highest in New England, with five of its eight counties receiving ​“F” grades on ozone levels from the American Lung Association. These conditions can cause or aggravate serious lung conditions including asthma and emphysema, with long-term exposure possibly causing long-term health problems and reproductive and developmental harm. With these conditions worse in cities, residents in those cities – who in many cases do not contribute vehicle emissions in their communities – suffer disproportionately compared to the rest of the state. Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford all ranked among the worst urban areas in the United States through racial disparities in exposure to pollutants.

Chadwick Schroeder, sustainability manager for the City of Bridgeport, testified that Bridgeport, one of the state’s most diverse cities, sees significant inequality with even the town’s census tracks based on income correlating to higher rates of asthma and heart disease. ​“Residents in the City of Bridgeport do not only bear a significant environmental burden compared to neighboring municipalities, but also have significantly lower levels of wealth, educational attainment and higher levels of disease,” Schroeder said – and stronger action needs to be taken to ensure residents bearing the largest burden can access and use resources dedicated toward them, he continued, such as actions taken in SB4.

The Connecticut Business and Industry Administration, in public testimony, gave support to a number of measures of the legislation, including the ease of installing charging stations due to reduced financial burden for small businesses; expansion of CHEAPR to benefit vehicle adoption, especially for business fleets; the Clean Air Act fee’s use to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions; and emphasis on rural business entities allowing installation statewide.

Rep. Klarides-Ditria Supports Supermarket Food Donation Study

HARTFORD – State Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria (R‑105) today supported a bill to create a state task force to study the issues of hunger and food insecurity and identify ways to encourage donations to food relief organizations.

The bill that passed the House unanimously, HB 5146 – An Act Concerning Food Donation – as amended, will establish a task force to study ​“examine, and make recommendations concerning, establishing a supermarket food donation program in this state that (1) alleviates hunger, reduces food waste and supports the operations of food relief organizations … and (2) ensures that all food donated as part of such program is safe and fit for human consumption.”

“Establishing a task force to study these important issues will help stakeholders have a say in the process and help the legislature craft strong legislation to truly address the needs of our residents,” Rep. Klarides-Ditria said. ​“Unfortunately, there are people in every community of our state who struggle to know where their next meal is coming from, or worse, go hungry on a daily basis.”

During the committee process, the bill received support from many food service organizations throughout the state, including Connecticut Foodshare, Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church and former State Representative and current First Selectman of Greenwich Fred Camillo, who wrote, ​“While making sure those who may be having trouble affording the basic necessities in life is always the right thing to do, the current high inflation environment is adding to an already high cost of living here in our state making such an endeavor even more needed.”

The measure now moves to the State Senate and awaits action prior to midnight on Wednesday, May 4^th when the legislature adjourns.

Sen. Cabrera Votes to Take Preventative Action to Protect Children's Mental Health

HARTFORD, CT — (On April 22), state Senator Jorge Cabrera (D‑Hamden) voted for the passage of Senate Bill 2, an overarching piece of legislation designed to benefit children’s mental health amid a growing children’s mental health crisis both local and national. The bill passed the state Senate and heads to the state House of Representatives. Sen. Cabrera said this bill will have a major impact on the lives of young people across the state.

“We know many young people have struggled with mental health challenges and the pandemic has only made things tougher,” said Sen. Cabrera. ​“This is timely legislation that addresses the ways in which we can support those struggling and prevent further mental health issues with our youth. I am proud to support this bill and feel it is more than appropriate that this piece of legislation was a main priority of the Senate Democratic caucus this year.”

One of Senate Democrats’ lead priorities this legislative session, this bill takes significant steps forward in supporting, expanding and creating preventative programs to reduce conditions conducive to children developing mental health disorders. With more children experiencing mental health disorders, this legislation seeks to target root causes of mental health issues, supporting children in their early development and formative years to better prepare them for success in their lives.

This legislation’s preventative programs dovetail with House Bill 5001, which is designed to address current issues impacting children’s mental health and access to mental health services. The two bills coexist in addressing current issues and addressing those issues’ root causes.

Senate Bill 2, ​“An Act Expanding Preschool and Mental and Behavioral Services For Children,” would make numerous changes to current state policies and programs. Among the most important:

• Mobile crisis centers will be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week everywhere in the state.
• The legislation will create an equity-based mental health fund aiding members of the public disconnected from mental health services; this effort matches one in House Bill 5001 supporting the public from a non-equity-based perspective.
• In the event federal authorities do not take action, steps will be taken to enshrine telehealth services including allowances for professionals residing out of state.
• Children in care of the Department of Children and Families receiving Social Security and Disability Insurance payments will retain access to the money, which previously was recouped by the state for the cost of their care.
• The bill creates a mental health plan for student-athletes; studies show these students are increasingly likely to suffer mental health issues.
• A study on the effects of social media and mobile phone use on children will provide legislators with information on those platforms’ effects on children’s mental health.
• Family child care centers, as long as there is an assistant present, will be able to care for nine children per center in all seasons, expanding a rule currently in place during summer.
• A Department of Public Health grant program will allow pediatrician offices to hire social workers with the grant funding half of the social workers’ salary.
• Parents of children who fall ill or are injured under the care of a child care center will receive a written report and the Office of Early Childhood will be able to access video footage of the incident, if available, from the center.
• New safe storage guidelines will be adopted for prescription drugs and cannabis to prevent undue access to these substances.
• Psychologists will receive Medicaid payments for services provided by social workers and family therapists if the professionals are supervised by psychologists.
• Speech language pathologists and occupational therapists in other states will be allowed to access licenses in Connecticut if they work with Birth to Three, expanding care availability.
• The Department of Public Health will manage a program recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, specifically behavioral health experts and professionals; a working group will further examine enhancing physician recruitment in the state.
• The state will join PSYPACT, which allows psychology services to take place across state boundaries.
• Youth Service Bureaus will receive an additional $2 million in funding.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as one in six children in the United States experienced mental health disorders. That rate has only increased in recent years; in 2021, the Connecticut Mirror reported that as many as 47 children per day experiencing mental health crises waited in the emergency department of Connecticut Children’s Hospital, which experts said was a significant escalation from prior years; at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, the rate of children experiencing mental health crises more than doubled from March to May 2021, and the rate of hours of care provided to children experiencing mental health crises more than doubled as the pandemic progressed.

Mental Health America found that it is possible to prevent or mitigate the effects of mental illness with early intervention, with the time between prenatal development and early childhood being crucial for brain development. Investing in prevention, early intervention and providing access to appropriate services have direct ties to reducing the impact and severity of mental health issues in the population, it said. Doing so also reduces the propensity of mental health issues to arise and associated societal problems, including suicides, school dropouts, homelessness and increased populations in the juvenile justice system.

In other words, the crisis we see today is partially the result of inefficient investment in necessary resources yesterday – and by acting now, we can preserve a better tomorrow for the children of Connecticut.

The bill previously passed the Children’s Committee by a vote of 11 – 2 and the Appropriations Committee by a 48 – 0 unanimous tally.

Sen. Kelly Applauds Legislature’s Passage of Bill to Solidify Sikorsky’s Commitment to Connecticut in Building New Black Hawk Replacement

HARTFORD – Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R‑Stratford) released the following statement applauding the Connecticut General Assembly’s approval of an agreement between the State of Connecticut with Lockheed Martin to sustain as many as 7,500 jobs and keep Sikorsky’s headquarters in Connecticut through 2042 if Sikorsky wins the contract for the nation’s Black Hawk replacement program:

“The labor force which makes up the Sikorsky family keeps us free abroad and saves lives. Today the legislature took an important step to help secure those jobs and guarantee economic investment in our state and in our families. The best and safest helicopters in the world are made by Sikorsky and by the world’s most talented workforce. The President flies Sikorsky in the U.S. presidential Marine One fleet because it is the world’s best helicopter. And that’s not by chance. That’s a result of Connecticut workers from Stratford, Shelton, Seymour, Monroe and the entire greater Bridgeport area, as well as the suppliers across our state in over 71 Connecticut towns that support Sikorsky. What is best for every Commander in Chief is best for all our troops and civilians served by those helicopters. This is an important step to sustain thousands of direct and indirect jobs at Sikorsky and at the many suppliers locally and across Connecticut that work collectively to make our state home to the greatest in helicopter and defense innovation.”

VIDEO Watch Sen. Kelly’s remarks in the State Senate in support of HB 5505: https://youtu.be/bm9fZgVLzLA

CT SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADERS APPLAUD PASSAGE OF BILL TO ESTABLISH JOBS PIPELINE, CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE TO CAREERS

HARTFORD – Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R‑Stratford) and Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Paul Formica (R‑East Lyme), applauded the State Senate’s passage of legislation proposed by CT Senate Republicans to expand the education-to-workforce pipeline and connect youth at an early age to career paths.

The bill passed with unanimous support in the State Senate on Wednesday evening, and now moves to the House of Representatives.

“Reaching children early is key to help them develop skills and put them on a pathway that leads to opportunity, independence, and prosperity. It’s about empowering kids starting as early as middle school to take charge of their futures and give them the tools they need to succeed,” said Kelly and Formica.

Senate Bill No. 228 An Act Concerning Opportunities for Students to Participate in Pathways Programs and the Provision of Information about the Availability of Technical Education and Career Schools and Regional Agricultural Science and Technology Education Centers includes components of the Senate Republicans’ Better Way to a Prosperous Connecticut legislative package focused on workforce development and jobs, including the following two provisions:

• Establishes the Pipeline for Connecticut’s Future program to help Connecticut high schools partner with local job creators to train their future workforce.
• Reinvigorates Vocational School Recruitment in middle schools.

The Pipeline for Connecticut’s Future

“It is vital that we work to reach our children at an early age, with an eye to pathways to careers that don’t need to involve a four-year degree,” said Kelly and Formica. ​“The Pipeline for Connecticut’s future is a program that aims to connect high school students to career paths at an early age. In today’s world, receiving a bachelor’s degree is no longer a guarantee to employment upon graduation. Overall, 43% of college graduates are underemployed in their first job. In addition, higher education is a path that is not for everyone. Instead of focusing only on college preparation in our high schools, we need to expand our approach in high school to show students that there is a future and there are good jobs and careers in trades and beyond even if you don’t see college in your future.”

The Pipeline for Connecticut’s Future program is modeled on the successful work in Wallingford and Platt Tech where local job creators partner with schools to train their future workforce.

The bill requires the State Department of Education to partner with stakeholders to develop best practices for local school districts to create pathways to obtain occupational licenses, apprenticeships or immediate job skills through partnerships with local businesses. The State Department of Education must examine existing laws and identify changes required to allow for successful partnerships, such as in school attendance requirements, counting certain apprenticeship hours as in school hours, and certification requirements. Programs will also include both industry-specific class time and cooperative work placements.

“This model both enables companies to fill vacant positions in their workforce with an employee trained specifically for that job while providing direct employment opportunities for Connecticut youth as well promoting entrepreneurship among high school students,” said Kelly and Formica.

Reinvigorate Vocational School Recruitment

“Vo-tech programs offer incredible opportunities for Connecticut students. More can be done to enhance recruitment at the middle school level to attend vo-tech programs. We must ensure Connecticut’s vocational-technical high schools are within reach for youth and are being discussed with students at an early age,” said Sens. Kelly and Formica.

The bill requires that school counselors provide information to middle and high school students and their parents on the availability of vocational, technical, technological, and postsecondary education and training at technical education and career schools and agricultural science and technology education at regional agricultural science and technology education centers.

“This policy will reinvigorate the state’s vo-tech ambassador program to share information with students in middle schools to make more younger school children aware of future opportunities at an early age,” said Kelly and Formica.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.

SENS. KELLY & FORMICA APPLAUD SENATE PASSAGE OF BIPARTISAN CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION

HARTFORD – Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R‑Stratford) and Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Paul Formica (R‑East Lyme) are applauding the State Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 2 An Act Expanding Preschool and Mental and Behavioral Services for Children.

The bill includes expansive provisions to enhance mental health services and support for children.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted people’s mental health and created barriers to those seeking mental health care,” said Sen. Kelly. ​“For children in particular, many are facing a crisis in mental health care access and increased demand has strained an already struggling system. Pandemic-related measures reduced in-person interactions among children, friends, social supports, and professionals such as teachers, school counselors, pediatricians, and child welfare workers. This made it harder to recognize signs of child abuse, mental health concerns, and other challenges. At the same time, Connecticut’s income growth and job growth continue to lag the nation, creating instability and further strain on families and mental health. The pandemic without a doubt exacerbated issues and also brought light to issues that have long existed and that demand attention and action.”

“This bill marks an important first step to help immediately connect all children to the help they need when they need it,” said Sen. Formica. ​“It also looks at the big picture, with these policies that range from supporting childcare to investing in workforce development and education initiatives for young people across our state. This bill reflects a bipartisan commitment to work together to help all children, and all people, access health care and live happy and healthy lives.”

The bill includes multiple proposals advocated for by Senate Republicans in their Better Way to a Healthy Connecticut legislative proposal including:

• Establishing Family Care Coordinators, a school-based position that will work with school psychologists and/or social workers to help navigate the daunting and disconnected mental health system. The Family Care Coordinator will work with hospitals with care coordinator teams to bridge communication to ensure a continuum of care.

• Increasing capacity and availability of mental health treatment by expanding coverage for mental health care professionals to increase access to early intervention.

• Initiating the Pipeline for CT’s Future Program, a workforce development program focused on connecting young people in high schools to jobs and career paths.

• Initiating a Social Media Impact Study focused on evaluating the impact of social media on the mental health of children to understand the experience of our children and how we can support them.