Banking Committee places 13 bills on consent calendar, orders JF/JFS to floor; roll call held open until 1 p.m.

The Connecticut General Assembly’s Banking Committee on March 6, 2025 placed 13 bills on a consent calendar and voted to report them to the floor for further consideration.

Committee chair opened the session saying, “We have, a number of items on our agenda today.” The committee then moved through each item largely by unanimous voice motions and brief commentary, placing every numbered item on the consent calendar for a roll-call vote. The chair told the clerk to call the roll; committee members were recorded voting yes on individual items, and the chair announced that roll-call votes would be held open until 1 p.m.

Why it matters: The consent calendar process speeds consideration of multiple, noncontroversial measures and sends them to the floor with the committee’s recommendation. Several bills on the calendar deal with consumer protections (money-transmission advertising, consumer credit), housing-policy initiatives (first-time homebuyer savings accounts, Homes for CT loan program), and regulatory technical fixes for banks and money transmitters.

Most significant measures discussed briefly

- SB 1255 — “An act concerning the community bank and community credit investment program established by the treasurer.” The committee moved the bill to the consent calendar and ordered it to be JF to the floor. The bill text and detailed fiscal or implementation provisions were not discussed at length during this session.

- SB 1257 — “An act concerning consumer credit and commercial financing.” Committee documents indicate this is an agency proposal from the Department of Banking and substantially similar to a proposal considered last year. It was ordered to the consent calendar and JF to the floor.

- SB 1336 — “An act concerning a study relating to banking issues.” Committee members characterized this as a placeholder bill; the committee noted the sparse, judicious use of placeholders and ordered this JF to the floor.

- SB 1338 — “An act concerning the deletion of minors’ money-sharing application accounts.” Committee discussion focused on cleaning up the definition of “minor” (establishing a bright-line under 18) and adding documentation requirements for parents or guardians. The committee ordered the bill JFS to the floor and placed it on the consent calendar.

- SB 1339 — “An act concerning the assignment of certain liens.” A committee member described this as a consumer-protection measure that would limit interest a third party may collect on assigned municipal tax liens (the proposal would set assigned liens at 12% rather than the 18% sometimes applied). One member said, “This is a step in the right direction,” and the committee placed the bill on the consent calendar and ordered it JF to the floor.

- HB 6875 — “An act concerning the Connecticut Uniform Securities Act.” Agency proposal; ordered JF to the floor and placed on consent calendar.

- HB 6876 — “An act establishing first-time homebuyer savings accounts and related tax deduction and credit.” The committee noted a change to make the accounts applicable to 1- to 4-family owner-occupied homes; the bill was ordered JFS to the floor and placed on the consent calendar.

- HB 6877 — “An act concerning the banking commissioner’s approval of certain bank real estate improvements and alterations.” Described as a commonsense, technical concept intended to assist state-chartered banks; ordered JF to the floor and placed on the consent calendar.

- HB 6878 — “An act concerning mortgage foreclosures and underscored mortgages.” Committee members said the item has been before the committee in previous years and may require additional drafting; the committee nonetheless ordered it JF to the floor and placed it on the consent calendar.

- HB 6988 — “An act concerning a study of financial transactions in the state.” Identified as a placeholder; ordered JF to the floor and placed on the consent calendar.

- HB 6989 — “An act concerning a study regarding financial institutions.” Another placeholder; ordered JF to the floor and placed on the consent calendar.

- HB 6991 — “An act concerning definitions applicable to money transmission statutes and solicitations and advertisements by money transmission licensees.” Committee discussion cited concerns about some money-sharing apps advertising FDIC insurance when that protection applies to banks, not money transmitters; the bill was ordered JF to the floor and placed on the consent calendar.

- HB 6992 — “An act establishing the Homes for CT loan program.” Committee members described the proposal as a work in progress intended to expand housing opportunity and said they expected further drafting before final passage. The committee ordered the bill JF to the floor and placed it on the consent calendar.

Process and next steps

The committee clerk called a roll for members joining remotely and recorded multiple “yes” votes; the chair announced that the recorded votes would remain open until 1 p.m. for members not yet present or remotely voting. The committee recessed subject to that timeline.

What the committee did not do

The committee did not adopt final floor language beyond placing the bills on the consent calendar and recommending JF/JFS to the floor. Several bills—particularly the Homes for CT loan program and the mortgage/foreclosure measure—were described as work in progress and may be amended on the floor or in subsequent drafting.

Attendance and engagement

Committee members who spoke repeatedly during the meeting included the committee chair and Representative Delnicki; senators and representatives participating remotely joined roll-call voting before the 1 p.m. hold. The committee characterized most calendar items as noncontroversial and moved them forward by consensus and unanimous or near-unanimous voice, with limited debate.