Appropriations Committee advances a package of bills, raises 17 bill concepts

The state Appropriations Committee met Tuesday, Feb. 18 and advanced a slate of bills by voice vote, approved referrals to other committees and voted to "raise" 17 bill concepts for further development.

The committee approved bills ranging from adjustments to the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund to a proposal permitting retired teachers to return to full-time public school work. Most measures were approved by voice vote with no roll-call tallies recorded. The committee also agreed to raise 17 concepts that its members described on the record, including changes to teachers—s retirement statutes, a study of student-loan repayment programs, a review of nonprofit funding mechanisms and follow-up on the Medicaid rate study.

Why it matters: The measures advanced Tuesday affect municipal reimbursements, state employee retirement calculations, emergency medical protocols used by EMTs and potential future statutory changes touching education, public health and contracting. Committee members framed the raised concepts as vehicles to study policy options or to create statutory language for later debate.

Most important actions and context

- Proposed Senate Bill No. 858, "an act concerning the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund," was moved and seconded and approved by voice vote. A committee member summarized the intent as restoring the fund—s disbursement level so "this will put more money out to municipalities." The committee did not record a roll-call tally.

- The committee approved a measure to provide funding for municipalities for early voting (proposed Senate Bill No. 17) and advanced several other bills that will be handled as committee bills or referred to other committees.

- Proposed Senate Bill No. 28, to allow emergency medical technicians to equip and administer intranasal glucagon, prompted a brief question about what intranasal glucagon is; a committee member explained it is a medication used to raise blood sugar in people with diabetes and would add an intranasal administration option for EMTs in addition to existing intramuscular routes. The measure advanced by voice vote.

- Other bills approved by voice vote included measures on retirement calculations (proposed Senate Bill No. 24), permitting retired teachers to be reemployed full time in public schools (proposed Senate Bill No. 779), prohibiting use of state funds for professional sports team stadiums (proposed Senate Bill No. 573) and measures concerning investment decision transparency, bridge funding, and disbursement from the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund. Several bills were referred to Finance, Revenue and Bonding or to Public Health as noted on the record.

Raised bill concepts (1—1): The committee voted to raise 17 concepts as a single group. The chair read and described each concept on the record. Highlights included:

- Teachers Retirement Board statute updates and other proposals affecting the Teachers Retirement System. - A study to compile existing student loan repayment programs in state and local government. - Another vehicle for municipal early voting cost funding. - A review of nonprofit funding mechanisms in light of a cited proposed executive budget cut of $19 million in the first year. - Health insurance benefits for state marshals (committee comments estimated roughly 60 marshals and an impact on about 80 people at approximately $1.7 million). - Reviews of general fund expenditures and of other appropriated funds; DECD arts-and-humanities oversight; streamlining state contracting; implementation of the Medicaid rate study by the Department of Social Services; juvenile justice initiatives; auditors— recommendations on non-lapsing accounts; establishing a Parkinson—s research account; inclusion of Connecticut Association of Schools employees in the Teachers Retirement System (six employees identified); a study of student-transportation costs; and discussion of limits on special education expenditures.

Votes at a glance (voice votes; tallies not recorded on the transcript)

- SB 858 (Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund) — moved: Representative Nolan; second: Representative Balinski; outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 17 (municipal funding for early voting) — moved: Representative Walker; second: Representative Nolan; outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 24 (exclude overtime from retirement-calculation) — moved: Representative McCarthy Vahey; outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 28 (equip EMTs with intranasal glucagon) — moved: Representative McCarthy Behney; second: Representative Delnicki; outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 779 (reemploy retired teachers full time) — moved: Senator Kushner; second: Representative Nolan; outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 310 (spending cap; referral to Government Admin. & Elections) — moved: Representative Walker; second: Representative Delnicki; outcome: referred/approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 312 (working group on municipal funding; referral to Finance, Revenue & Bonding) — moved: Representative McCarthy Behney; second: Senator Kushner; outcome: referred/approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 412 (funding for restoration of the historic Penny House in Ellington) — mover/second not clearly stated on the audio; outcome: referred/approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 573 (prohibit use of state funds for pro-sports stadiums) — moved: Representative Balinski; second: Representative Walker; outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - SB 1092 (neutrality and transparency in investment decisions) — moved: Representative Delnicki; second: Representative Martinez (stated on the record); outcome: referred/approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - HB 5119 (funding for local bridge program; referred to Finance, Revenue & Bonding) — moved: Representative Walker; second: Representative Eksohn; outcome: referred/approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - HB 5803 (disbursement from the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund; referred to Public Health) — moved: Representative McCarthy Behay; second: Representative Exum; outcome: referred/approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - Raised bill concepts 1—1 (described on the record) — moved: Senator Kushner; second: Representative Balinski; outcome: raised as a set for further work (voice vote; tally not specified).

Discussion, procedure and next steps

Committee members chose voice votes over a consent calendar for most items after a brief procedural exchange about whether roll-call votes were needed. A staff member asked whether roll call votes would be required; the committee agreed voice votes were sufficient when there was no objection. The committee recessed and left the record open until 3:00 p.m. for attendance purposes; the chair announced upcoming agency budget hearings on higher education, elementary and secondary education and health.

Who spoke on the record

The transcript records motions and procedural exchanges by multiple members, including Representative Walker, Representative Nolan, Representative Balinski, Representative McCarthy Vahey, Representative McCarthy Behney, Representative Delnicki and Senator Kushner. A staff member identified as "Madam Administrator" participated on procedure questions. No roll-call vote tallies were recorded on the transcript; the committee recorded approvals by voice vote.

The committee did not adopt any final statutory text Tuesday. Several measures were referred to other committees and the 17 raised bill concepts will be available to sponsors as vehicles for drafting and future hearings.