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State lawmakers brief Meriden on 2025 session, warn federal cuts could squeeze SNAP, LIHEAP and Medicaid
Summary
State Senator Jan Hakkadell and Rep. Hilda Santiago updated a Meriden civic board on 2025 state legislation and federal changes they said will reduce SNAP and LIHEAP benefits, expand Medicaid work requirements, and require state agencies to assess fiscal impacts; union representatives hailed passage of early childhood and paraeducator funding.
State Senator Jan Hakkadell and State Representative Hilda Santiago told a Meriden civic meeting that this year’s legislative session yielded a mix of state policy wins and federal funding changes that could force the state to fill service gaps.
Hakkadell, who chairs the Senate aging committee, summarized three bills from her panel: a measure she said requires nursing homes to post an LGBTQ+ bill of rights and provide ombudsman contact information for residents who believe they are being discriminated against; a bipartisan biomarker-testing measure she described as requiring Connecticut-licensed insurers to offer biomarker tests more broadly; and a college-expansion bill that would allow nursing-home and long-term-care residents to take online college courses to encourage engagement and potential remote work.
Santiago, who serves on the General Administration and Elections, Finance and Human Services committees, described statutes and rules the legislature changed this session. She said the GAE committee…
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