HARTFORD, Conn. — A $51.1 billion biennial state budget is making its rounds around Connecticut's legislature. The budget passed in an overnight House session and is now headed to the Senate for vote. If it passes there, it will go to Gov. Ned Lamont's desk.
The budget was divided and balanced between the two upcoming fiscal years: Fiscal year 2024-2025 would see $25.1 billion, and fiscal year 2025-2026 would see $25.9 billion.
The Rainy Day Fund would see $3.3 billion of that cash.
TAXES
Lamont's office says this budget would be a relief for taxpayers.
The state income tax rates would lower from 5.0% to 4.5% and from 3.0% to 2.0% for income year 2024.
Benefits for single filers would be capped at $150K and capped for joint filers at $300K.
As many as one million tax filers, around 60% of all filers, can benefit from the rate cuts.
EDUCATION
More than $500 million was proposed to support UConn and the Connecticut State Colleges and University branches to "transition back to a sustainable level of state support."
There will be $6 million going to higher education student loan reimbursements.
K-12 schools will see a total of $25 million go to additional special education throughout both fiscal years.
As more K-12 schools are being phased into the Education Cost Sharing Formula, $48 million will be allocated in fiscal year 2024 and $96 million will be allocated in 2025. Towns "harmless from ECS declines" will see $6.6 million in fiscal year 2024 and $13.2 million in 2025.
Around $150 million will be allocated to Education Finance Reform for fiscal year 2025.
For child care:
- Provides $14.2 million and $53.3 million in FY 2024 and FY 2025 to fund rate increases of 11% for licensed providers and 6% for unlicensed providers in the Care4Kids system. This is supplemented by a $35 million ARPA allocation.
- $15.5 million to increase Infant Pre-K rates to $10,500 per pupil in School Readiness and Child Day Care Contract programs in FY 2025.
HOUSING
A total of $810 million over the next two budget years will go toward housing development and housing financial assistance, which aims to help with over 1,200 home purchases annually through the "Time-To-Own" program. The funding would also provide 2,000 units of housing, contribute to the Housing Trust Fund and Housing Receivership Fund, and flexible housing.
Around $19.1 million - some of it being American Rescue Plan Act funding (ARPA) - will go to organizations that provide housing and shelter services across the state, including the 211 Housing Crisis Line.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Around $22.3 million in total funds will go toward reducing and preventing community gun violence around the state:
- $7.8 million for the public-health-centered gun violence program.
- $9.5 million for the Project Longevity gun violence reduction program.
- $5.0 million for housing vouchers for populations at risk of gun violence.
To help crime victims, $33.2 million will "fill the gap in federal Victims of Crime Act Assistance funding (ARPA)." Victims will also be assisted with $6.7 million for enhanced GPS monitoring, including for domestic violence cases.
Funding will provide tools intended to prevent crime among youth and services for those involved in the system:
- $12.0 million for juvenile review boards to assess at-risk youth and connect them to services.
- $10.9 million for youth violence intervention programming.
- $14.6 million for prevention programs for at-risk youth.
- $0.3 million to implement a behavioral incentive program at Manson Youth Institution.
To support court operations and personnel, $66.1 million will be allocated for assigned counsel in criminal cases, and $4.2 million will go to judges' salaries. Around $1.7 million in APRA funding will go to upgrade the technology and security at the courthouses and Connecticut Supreme Court.
Over $3 million will be allocated to The Department of Correction to pilot addiction treatment programs, continue no-charge inmate calls and messages, and increase pay for incarcerated workers. An additional $2 million will go to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and the Department of Correction for IT upgrades to support the Clean Slate implementation.
For our first responders and emergency services, $34.9 million will go to Connecticut State Police for wage agreements. Local fire departments will receive $7.5 million in support for PFAS removal, support for volunteer fire responses, regional fire academies, and studying fire service.
Over $2.5 million will go to the State Forensics Science Lab, staffing at Police Officers Standards and Training, and for the Division of Criminal Justice Inspectors to get body cameras.
TRANSPORTATION
- $9.1 million in FY 2024 and $9.4 million in FY 2025 to expand bus service to support workforce transportation.
- $525,000 in FY 2024 and $575,000 in FY 2025 for the Connecticut Work Zone Safety Awareness Program.
- $4.6 million in FY 2024 and $4.8 million in FY 2025 for Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) Position Funding to support 206 positions to pursue and support IIJA federal funding (positions adopted in FY 2023 midterm).
- New Haven Line was funded at 86% of pre-pandemic usage in FY 2024 and fully funded in FY 2025 to match ridership trends.
- Hartford Line funded at 100% to optimize federal funding.
- Shoreline East funding exceeds current usage – 44% of pre-pandemic service in both years, compared to 30% of current usage.
ENVIRONMENT
An additional $3 million will go to local fire departments to remove PFAS foam and contamination from fire apparatus, in addition to the $7.5 million mentioned above.
Around $3 million will go to agriculture; $2 million from ARPA funds will grow Container Gardens, and $1 million each year will go to CTGrown for CTKids' Farm-to-School programs.
Over $500K will go to staffing for Environmental Justice and the Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy. ARPA Funding of $500K will expand access and opportunities in state parks.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The Summer at the Museum is making a comeback, with $10 million of ARPA funds in fiscal year 2024 going toward it. Of that $10 million, $3.5 will go to support for-profit museums.
- $3.5 million in ARPA funds in FY 2024 and $2.625 million in ARPA funds in FY 2025 to support theatres.
- Funding of $1.5 million in FY 2024 and $2.5 million in FY 2025 in the General Fund is provided to the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), in addition, $500,000 in both FY 2024 and FY 2025 in ARPA funds is used to support CCAT.
- $4.5 million in FY 2024 and $2 million in FY 2025 is provided in ARPA funds for municipal outdoor recreation.
PRIVATE PROVIDERS
- Provides an additional $206.6 million over the biennium to strengthen private providers.
- Funds $53.3 million in each fiscal year across all private providers, including DDS-contracted providers – roughly equivalent to a 2.5% increase.
- Funds $50 million each year specific to DDS-contracted providers – roughly equivalent to a 4.5% increase.
- Includes capital funding for Nonprofit Grant Program ($25 million in FY 2024, $25 million in FY 2025).
- Facility upgrades to improve health, workplace safety conditions, and strengthen quality of care.
- New dedicated position in the Office of Policy and Management will oversee the program and future rounds of funding.
HEALTH
According to Lamont's office, the goals in funding health care with state funding and American Rescue Plan Act funding are to "address health equity, healthcare affordability, and avoid loss of healthcare coverage as a result of the unwinding of the public health emergency." These are some of the highlighted allocations:
Two independent hospitals - Day Kimball and Bristol - will receive $17 million in additional support.
Residents eligible would be provided two months of premium insurance payments through Access Health CT, using $10 million in APRA funds.
HUSKY income eligibility will be expanded and coverage will expand to undocumented children ages 12-15, with the continuation of coverage for participants through age 18.
Around $3 million in APRA funding to evaluate Medicaid rates and $12 million in fiscal year 2025 to address rate disparities.
SAFETY NETS
The Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) will receive millions of dollars to help families around Connecticut.
TFA will have funding to allow families to keep their employment pay without losing eligibility and will now have three years, instead of 21 months, to be part of the program.
Funding will also support the state Department of Children and Families, residential care homes, mobile vans that provide free health clinics and care, and migrant support.
For senior citizens, funds are allocated for a new dementia services coordinator at the Department of Aging and Disability Services and around $2.5 million will help " enhance elderly nutrition and meals on wheels over the next two years.
AUTISM & INTELLECTUAL/DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SUPPORTS
- Establishes lead planning role and dedicated staff at the Office of Policy and Management to review the continuum of autism services across state agencies and school districts, identify gaps, and coordinate services.
- Adds position at the Office of Policy and Management to coordinate programs and services for individuals who have intellectual or developmental disability other than autism.
- Funds Department of Developmental Services caseload growth ($44.0 million over biennium):
- Day services for over 900 age outs and high school graduates over the biennium ($7.3 million in FY 2024 and $17.5 million in FY 2025).
- Residential supports for over 188 age outs and Money Follows the Person transitions over the biennium ($5.8 million in FY 2024 and $13.4 million).
- Adds $21.1 million over the biennium to address Department of Developmental Services waiting lists for residential programs.
- Adds a total of 320 new autism waiver slots by 2026.
- Augments transition services in the Department of Aging and Disability Services and the Department of Developmental Services for youth aging out of high school.
- Stabilizes intermediate care facility providers with one-time support ($5.6 million) and a phased rebasing to reflect actual costs ($1.9 million FY 2024, $2.1 million FY 2025).
Leah Myers is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at lmyers@fox61.com
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