HARTFORD, Conn. — Since the 2024 legislative session ended a week and a half ago, Gov. Ned Lamont has signed 20 new bills into law.
It will soon be illegal for medical debt to be reported to credit rating agencies. The celebrated measure this session will become law July 1.
It prohibits Connecticut health care providers and hospitals from reporting medical debt to credit rating agencies for use in a credit report and voids any medical debt that is reported to credit rating agencies.
Lamont also signed a measure trying to tackle emergency room crowding.
The Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner must evaluate data about each in-state emergency department and post that data on DPH’s website once a year.
This data has to include the bed capacity and number of patients treated and admitted to the department, who had to wait in the ED for an available bed, and how long each patient waited.
Lamont gave final approval to another waiting fix, a bill creating a working group to give recommendations on waiting list requirements for nursing homes.
A big win for many Democrats this year was the governor’s signature on a bill expanding the state’s paid family and medical leave law.
The measure will allow employees of a tribe-owned business to gain access to the state’s paid family and medical leave insurance fund, as well as make victims of sexual assault or abuse eligible for the program.
The bills also included changes in how cannabis is sold and regulated.
Lamont signed one of those measures with 36 different sections on how to restrict and regulate hemp products containing THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.
The bill establishes new licensing requirements to sell and grow cannabis products. Dispensaries must submit marijuana samples for testing, to check for microbiological contaminants, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticide chemical residue.
Another new law creates a task force to study social equity applicants for licenses to grow marijuana.
The same bill also prohibits certain retailers — like gas stations and convenience stores — from selling THC-infused beverages.
Another big focus of the 2024 session was public safety and law enforcement.
Lamont signed a new law creating a “Fallen Officer Fund” to give the families of Connecticut local and state police officers killed in the line of duty up to $100,000 tax-free.
The legislation also allows these family members to retain fallen officers’ health insurance coverage for up to five years.
“This bill is just one way that we can say to you, we got your back and to your families, if there’s a tragedy, we’ve got their back,” the governor said at the bill signing last week.
Lamont also approved a new measure clarifying under which circumstances an officer can pause body-worn recording equipment.
Starting Oct. 1, the state’s guidelines and police training programs must include details on when officers may or may not pause recording or mute body cameras.
“I brought this forward to kind of really look at you know, why and when is it okay, for that to happen? Previous to this, I would have thought, I didn't know that they could even be muted,” said State Rep. Maryam Khan, (D-Hartford) who introduced the measure.
Some new animal considerations passed this session, too.
The governor signed a bill broadening current protections for guide or assistance dogs, by replacing references to guide dogs or assistance dogs with the federal definition for “service animals.”
Lamont also moved to officially ban dog racing in Connecticut, although there hasn’t been an active dog racetrack in the state since 2006.
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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