CONNECTICUT — A batch of state laws goes into effect July 1 and several of them could have life-changing consequences for some residents.
Those earning the minimum wage will see a $1 per hour increase. Other laws address abortion access, catalytic converter thefts, police matters, free speech at work and school indoor air quality.
Below is a summary of five laws that go into effect July 1:
Minimum wage increase
The state’s minimum wage will increase from $13 to $14 per hour. The change is part of a bill that was signed into law three years ago.
Minimum wage will increase to $15 on July 1, 2023. After that, it will be indexed to the employment cost index, which is calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Police
- The law prohibits former police officers who were decertified in other states from being licensed as security guards and other related jobs.
- Prohibits no-knock warrants
- Expand reasons for police officer decertification to include undermining public confidence in law enforcement, including issuing unlawful orders.
- Establish enticing a juvenile to commit a criminal act as a crime.
- Allows police officers whose image or voice is captured on body cameras to review recordings in certain instances before they are disclosed to the public.
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Abortion
Connecticut’s new abortion law goes into effect July 1. There are two main sections to the bill.
One part allows physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to perform aspiration abortions in the first trimester.
The second major part of the law limits how much information state authorities and doctors can share when a person comes to the state for an abortion. The law was written in an effort to make it more difficult to bring successful legal action under a law like Texas’s civil lawsuit system.
Catalytic converters
A new law will make it harder for people to sell stolen catalytic converters to scrapyards in Connecticut.
Scrap metal processors and junk dealers need to record several details if they purchase a catalytic converter that isn’t attached to a vehicle. Sales need to be electronically recorded to state police once per week.
Free speech at work
The law generally protects employees from being penalized if they refuse to attend employer-sponsored meetings that are intended to convey the employer’s opinions about religious or political matters, including matters related to joining labor organizations.
The law also protects employees from employer penalties related to exercising free speech, so long as it doesn’t substantially interfere with job performance or working relationship with their employer.
HVAC indoor air quality for schools
Connecticut established an HVAC reimbursement grant program for schools that need to upgrade, replace or install heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems. Funding came from state bonding and the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The same law also establishes a five-year inspection period for local and regional school system HVAC equipment. The first inspection is due by Jan. 1, 2024.
The state will start administering the reimbursement grant program in fiscal year 2023, according to a bill analysis from the Office of Legislative Research. Projects that began on or after March 1, 2020, are eligible for reimbursement. Eligibility requirements will be released later this year, but will include the age and condition of a school’s HVAC system, current air quality issues at the school and the overall school building’s age and condition.
Local boards of education are eligible for reimbursement for 20 to 80 percent of eligible expenses. The reimbursement rate will follow a formula, with towns with the lowest adjusted equalized grand list per capita receiving higher reimbursement rates. Regional boards of education are also eligible for potential reimbursement under another formula.
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