Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06841 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	LCO 1 of 4
	3	+	LCO No. 3852 1 of 4
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5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 6841
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6841
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 3852
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(KID)
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11		-
12		-	AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY METHODS
13		-	AND PROGRAMS FOR REDUCING RATES OF POVERTY.
	19	+	AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A UNIVERSAL
	20	+	BASIC INCOME PILOT PROGRAM.
14	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	22		Assembly convened:
16	23
17		-	Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a working 1
18		-	group to (1) study methods and programs for reducing rates of poverty 2
19		-	among families in the state, including, but not limited to, universal basic 3
20		-	income and other cash assistance programs, educational and 4
21		-	employment training programs and programs to assist in paying for 5
22		-	and reducing costs associated with child care services, (2) analyze the 6
23		-	efficacy of such methods and programs and provide recommendations 7
24		-	for the implementation of such methods and programs on a state-wide 8
25		-	basis, (3) study systemic barriers to alleviating poverty, including, but 9
26		-	not limited to, housing policies, transportation access, health care access, 10
27		-	child care access and racial disparities, (4) study the ways in which 11
28		-	inflation and regional cost differences impact rates of poverty across the 12
29		-	state, (5) develop a method for tracking improvements in income, home 13
30		-	ownership, job retention and other markers of economic mobility in 14
31		-	areas of the state with high rates of poverty, (6) study the availability of 15
32		-	educational, employment and child care programs in areas of the state 16
33		-	with high rates of poverty and analyze gaps in such availability to 17
34		-	determine where and how to meet the need for such programs, (7) 18
35		-	identify any policies and programs, including, but not limited to, 19 Substitute Bill No. 6841
	24	+	Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1
	25	+	2026, the Commissioner of Social Services shall develop and administer 2
	26	+	a one-year pilot program to provide a universal basic income to certain 3
	27	+	residents in five municipalities in the state and demonstrate the 4
	28	+	economic impacts of providing such income at the individual, family, 5
	29	+	community and state level. 6
	30	+	(b) In developing the pilot program, the commissioner shall solicit 7
	31	+	input from professionals with expertise in the fields of universal basic 8
	32	+	income, economics, housing, child welfare, labor, workforce 9
	33	+	development and social services administration. The commissioner 10
	34	+	shall develop: (1) Criteria for selecting five municipalities in 11
	35	+	geographically, demographically and economically diverse regions of 12
	36	+	the state for implementation of the pilot program; (2) eligibility criteria 13
	37	+	for the selection of residents to participate in the pilot program, 14
	38	+	including, but not limited to, requirements that each participant (A) be 15
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 6841
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38		-	LCO 2 of 4
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40		-	programs described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, that may be 20
41		-	implemented in the short-term to reduce rates of poverty and any 21
42		-	structural reforms necessary to reduce rates of poverty into the future, 22
43		-	(8) identify funding sources for programs that may reduce rates of 23
44		-	poverty, including, but not limited to, state budget allocations, federal 24
45		-	grants and philanthropic support, and (9) identify ways in which state 25
46		-	agencies may collaborate to create efficiencies in the delivery of 26
47		-	programs and services to reduce rates of poverty. 27
48		-	(b) The working group shall consist of the following members: 28
49		-	(1) The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's 29
50		-	designee; 30
51		-	(2) The Commissioner of Children and Families, or the 31
52		-	commissioner's designee; 32
53		-	(3) The Commissioner of Early Childhood, or the commissioner's 33
54		-	designee; 34
55		-	(4) The Commissioner of Developmental Services, or the 35
56		-	commissioner's designee; 36
57		-	(5) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's 37
58		-	designee; 38
59		-	(6) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; 39
60		-	(7) The chairpersons of the joint standing committees of the General 40
61		-	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, human 41
62		-	services and appropriations, or the chairpersons' designees; and 42
63		-	(8) Not more than ten members jointly appointed by the 43
64		-	cochairpersons of the working group, each of whom shall (A) have 44
65		-	expertise in nonprofit administration, business administration, 45
66		-	economics, education, housing, child welfare, child care, labor, 46
67		-	workforce development or social services administration, or (B) be a 47
68		-	representative of a faith-based or municipal organization or entity. 48 Substitute Bill No. 6841
	43	+	LCO No. 3852 2 of 4
	44	+
	45	+	eighteen years of age or older, (B) be an expectant parent or the parent 16
	46	+	or guardian of at least one child who lives in the participant's household, 17
	47	+	and (C) have a household income below the federal poverty level for 18
	48	+	such participant's family size; (3) a process for the selection of such 19
	49	+	participants; (4) a formula to determine the amount of each monthly 20
	50	+	payment distributed to each participant, that is based on financial need 21
	51	+	and family size; (5) a system for administering the pilot program, 22
	52	+	including, but not limited to, the timing of and process for distributing 23
	53	+	monthly payments to participants; and (6) a methodology for the 24
	54	+	collection of data relating to participants and the implementation of the 25
	55	+	pilot program, including, but not limited to, the age, race, ethnicity, 26
	56	+	education level, family composition, housing costs, additional income 27
	57	+	and state-provided or state-funded financial assistance received by each 28
	58	+	participant and the economic and public health impacts of the pilot 29
	59	+	program on each participant and such participant's household. 30
	60	+	(c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall select twenty 31
	61	+	individuals from each selected municipality to participate in the pilot 32
	62	+	program. Each participant shall receive a monthly payment for the 33
	63	+	duration of the pilot program based on the formula developed by the 34
	64	+	commissioner pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of this 35
	65	+	section. As a condition of participating in the pilot program, each 36
	66	+	participant shall cooperate with the Department of Social Services in the 37
	67	+	provision and collection of data related to the administration of the pilot 38
	68	+	program. 39
	69	+	(d) The commissioner may solicit and accept private funds to 40
	70	+	implement such pilot program. 41
	71	+	Sec. 2. Subdivision (1) of subsection (d) of section 17b-112 of the 42
	72	+	general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 43
	73	+	thereof (Effective from passage): 44
	74	+	(d) (1) Under said program, no family shall be eligible that has total 45
	75	+	gross earnings exceeding the federal poverty level, however, in the 46
	76	+	Raised Bill No. 6841
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73		-	(c) Any member of the working group described or appointed under 49
74		-	subdivision (7) or (8) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 50
75		-	of the General Assembly. 51
76		-	(d) All initial appointments to the working group shall be made not 52
77		-	later than thirty days after the effective date of this session. Any vacancy 53
78		-	shall be filled by the appointing authority. 54
79		-	(e) The House chairpersons of the joint standing committees of the 55
80		-	General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and 56
81		-	human services, or the chairpersons' designees, shall serve as 57
82		-	cochairpersons of the working group. Such cochairpersons shall 58
83		-	schedule each meeting of the working group, the first of which shall be 59
84		-	held not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. 60
85		-	(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 61
86		-	General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children 62
87		-	shall serve as administrative staff of the working group. 63
88		-	(g) Not later than June 1, 2026, the cochairpersons shall submit a 64
89		-	preliminary report on the findings and recommendations of the 65
90		-	working group to the joint standing committees of the General 66
91		-	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, human 67
92		-	services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, in 68
93		-	accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 69
94		-	(h) Not later than July 1, 2026, the cochairpersons shall hold a public 70
95		-	forum, at which the cochairpersons shall present the preliminary report 71
96		-	submitted pursuant to subsection (g) of this section and solicit public 72
97		-	comment. 73
98		-	(i) Not later than June 1, 2027, the cochairpersons shall submit a final 74
99		-	report on the findings and recommendations of the working group to 75
100		-	the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 76
101		-	cognizance of matters relating to children, human services and 77
102		-	appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, in accordance with the 78
103		-	provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. The working group 79 Substitute Bill No. 6841
	80	+	LCO No. 3852 3 of 4
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	82	+	calculation of the benefit amount for eligible families and previously 47
	83	+	eligible families that become ineligible temporarily because of receipt of 48
	84	+	workers' compensation benefits by a family member who subsequently 49
	85	+	returns to work immediately after the period of receipt of such benefits, 50
	86	+	earned income shall be disregarded up to the federal poverty level. On 51
	87	+	and after October 1, 2023, the commissioner shall not deny a family 52
	88	+	assistance under said program on the basis of such family's assets unless 53
	89	+	such assets exceed six thousand dollars. Except when determining 54
	90	+	eligibility for a six-month extension of benefits pursuant to subsection 55
	91	+	(c) of this section, the commissioner shall disregard the first fifty dollars 56
	92	+	per month of income attributable to current child support that a family 57
	93	+	receives in determining eligibility and benefit levels for temporary 58
	94	+	family assistance. Any current child support in excess of fifty dollars per 59
	95	+	month collected by the department on behalf of an eligible child shall be 60
	96	+	considered in determining eligibility but shall not be considered when 61
	97	+	calculating benefits and shall be taken as reimbursement for assistance 62
	98	+	paid under this section, except that when the current child support 63
	99	+	collected exceeds the family's monthly award of temporary family 64
	100	+	assistance benefits plus fifty dollars, the current child support shall be 65
	101	+	paid to the family and shall be considered when calculating benefits. 66
	102	+	The commissioner shall disregard any financial assistance received by a 67
	103	+	family member as part of such family member's participation in the pilot 68
	104	+	program described in section 1 of this act. 69
	105	+	Sec. 3. (Effective from passage) (a) The Commissioner of Social Services 70
	106	+	shall convene and serve as chairperson of a working group to study and 71
	107	+	provide recommendations for the implementation of a state-wide 72
	108	+	universal basic income program. Such working group shall consist of 73
	109	+	professionals with demonstrated expertise in the fields of universal 74
	110	+	basic income, economics, housing, child welfare, labor, workforce 75
	111	+	development and social services administration. 76
	112	+	(b) The working group shall (1) analyze the data obtained during the 77
	113	+	implementation of the universal basic income pilot program established 78
	114	+	pursuant to section 1 of this act; (2) conduct a cost-benefit analysis 79
	115	+	Raised Bill No. 6841
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106		-	LCO 4 of 4
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108		-	shall terminate on the date the cochairpersons submit such final report 80
109		-	or June 1, 2027, whichever is later. 81
	119	+	LCO No. 3852 4 of 4
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	121	+	concerning the provision of universal basic income during the 80
	122	+	implementation of the pilot program; (3) make recommendations for 81
	123	+	implementation of a state-wide universal basic income program, 82
	124	+	including monthly payment formulas and amounts, strategies to 83
	125	+	maximize cost savings and the provision of other public benefits; and 84
	126	+	(4) make recommendations for any legislation required to implement a 85
	127	+	universal basic income program on a state-wide basis. 86
	128	+	(c) Not later than June 1, 2027, the Commissioner of Social Services 87
	129	+	shall submit a report on the findings and recommendations of the 88
	130	+	working group to the joint standing committees of the General 89
	131	+	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, human 90
	132	+	services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, in 91
	133	+	accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 92
	134	+	The working group shall terminate on the date the commissioner 93
	135	+	submits such report or June 1, 2027, whichever is later. 94
110	136		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
111	137		sections:
112	138
113	139		Section 1 from passage New section
	140	+	Sec. 2 from passage 17b-112(d)(1)
	141	+	Sec. 3 from passage New section
114	142
115		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
116		-	In Subsecs. (e) and (f), "task force" was changed to "working group" for
117		-	accuracy, in Subsec. (h), "preliminary" was inserted before "report" for
118		-	clarity and the reference to Subsec. (c) was changed to Subsec. (g) for
119		-	accuracy and in Subsec. (i), "final" was inserted before both instances of
120		-	"report" for clarity.
121		-
122		-	KID Joint Favorable Subst.
	143	+	Statement of Purpose:
	144	+	To establish a universal basic income pilot program and require the
	145	+	Commissioner of Social Services to convene a working group to study
	146	+	the state-wide implementation of a universal basic income program.
	147	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	148	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	149	+	underlined.]
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