The 2024 regular session of the Connecticut General Assembly convened on Wednesday, February 7th.The legislative session will focus on a variety of issues, including, but not limited to:
- Budget adjustments and debate over spending and tax guardrails to stay under the spending cap
- Proposals to restrain the growth of healthcare costs
- Workforce development
- Housing
- Artificial Intelligence – protections and opportunities to assist with medical field and healthcare
- Additional proposals to address the opioid crisis and the shortage of behavioral health services.
- To expand the mandate on businesses to provide paid sick days
Governor Ned Lamont addressed a joint session of the full general assembly to give his “State of the State and Budget Address“.Here is the link to the Governor’s 2025 budget proposal overview.
Here is the link to the Governor’s 2025 budget document.
The Governor’s proposed budget discussions this year will be notably shaped by the “fiscal guardrails”, which are spending restraints first implemented by the legislature in 2017 and extended by the legislature and the Governor last year. The commitment to these fiscal guidelines will face scrutiny as the budget process progresses through the legislative session.
Democratic House and Senate leadership, urged on by some members of their caucuses, are exploring potential modifications to the guardrails to allow for some funding flexibility. It remains unclear at this time exactly how or to what extent that will be achievable until conversations continue through the budget deliberation process over the next couple months. Meanwhile, House and Senate minority leadership will be seeking more sustainable tax cuts, limiting spending, and maintaining the fiscal guardrails.
Over the upcoming days bills will be submitted and various committees will be meeting and vetting bills that will come up for public hearings. Chris Smith and John Harkins of Rome Smith Lutz & Kowalski, who are now our policy leads, will keep BioCT apprised of opportunities to engage with public hearing testimony on bills relevant to advancing and enhancing the life sciences industry in the state.
We will continue to keep you updated as the legislative session develops. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.
— Jodie Gillon
President and CEO
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