Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s 2018 Legislative Session Wrap Up

The 2018 Legislative Session of the Connecticut General Assembly adjourned on May 9. Just hours before the midnight deadline, Democratic and Republican legislative leaders announced a deal to adjust the next state budget, which restored funds to a variety of health care programs and municipal aid including funding for education. The state budget passed on a bipartisan basis by both the House and Senate and eventually signed by Governor Malloy.

This year, the Hartford Foundation submitted testimony on eight proposed bills informed by its investments in early childhood, K-12 education, housing, workforce development, reentry, and the importance of high-quality data and research. Four of the eight bills the Hartford Foundation had submitted testimony on were approved during the 2018 Legislative Session.  

In addition to providing legislative testimony, Foundation staff also served on a variety of legislative panels, work groups related to workforce development, reentry, family, school community partnerships and early childhood. Hartford Foundation President Jay Williams also provided testimony to the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth encouraging policymakers to collaborate with philanthropy and business to state efforts to promote inclusive and equitable economic growth.

To read the Foundation’s testimony on the legislation approved in 2018, click on the following links.

Senate Bill 437, An Act Concerning A Two Generational Initiative

House Bill 5375: An Act Creating a Working Group to Study Housing Options for Persons Reentering the Community After Incarceration

House Bill 5449, An Act Concerning the Alignment and Merging of Early Care and Education Program Funding Streams, Eligibility Rates and Policies

For a complete listing and description of Hartford Foundation testimony and legislative correspondence so far this year, view our 2018 Public Policy Testimony and Correspondence.