The mission of the Connecticut Judicial Branch is to serve the interests of justice and the public by resolving matters brought before it in a fair, timely, efficient and open manner.
FYI


2025 Public Acts - Effective Dates

   by Roy, Christopher

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6342

The Connecticut General Assembly has an Acts Effective page that lists public acts by effective dates. New legislation effective dates are typically January 1st, July 1st, and October 1st, and you can choose the effective date using the dropdown menu on the Acts Effective page. Public acts or certain sections of acts may also be effective from passage.

You can also browse 2025 public acts or use the advanced legislative document search page to find public acts by keyword or statute section.



2025 Major Public Acts

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6358

The Office of Legislative Research (OLR) has made available its Major Public Acts Report for the 2025 Legislative Session:

"These summaries, composed by the Office of Legislative Research (OLR) with the assistance of the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA), briefly describe the most significant, far-reaching, and publicly debated acts adopted by the General Assembly in its 2025 regular session. Acts that have been assigned a public act (PA), special act (SA), or resolution act (RA) number are identified by that number; otherwise, we refer to the bill or resolution number. Not all provisions of the acts are included. More detailed summaries can be found at https://cga.ct.gov/olr/. Summaries of the major acts and all other public acts will be provided in our 2025 Public Act Summary Book, which will be available later this year."



New OLR Reports

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6316

The Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research (OLR) has recently published the following new reports on their website:

Convenience of the Employer Rule - 2025-R-0067 - What is the convenience of the employer rule (i.e. convenience rule) and how does it apply in Connecticut? What is the status of (1) New Hampshire’s legal challenge to Massachusetts’ temporary convenience rule and (2) New Jersey’s income tax credit for taxpayers who successfully challenge another state’s convenience rule?

Income Tax on Long- and Short-Term Capital Gains - 2025-R-0065 - What are the income tax rates that apply to long- and short-term capital gains in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the six New England states? This report updates OLR Report 2021-R-0007.

Mandated Standardized Testing, Performance and Accountability in Connecticut K-12 Education - 2025-R-0050 - This report discusses current statewide standardized testing in Connecticut as well as education-based performance and accountability measures.

State Income Tax Incentives for Active Teachers - 2025-R-0040 - What state income tax incentives do states provide to active teachers? Which of these programs were enacted in the last 10 years?

Before- and After-School Programming Offered by School Districts in Connecticut - 2025-R-0005 - This report discusses the results of a survey of the current landscape of before- and after-school activities throughout Connecticut’s school districts.




New Office of Legislative Research Reports

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6237

The Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research (OLR) has recently published the following new reports on their website:

Connecticut Laws Governing Pardons and Parole - 2025-R-0025 - Provides an overview of Connecticut’s laws on pardons and parole. This report updates and expands OLR Report 2018-R-0177.

Connecticut's Special Parole System - 2025-R-0054 - Summarizes Connecticut’s Special Parole System. (This report updates OLR Report 2018-R-0038.)

Comparison of Parole Boards in Connecticut and Neighboring States - 2025-R-0052 - Compares Connecticut’s parole board with those of the neighboring states, including the boards’ composition and authority and provisions related to members’ appointments and required qualifications and training.

Connecticut Penal Code - Updated and Revised - 2025-R-0048 - This report lists all crimes in the Connecticut Penal Code (Title 53a of the General Statutes) and their penalties. It updates OLR Report 2024-R-0031.




New Office of Legislative Research Reports

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6206

The Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research has recently published the following new reports:

Special Education Services Overview - 2025-R-0017 - Provides an overview of the following aspects of special education law: (1) which laws govern school districts’ special education responsibilities, (2) what services must school districts provide to students who qualify for special education, and (3) what are the procedural requirements for determining special education eligibility and providing services.

Amendments to the Connecticut Constitution Since the 1955 Revision - 2025-R-0037 - Addresses the question "How many times has the state constitution been amended since the 1955 revision?" Describes the amendments. This report updates OLR Report 2022-R-0275.

Animal Control Officers - 2025-R-0044 - Provides an overview of the Connecticut statutory requirements for and responsibilities of animal control officers (ACOs). It also discusses whether they are police officers or peace officers under state law. (This report replaces OLR Report 2016-R-0111.)

State Statutory References to the CDC - 2025-R-0056 - Provides a list of Connecticut statutes that reference the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).



New Office of Legislative Research Reports

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6173

The Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research (OLR) has recently published the following new reports:

Waiving Interest on Delinquent Property Taxes - 2025-R-0010 - Under what circumstances can towns waive interest on delinquent property taxes? This report updates OLR Report 2021-R-0151.

Connecticut's Paid Sick Leave Law (as of 1/1/2025) - 2025-R-0016 - Describes Connecticut’s paid sick leave law as amended by PA 24-8.

Human Trafficking-Related Legislation (2020-2024) - 2025-R-0020 - Summarizes the human trafficking-related legislation that passed over the past five sessions (2020 through 2024).

Public & Special Acts Affecting Connecticut Native American Tribes, 1992-2024 - 2025-R-0004 - Describes the Connecticut public and special acts enacted since 1992 affecting the state’s Native American tribes and includes a brief history of how the state recognized the tribes in statute. Also included is information from the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) on (1) various appropriations from 1992-2024 for policies affecting Native American tribes in Connecticut and (2) casino gaming payments by the tribes to the state since FY 93.

Pesticide Application at Schools - 2025-R-0018 - Provides information regarding school pesticide application statutes (CGS §§ 10-231a to -231d). This report updates OLR report 2012-R-0376.


2025 Major Issues for CT Legislative Session

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6162

The Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research has released its annual report on Major Issues for the Legislative Session. According to the report:

"Every year, the Office of Legislative Research (OLR) identifies and provides brief descriptions of important issues the General Assembly may face in the upcoming session. This report does not represent staff suggestions or recommendations. The office identifies issues based on interim studies; research requests; non-confidential discussions with legislators, other legislative participants, and executive branch agencies; as well as our general subject matter knowledge. We also consult with the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) and the Legislative Commissioners’ Office (LCO) when selecting issues. The report is organized according to the committee that has primary jurisdiction over an issue. Because more than one committee may consider aspects of the same issue, descriptions may overlap. Where appropriate, we provide links to OLR reports and other documents that contain additional information."

This year's legislative session started on January 9th and runs through June 4th.




Public Acts Effective January 1, 2025

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6145

The Connecticut General Assembly has a webpage that lists the public acts effective on January 1, 2025.

Included in some of the new public acts are:

An Act Expanding Paid Sick Days in the State - Public Act 24-8, sections 1-6 - from the summary: "This act expands the state’s paid sick leave law in numerous ways. The prior paid sick leave law generally required certain employers with at least 50 employees to give up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually to their 'service workers' in certain specified occupations (e.g., food service workers, health care workers, and numerous others). The act expands the law by, among other things: 1. covering nearly all private sector employees and employers with at least 25 employees in 2025, those with at least 11 employees in 2026, and then those with at least one employee in 2027 (the act exempts seasonal employees and certain union construction workers and their employers); 2. broadening the range of family members for whom an employee may use the leave; 3. increasing the rate at which employees accrue leave and changing the waiting period before they may use it; and 4. broadening the reasons employees may use the leave to include events like closures due to a public health emergency and quarantines."

An Act Incentivizing Student Loan Repayment Assistance - Public Act 24-52, section 1 - from the summary: "This act expands the student loan payment tax credit for qualified employers that make eligible student loan payments on a qualified employee’s behalf."

An Act Concerning Coerced Debt - Public Act 24-77 - from the summary: "This act prohibits anyone from knowingly making another individual liable for 'coerced debt' (i.e., generally, certain credit card debt incurred by a domestic violence victim who was coerced into incurring it). The act also imposes specific obligations and responsibilities on coerced debt 'claimants' (e.g., consumer collection agencies)."

An Act Concerning Adoption of the Connecticut Uniform Trust Decanting Act - Public Act No. 24-104 - from the summary - "This act adopts the Connecticut Uniform Trust Decanting Act. Generally, a trust decanting occurs when a trust’s authorized fiduciary (typically, the trustee), in line with authority granted by the trust, modifies the trust’s terms or distributes property from it to another trust. Existing law recognizes decanting but does not set specific procedures or standards for it."

An Act Concerning Business Registrations Filed with the Secretary of the State - Public Act 24-111, sections 1-39, 51 and 53-56 - from the summary: "This act makes various changes in laws that govern certain business entities operating in the state. Among other things, the act also expands the trade name law, expands the authority of the secretary of the state (SOTS), and makes changes to the Connecticut Business Registry."

Lists of previous public acts are available in the Archives.