2025 CT Legislative Session Wrap-Up

The 2025 legislative session began on January 8th and concluded on June 4th but not before we achieved a couple of important wins. First, we were successful in advocating for substantial funding to help make early child education (ECE) more affordable for CT families, and to help recruit and retain ECE educators, with the passage of two main bills.

Senate Bill 1 creates a fund called the Early Childhood Education Endowment, which will be supported by budget surplus dollars and capped this year at $300M. The endowment will fund the creation of about 16,000 free or reduced cost preschool and toddler care spots within five years. Families earning less than $100K would receive free childcare at state-supported facilities, and those earning more would pay a reduced cost capped at 7% of their income. SB1 additionally creates a health insurance subsidy program for ECE employees through Access Health CT.

The other main ECE bill, HB 5003, creates the ECE program portal which provides information on the availability of ECE program slots in the state, including free or subsidized slots, in each town. This will provide a means for ECE program providers to efficiently enter slot availability and enrollment information, and for families to apply for childcare subsidies or other assistance. HB 5003 additionally will allow family childcare homes to serve a maximum of 12 children rather than 9, provided certain requirements are met.

The second advocacy win for CT is that we were able to secure $12M for state tobacco control efforts, despite funding being zeroed out in the last state budget, which will be used for education, prevention and cessation efforts across the state.

Finally, we worked tirelessly throughout the session to find a sustainable way of supporting universal school meals for all kids, proposing a two-cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks, which would have raised approximately $206M, more than enough to ensure that every child in CT received a free breakfast and lunch while at school. An example of this tax is that a 12-ounce can of soda would have cost an extra 24 cents.

As we know, healthy school meals address food insecurity and hunger, support local farmers and food makers, improve long-term health outcomes, and help working families save money. Unfortunately, our bill ended up dying in the Finance committee before the session ended. This issue will remain one of our highest priorities for the 2026 session.

Legislative Key-Contacts Needed- In-District Meetings A Priority

Now that the session is over, we adjust our sights on improving our association’s relationships with our state lawmakers by striving to match at least one constituent-advocate with each of our 187 state legislators (36 Senators & 151 Representatives). In advocacy, the main currency is relationships, which equals access. Getting to know your legislator, especially this time of year, is very easy. If you are interested in becoming a Legislative Key-Contact, and would like some more information, please email me at [email protected]

Typically, our advocates meet with their legislators in Hartford at the Capitol during our Lobby Day, or at other American Heart Association coordinated events. However, moving forward, we are putting emphasis on our advocates meeting their legislators where you both live, in-district!

Why In-District Meetings?

• Allow the constituent to build credible, long-lasting relationships with their legislators and often their staff, which will lead to more effective advocacy in the future. The most valuable outcome is future access!
• Constituents can directly advocate for their views and influence policy decisions by offering firsthand perspectives on the issues impacting the district and the people in their shared district.
• This personal touch and local context can be far more impactful than meetings in Hartford.
• Keep the conversation light, introduce yourself if your legislators do not already know you, let them know where you live, what you do for work, about your family, and about your involvement with the Association.
• Offer to be a resource for them on all things “heart healthy.” If you are ever asked a question that you don’t have an answer to, let me know and I will get you one.

Legislator Spotlight- Representative Maria Horn (Democrat-64th District)

State Representative Maria Horn has represented Connecticut’s 64th Assembly district, including nine towns in the northwest corner of the state (Canaan; Cornwall; Goshen; Kent; Norfolk; North Canaan; Salisbury; Sharon; Washington) since 2018. Currently, she is the House Chair of the powerful Finance Committee and has supported many of our advocacy priorities.

A native of Ohio, Representative Horn earned her B.A. from Princeton University in 1986 and attended the University of Chicago Law School, obtaining her J.D. in 1993. Before beginning her law career, Representative Horn spent four years working in corporate finance at JP Morgan & Co. Her legal career included work as a law clerk for a federal judge, and the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, before joining the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Criminal Division.

After relocating to Salisbury with her husband and three young children, Representative Horn chaired the boards of a domestic violence agency and a local school, served on the Salisbury Board of Finance, and raised funds to build the local firehouse and to create a program for local schools to prevent and combat substance abuse.

CT Advocacy Committee: Passionate Volunteers Always Needed!

The CT Advocacy Committee is an action-oriented group of individuals responsible for providing leadership in developing, supporting, promoting, and implementing state and local policy priorities, within the framework of the American Heart Association’s State and Local Public Policy Priorities guidance. Volunteers who are passionate about improving the overall health of our communities are needed! To learn more about the Committee email Jim Williams at [email protected].