Connecticut HB 5163: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY METHODS AND PROGRAMS FOR IMPROVING AFFORDABILITY FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS.

Bill Text

Substitute House Bill No. 5163 
 
Special Act No. 26-11 
 
 
AN  ACT  ESTABLISHING  A  TASK  FORCE  TO  STUDY  METHODS 
AND    PROGRAMS    FOR    IMPROVING    AFFORDABILITY    FOR 
CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS. 
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force 
to  (1)  study  methods  and  programs  for  improving the  affordability  of 
the state for children, families and young professionals, including, but 
not limited to, cash assistance programs, educational and employment 
training  programs  and  programs  to  assist  families  in  paying  for  and 
reducing  costs  associated  with  child  care  services,  (2)  analyze  the 
efficacy of such methods and programs and provide recommendations 
for the implementation of such methods and programs on a state-wide 
basis,   (3)   study   systemic   barriers   that   prevent   improvements   to 
affordability,    including,    but    not    limited    to,    housing    policies, 
transportation  access,  health  care  access,  child  care  access  and  racial 
disparities, (4)  study  the  ways  in  which  inflation  and  regional  cost 
differences  impact  affordability  across  the  state,  (5)  develop  a  method 
for  tracking  improvements  in  income,  home  ownership,  job  retention 
and other markers of economic mobility in areas of the state with low 
affordability, (6) study the availability of educational, employment and 
child  care  programs  in  areas  of  the  state  with  low  affordability  and 
analyze gaps in such availability to determine where and how to meet 

Substitute House Bill No. 5163 
 
Special Act No. 26-11 2 of 4 
 
the  need  for  such  programs,  (7)  identify  any  policies  and  programs, 
including, but not limited to, programs described in subdivision (1) of 
this subsection, that may be implemented in the short term to improve 
affordability   and   any   structural   reforms   necessary   to   improve 
affordability into the future, (8) identify funding sources for programs 
that  may  improve  affordability,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  state 
budget  allocations,  federal  grants  and  philanthropic  support,  and  (9) 
identify   ways   in   which   state agencies   may   collaborate   to   create 
efficiencies   in   the   delivery   of   programs   and   services   to   improve 
affordability. 
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 
(1)  The  Commissioner  of  Social  Services,  or  the  commissioner's 
designee; 
(2)    The    Commissioner    of    Children    and    Families,    or    the 
commissioner's designee; 
(3)  The  Commissioner  of  Early  Childhood,  or  the  commissioner's 
designee; 
(4)    The    Commissioner    of    Developmental    Services,    or    the 
commissioner's designee; 
(5)  The Commissioner  of  Public  Health,  or  the  commissioner's 
designee; 
(6) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; 
(7)  The  chairpersons  and  ranking  members  of  the  joint  standing 
committees  of  the  General  Assembly  having  cognizance  of  matters 
relating   to   children,   human   services   and   appropriations,   or   the 
chairpersons' and ranking members' designees; and 
(8)   Not   more   than   ten   members   jointly   appointed   by   the 

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cochairpersons of the task force, each of whom shall (A) have expertise 
in   nonprofit   administration,   business   administration,   economics, 
education,   housing,   child   welfare,   child   care,   labor,   workforce 
development or social services administration, or (B) be a representative 
of a faith-based or municipal organization or entity. 
(c)  Any  member  of  the  task  force  described  or  appointed  under 
subdivision (7) or (8) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 
of the General Assembly. 
(d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 
than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 
be filled by the appointing authority. 
(e) The chairpersons of the joint standing committees of the General 
Assembly   having   cognizance   of   matters   relating   to   children   and 
appropriations,    or    the    chairpersons'    designees,    shall    serve    as 
cochairpersons  of  the  task  force.  Such  cochairpersons  shall  schedule 
each meeting of the task force, the first of which shall be held not later 
than thirty days after the effective date of this section. 
(f)  The  administrative  staff  of  the  joint  standing  committee  of  the 
General  Assembly  having  cognizance  of  matters  relating  to  children 
shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 
(g)  Not  later  than  June  1,  2027,  the  cochairpersons  shall  submit  a 
preliminary  report  on  the  findings  and  recommendation