Connecticut SB 154: AN ACT CONCERNING COTTAGE FOOD OPERATIONS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 154
February Session, 2026

AN ACT REQUIRING CERTAIN AGENCIES TO REPORT COSTS
ASSOCIATED WITH PROGRAMS SERVING CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective from passage) Not later than January 1, 2027, the 1
Department of Social Services shall submit a report, in accordance with 2
the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint 3
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 4
matters relating to children, human services and appropriations. Such 5
report shall (1) describe each program administered by the department 6
that serves children or families, where eligibility for participation in 7
such program or the sliding fee for participation in such program is 8
based on a comparison between annual family income and the federal 9
poverty level, (2) estimate the total cost associated with the 10
administration of each such program, (3) estimate the anticipated total 11
cost associated with the administration of each such program if 12
eligibility for participation was expanded to include children and 13
families with an annual family income above the federal poverty level 14
and below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival for the state, as 15
determined by the United Way of Connecticut, (4) estimate how many 16
additional children or families would be eligible for participation in 17
each such program if participation was expanded in the manner 18
described in subdivision (3) of this section, and (5) discuss the feasibility 19

Substitute Bill No. 154

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of adopting the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in making 20
eligibility determinations for each such program. 21
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) Not later than January 1, 2027, the 22
Department of Developmental Services shall submit a report, in 23
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 24
to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 25
cognizance of matters relating to children, public health and 26
appropriations. Such report shall (1) describe each program 27
administered by the department that serves children or families, where 28
eligibility for participation in such program or the sliding fee for 29
participation in such program is based on a comparison between annual 30
family income and the federal poverty level, (2) estimate the total cost 31
associated with the administration of each such program, (3) estimate 32
the anticipated total cost associated with the administration of each such 33
program if eligibility for participation was expanded to include children 34
and families with an annual family income above the federal poverty 35
level and below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival for the state, 36
as determined by the United Way of Connecticut, (4) estimate how 37
many additional children or families would be eligible for participation 38
in each such program if participation was expanded in the manner 39
described in subdivision (3) of this section, and (5) discuss the feasibility 40
of adopting the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in making 41
eligibility determinations for each such program. 42
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section

KID Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
APP Joint Favorable