Connecticut SB 228: AN ACT CONCERNING THE RIGHT OF A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE TO JOIN OR SUPPORT A UNION.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 228
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING LIQUOR PERMITS AND TOBACCO BARS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (k) of section 30-22a of the 2026 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 3
(k) For purposes of compliance with this section, "cafe" includes a 4
tobacco bar that: (1) During the calendar year ending December 31, 2002, 5
generated at least ten per cent of the tobacco bar's total annual gross 6
income from on-site sales of tobacco products and rentals of on-site 7
humidors; or (2) commenced operations during the period beginning 8
January 1, 2003, and ending December 31, [2022] 2025, and (A) generates 9
at least sixty per cent of the tobacco bar's total annual gross sales from 10
on-site sales of tobacco products, as defined in subparagraph (E) of 11
subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 19a-342, as amended by this 12
act, and subparagraph (F) of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 13
19a-342a, as amended by this act, as determined in an annual audit 14
conducted by an independent certified public accountant, (B) is located 15
in a municipality that has a population of at least [eighty] forty thousand 16
and does not contain another tobacco bar, (C) does not allow cigarettes 17
or cigarette tobacco on the premises, (D) contains a walk-in or stand-up 18
humidor as a built-in feature on the premises, (E) is located in a building 19

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(i) in which no other owner-occupant, lessee or tenant has a right to 20
utilize the same space as the tobacco bar, or (ii) that uses the tobacco 21
bar's own heating, ventilation or air conditioning system to prevent 22
commingling of air, (F) is located in premises equipped with a 23
ventilation system that (i) provides local mechanical exhaust with no 24
recirculation, (ii) circulates at least sixty cubic feet of outdoor air per 25
person per minute to provide adequate indoor air quality, and (iii) 26
satisfies the requirements established in ANSI/ASHRAE 62-2001, 27
"ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality", as amended from time to 28
time, and (G) provides health coverage to the tobacco bar's employees 29
and their dependents in accordance with other applicable law, 30
including, but not limited to, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 31
Act, P.L. 111-148, as amended by the Health Care and Education 32
Reconciliation Act, P.L. 111-152, as both may be amended from time to 33
time, and regulations adopted thereunder. 34
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 19a-342 of the general statutes is 35
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 36
1, 2026): 37
(b) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 31-40q, no person 38
shall smoke: (A) In any area of a building or portion of a building, 39
owned and operated or leased and operated by the state or any political 40
subdivision of the state; (B) in any area of a health care institution, 41
including, but not limited to, a psychiatric facility; (C) in any area of a 42
retail establishment accessed by the general public; (D) in any 43
restaurant; (E) in any area of an establishment with a permit issued for 44
the sale of alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30-20a, 30-21, 30-21b, 30-45
22, 30-22c, 30-22g, 30-28, 30-28a, 30-33a, 30-33b, 30-35a, 30-37a, 30-37e or 46
30-37f, in any area of an establishment with a permit for the sale of 47
alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30-22aa issued after May 1, 2003, 48
and, on and after April 1, 2004, in any area of an establishment with a 49
permit issued for the sale of alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30-22a, 50
as amended by this act, or 30-26; (F) in any area of a school building or 51
on the grounds of such school; (G) within a child care facility or on the 52
grounds of such child care facility, except, if the child care facility is a 53

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family child care home, as defined in section 19a-77, such smoking is 54
prohibited only when a child enrolled in such home is present during 55
customary business hours; (H) in any passenger elevator; (I) in any area 56
of a dormitory in any public or private institution of higher education; 57
(J) in any area of a facility equipped with screens for the simulcasting of 58
off-track betting race programs or jai alai games; (K) in any room offered 59
as an accommodation to guests by the operator of a hotel, motel or 60
similar lodging; (L) in any area of a correctional facility or halfway 61
house; or (M) in any area of a platform or a shelter at a rail, busway or 62
bus station, owned and operated or leased and operated by the state or 63
any political subdivision of the state. For purposes of this subsection, 64
"restaurant" means space, in a suitable and permanent building, kept, 65
used, maint