WHAT PASSED
Medical Marijuana: Legislation allows minors with certain debilitating conditions to use Connecticut's medical marijuana program.
Restraining Orders: The legislation requires people with temporary restraining orders against them to transfer their firearms to police or a firearms dealer within 24 hours after being served with the order.
Opioid Abuse: First-time opioid prescriptions for adults are limited to seven-day dosages under a bill that combined ideas from more than 50 bills submitted this session to address opioid drug abuse. Subsequent prescriptions can be filled for longer periods.
Retirement Accounts: The bill creates a new agency that will establish a Roth individual retirement savings account program for private sector workers whose employers have at least five employees. Workers would be automatically enrolled unless they opt out.
Animal Advocates: Under the bill, law school students or attorneys would be allowed to volunteer as legal advocates to assist in the prosecution of animal abuse cases.
Teacher Records: School boards will be required to provide information to other districts about whether a teacher applicant was disciplined for abuse, neglect or sexual misconduct.
School Threats: The bill makes it a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for intending to cause the evacuation of a school or school grounds with a threat.
Bill allowing armed police on campuses moves to governor
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut lawmakers have given final legislative approval to a bill that ultimately allows the state's community colleges to form special armed police forces to patrol the campuses.
The legislation cleared the House of Representatives on Wednesday, the final day of the legislative session. The bill, which already passed in the Senate, now moves to Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's desk.
Under the proposal, the special forces would be subject to approval from the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The officers would generally have the same powers as municipal police and must be certified by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council.
Mark Ojakian, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System, has said students and teachers want the armed police because they don't feel safe on campus.
Bill requiring schools to adopt consent policies passes
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut lawmakers have decided to require public and private colleges and universities to adopt clear policies regarding student consent to sexual activity.
The Senate voted 35-1 on Wednesday in favor of legislation requiring affirmed consent to be the standard in determining whether someone has agreed to sexual activity. Affirmed consent is described as an "active, clear and voluntary agreement by a person," or "yes, means yes," according to the bill's proponents.
The bill already has cleared the House of Representatives and now moves to the governor.
Democratic Sen. Mae Flexer says the standard would be used in campus sexual assault investigations, disciplinary cases and in training of students about the issue of sexual assault.
Republican Sen. Joe Markley, the bill's sole opponent, says these cases will still be "he said, she said."
Lawmakers vote to allow coverage of 3-D mammograms
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut lawmakers have passed legislation that attempts to encourage 3-D breast screening.
The Senate on Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of a bill that requires insurers to cover tomosynthesis screenings if a woman wants that type of mammogram conducted.
The bill already cleared the House of Representatives and now moves to the governor's desk.
Current state law requires insurers to cover baseline mammograms for women age 35 through 39 and annual mammograms for women 40 years and older.
Republican House Minority Leader Themis Klarides (THEHM'-his KLEHR'-ih-dehs), who pushed for the bill, says the 3-D procedure will make it easier to detect early signs of breast cancer.
Democratic Sen. Joe Crisco, who spoke about how his wife is currently fighting breast cancer, calls the bill "a very strong stand for women's health."
Connecticut lawmakers move to update handicapped signs
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A proposal to modernize the ubiquitous handicapped symbol that marks parking spaces, building entrances and restrooms in Connecticut is heading to Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's desk.
The Senate on Wednesday voted 33-3 in favor of a bill that requires the Department of Administrative Services to come up with regulations designating an updated symbol of access for people with disabilities. That symbol must depict a dynamic figure leaning forward with a sense of movement.
The updated signs would be used when old signs must be replaced.
Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., a disability rights attorney, urged support of the bill, saying "symbols are very important" in changing people's minds about others with disabilities.
Several lawmakers opposed the bill, voicing concerns of some disability rights activists offended by the proposed change.
WHAT FAILED
Tesla: The Senate failed to take up a bill that would have allowed electric car maker Tesla Motors to sell its vehicles directly to consumers, bypassing the state's franchise system.
Fantasy Sports: Despite being included in an early tax bill, lawmakers decided not to act on legislation that would authorize fantasy sports after Attorney General George Jepsen warned it could risk Connecticut's slot machine revenue-sharing agreement with the state's two federally recognized Indian tribes.
Gambling Study: A proposal to study the impact of allowing a third casino in Connecticut died in committee. Meanwhile, the two federally recognized tribes did not submit a proposal for legislation approval to open their proposed jointly owned, third casino to compete with the MGM Resorts International casino in Springfield, Massachusetts, saying they'll return with a site next year.
Weaponized Drones: A proposal creating a new class C felony for those who attach weapons to drones has failed for the second year in a row. While it passed in the House of Representatives, it didn't come up for a Senate vote.
Cecil's Law: The House of Representatives failed to vote on a bill that would ban the importing, possessing, offering for sale or transporting in Connecticut big game specimens, including certain elephants, lions, leopards and two rhinoceros species.
Bill aimed at protecting state lands clears legislature
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - An effort to give the public greater say about transfers of state-owned land in Connecticut has cleared the General Assembly.
But the proposal did not pass the Senate or House of Representatives Wednesday with enough support to place a proposed constitutional amendment before voters this fall. Proponents needed a three-quarters majority.
Eric Hammerling, executive director of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, says the vote was still a "huge victory." The bill must now pass next year by another simple majority to appear on the 2017 ballot.
Under the proposal, voters will be asked to support amending the state constitution to require a public hearing and two-thirds vote of the legislature before the ownership of state-owned land can be transferred.
Proponents say state-owned parks and forests are currently at risk.
