HB 6671 Summary

• Federal COVID Relief Funding Allocations: Distributes American Rescue Plan Act funds across FY 2022-2025 to various state agencies and programs, including education, workforce development, healthcare, housing, and infrastructure projects totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

• Sustainable Aviation Center: Establishes a $12 million funding mechanism for UConn to develop a center for sustainable aviation in partnership with federal Department of Energy Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, with up to $20 million in state matching grants.

• Special Education Funding Reforms: Modifies special education cost-sharing formulas between the state and local school districts, establishing new payment percentages (91%, 88%, and 85%) based on towns' wealth rankings when appropriations exceed available funds.

• Beverage Deposit Definitions: Updates definitions of carbonated and noncarbonated beverages for deposit purposes, excluding wine, spirits, and medical foods from the beverage deposit system.

• Budget Reserve and Debt Management: Establishes bond covenant protections through 2028 (or 2033 if extended), increases bond issuance caps to $2.4 billion annually, modifies budget reserve thresholds to 15-18%, and updates state hiring authority for job posting flexibility.