CT HB05524

State Bond Authorizations: Authorizes $100.1 million in general obligation bonds for capital projects including $45 million for State Capitol/Legislative Office Building renovations, $20 million for a Judicial Department secure residential treatment center, and $20 million for Manson Youth Institution improvements; authorizes $30 million in grant-in-aid bonds for transit-oriented development, cultural/historic site nonprofits ($12M), homeless facility capital improvements ($15M), and aging-in-place programs ($1M); and creates new bond-funded programs including $25 million for heat pump rebates, $10 million for a Climate Resiliency Revolving Loan Fund, and $3 million for municipal drone purchases.

UConn 2000 Program Expansion: Extends Phase III through FY2031 and increases aggregate borrowing authority to $3.91 billion, adding major projects including a $403.5 million Gant Building/Life Sciences Building renovation, $160 million for Gampel Pavilion/Greer Field House, $162 million for residential life facilities, and $78 million for a parking garage; requires UConn to raise $100 million in philanthropic commitments by June 30, 2031, with annual milestones that reduce bond issuance if unmet.

Transportation & Infrastructure Bonds: Increases special tax obligation bond authorization to $1.64 billion, including a Fix-it-First bridge program boost from $62.25 million to $162.25 million, $438.175 million for Northeast Corridor Modernization, and new authority for commercial rail freight line grants; requires any FY2024 Special Transportation Fund surplus exceeding 18% of net FY2025 appropriations to be used for level debt service reduction over 10 years.

Concentrated Poverty Pilot & Community Investment: Establishes an Office of Neighborhood Investment within DECD to develop a ten-year plan to reduce concentrated poverty below 20% of households, with pilot programs in the 4 municipalities with the most high-poverty census tracts; authorizes up to $50 million in bonds for community development corporations; adds priority for plan projects in the Community Investment Fund 2030 Board's grant criteria (up to $175M/year through FY2027); and enhances the JobsCT tax rebate with a 50% income tax rebate on wages paid to employees from concentrated poverty tracts.

School Building Project Overhaul: Eliminates the prior category-based classification system for school construction grants; increases early childhood care/education space reimbursement bonuses from 5 to 15 percentage points; requires a 10% local funding contingency starting July 1, 2026; mandates single-user restrooms in new construction from July 1, 2025; strengthens construction manager accountability with quarterly ineligible-cost reporting and 2-year document retention; and reduces audit completion triggers from 5 years to 2 years after final payment.

Housing & Building Code Reforms: Reduces housing bond authorization under §8-37mm to $18.33 million while authorizing up to $125 million for multifamily residence retrofitting; requires the State Building Code to consider housing shortages and encourage safe, affordable production; mandates code amendments allowing single exit stairways for certain residential buildings with sprinkler systems and promoting 3-4 unit residential construction under the International Residential Code; and adds a 5-percentage-point school construction grant bonus for "inclusive" municipalities meeting affordable housing and zoning criteria.

Tax Administration & Corporate Tax Changes: Extends corporate operating loss carry-forward from 20 to 30 years for losses incurred on or after January 1, 2025; adds insurance tax reassessment authority with 10% negligence and 25% fraud penalties; changes pension/annuity withholding to voluntary upon individual request while requiring highest marginal rate withholding on lump-sum distributions; expands the historic home rehabilitation tax credit (30% of expenditures, up to $30,000/unit) to apply against income tax with refundable overpayments; and establishes a working group to identify redundant or obsolete tax expenditures by January 1, 2025.

Youth Sports & Sports Wagering: Creates a youth sports grant program for distressed municipalities, funded by dedicating 2% of sports wagering revenue (from the 13.75% gross gaming revenue tax) beginning July 1, 2025, with priority for adaptive sports programs for children with disabilities and programs fostering mental health and educational achievement.

Government Operations & Municipal Flexibility: Prohibits state position classifications from requiring college degrees unless certified as a bona fide occupational qualification; authorizes joint municipal appointments through regional councils of governments that supersede charter residency and exclusivity requirements; changes solar canopy zoning approval from mandatory to permissive; and caps MIRA tipping fee stabilization bond support at $13.5 million total with no funds permitted for that purpose after July 1, 2026.