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January 22, 2025

49 bills propose adding to CT legislature’s 146 task forces, working groups

HBJ PHOTO | DAVID KRECHEVSKY The State Capitol in Hartford.

Legislators in the state General Assembly can’t seem to get enough of task forces or working groups.

Since the start of the 2025 legislative session, which began Jan. 8, 49 bills have been proposed seeking to create new task forces or working groups. 

If any of those were to be approved, they would add to the existing 146 task forces and working groups already formed among 24 of the legislature’s 29 committees. That total does not include several task forces and working groups that have been “archived.” 

It’s not clear how many of the 146 task forces and working groups are still active, but since the start of the session three have conducted public meetings: The Healthcare Workforce Safety Working Group, the Pediatric Hospital Working Group and the Task Force to Study Special Education Services and Funding.

The Public Health Committee lists the most existing task forces and work groups on its website, with a total of 18. The Judiciary Committee is next with 16, though it notes that the list on its website is “not reflective of the comprehensive listing of task forces the Judiciary Committee staffs.” The Human Services Committee is third with 14.

Of the 29 legislative committees, only four do not have task forces or working groups: Executive and Legislative Nominations, Government Oversight, Reapportionment and Regulation Review.

Of the 49 proposed bills, eight were submitted by Sen. Rob Sampson (R-Wolcott) to eight different committees. One would establish a working group to review unfunded municipal mandates, which he proposed to the Planning and Development Committee, while another would establish a working group to examine and make recommendations for streamlining the workers’ compensation program, which he proposed to the Labor and Public Employees Committee, on which he is the ranking member.

Sampson, who is generally considered to be the most consistently fiscally conservative lawmaker in the legislature, said he can't speak about every task force but that his proposals "are the proper way to gather the information needed to make significant changes in Connecticut and restore affordability and accountability. "

He added that his proposals will not cause any additional cost to taxpayers, and "are designed to either reduce the size of government or make it more efficient for the benefit of Connecticut taxpayers, helping make our state more affordable for all."

Among the bills submitted this session to create task forces are those seeking to:

  • Study artificial intelligence and the state workforce.
  • Study transmission infrastructure and the potential use of grid-enhancing technologies, and
  • Study municipal penalties for landlords for health and safety violations.

Among the bills submitted this session to create working groups are those seeking to:

  • Develop a uniform statutory definition of “affordable housing,” and
  • Uncover fraud and waste in state government.

The Public Health Committee has the most bills proposing to create task forces and working groups, with 11, while the Education Committee has six and the Public Safety and Security Committee has five.

Sen. Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), who co-chairs the Public Health Committee and has submitted four bills seeking to create task forces or working groups, said there is a need for such groups.

“In Public Health, we are dealing with quite complex issues, and that complexity and stakeholder involvement requires us to make sure decisions are not made in short time spans and all stakeholders have enough meetings to make recommendations with public health members present,” Anwar said. 

He added that the committee members and staff ‘work very hard to complete these task forces and complete this work. Many task forces, especially in Public Health, have resulted in meaningful improvements to legislation and we remain committed to ensuring all stakeholders remain involved in these detailed conversations.”

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