The 2021 Legislative Session

I wanted to send a note to update you about the success that the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) team had during the 2021 legislative sessionwhich justended last week. DAS, with the support of the Connecticut General Assembly, accomplished a lot to help ensure the State of Connecticut operates more efficiently. 

We owe a big thank you to everyone on our team who tracked bills, wrote testimony, met with legislators, and generally shared their subject matter expertise on everything from procurement to real estate to information technology.

These bills areconsistent with Governor Lamont’s mission of ensuring public health and safety for residents of our great state, while eliminating burdensome reporting and documentation requirements that keep folksfrom conducting business and spending time with their families. I am proud of the work DAS has been able to do under the Governor’s leadership.

Here are a few bills DAS advocated for that were successfully voted out of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and are now awaiting the Governor’s signature:

House Bill 6444 (Public Act 21-76), An Act Concerning the Modernization of State Services and the Membership of the Commission for Educational Technology

This bill streamlines contracting processes by reducing paperwork required for businesses that work with the state, makes it easier for small contractors to qualify for the State’s “Set-Aside” program, allows the state more flexibility in contracting  during emergencies, and adds individuals with experience in the classroom to the Commission for Educational Technology.

House Bill 6600, An Act Concerning Smoke Detection and Warning Equipment, the State Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Codes, the Code Training and Education Board Of Control, Temporary Fire Marshals, Certain Fire Reports And Small Water Heaters 

This bill eliminates  unnecessary reporting requirements that are burdensome to municipalities, expands safety requirements surrounding smoke detectors in homes, removes duplicative inspections of small hot water heaters that are used in facilities such as schools, day care centers, and churches,and allows municipalities to appoint temporary fire marshals more quickly when required. 

Senate Bill 1076, An Act Concerning Public-Private Partnerships and Privatization of State Services at the University of Connecticut Health Center 

Don’t be misled by the title of this bill, it absolutely affects us here at DAS. As part of the cutting and pasting that often happens at the end of the legislative session, provisions of DAS’s Real Estate and Construction Management bill were amended onto this bill, such as sections that will speed up critical public works contracts by allowing DAS to moreeasily coordinate projects that involvespace shared by the state and other governmental entities. This bill also allows contractors two additional days to submit certain paperwork, removing an overly rigid requirement that has historically forced the disqualification of companies due to mere clerical error.

We will keep you posted as these bills progress throughout the process to becoming law.