The Connecticut General Assembly began its 2008 legislative session on Wednesday, February 6, 2008.  The session ends at midnight on Wednesday, May 7, 2008.

The 2008 legislative session is termed a "short session" in which individual legislators can introduce only legislation that impacts the state’s budget.  However, an individual legislator can request that a chairperson of a legislative committee raise a bill that may not impact the budget.

The Office of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is aiming to update its webpage weekly during the session with information about DDS’s legislative proposals, bills that will have an impact on the Department and bills that will impact our consumers.  These updates will keep you informed on what legislative committee these bills are in, whether there is a public hearing coming up on a bill and what actions have been taken on a bill (i.e. did it pass, how was the bill changed, etc.)

If you want to see a particular bill become law, you should contact your State Senator and State Representative as soon as possible.  If you don’t know who your legislators are, you can find out by calling your town’s Registrar of Voters.

If you already know who your legislators are, but need their contact information, you can find it on the Connecticut General Assembly website: www.cga.ct.gov.  When you are on the General Assembly’s webpage look at the left side of the page, and select “House”, then select “Members” and look for your state representative (they are listed in alphabetical order.)  To contact state senators, select “Senate”, then select “Members” and look for your state senator.

Governor Rell presented her state budget on Wednesday, February 6, 2008.  DDS is in the process of analyzing the budget adjustments that the Governor has proposed and the impact on the Department’s programs and services.  These changes are being made to the second year of the current two-year budget (FY08 - FY09) that runs from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.  DDS will present testimony on the Governor’s proposed budget adjustments at an Appropriation’s Committee meeting on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 2C of the Legislative Office Building (LOB.)  Testimony presented before legislative committees will be posted on the Legislative Affairs webpage.