🔒CT legislature proposes 55 “study” bills, committees OK 38

From studying the needs of senior citizens in the state to studying whether unclaimed gift certificates should be considered abandoned property, the state legislature has offered up an abundance of so-called “study” bills this legislative session. A review by Hartford Business Journal found that a total of 55 study bills have been proposed to this point during the 2026 session of the General Assembly, including 32 Senate bills and 23 House bills. The legislature’s various committees have approved 38 of those bills, including 22 Senate bills (nearly 69%) and 16 House bills (nearly 70%). Among the bills that have advanced out of committees is House Bill 5140, which was introduced by the Aging Committee. It would require the executive director of the state Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, in consultation with the commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, to study the needs of the state’s senior citizens to ensure “the adequate allocation of resources.” Senate Bill 460 would require the state Treasurer to conduct a study of the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of having unredeemed gift certificates “escheat to the state as unclaimed property.” State law currently prohibits expiration dates and inactivity fees on most gift cards and gift certificates sold in Connecticut, and it has a modest framework for treating unclaimed funds as potential abandoned property after certain conditions are met. But funds related to unredeemed gift certificates are not automatically turned over to the state at this time. Some study bills are still quite vague. HB 5208, for example, simply states that the “Department of Banking shall conduct a study concerning financial transactions in the state,” and requires the agency to file a report with the results of the study by Jan. 15, 2027. Yet, nowhere in the bill does it define “financial transactions,” or offer any guidance as to what, specifically, the department should study about them. The same is true for SB 218, which requires the Banking Department to “study and submit a report concerning banking issues in the state.” This bill also does not define “banking issues.” Both bills were unanimously approved by the Banking Committee. Seven of the approved bills, meanwhile, seek to create task forces to conduct studies. They include task forces to study:

• Methods and programs for improving affordability for children, families and young professionals (HB 5163);
• Grocery store beer permits (HB 5223);
• Issues relating to consumer protection and occupational licensing (SB 322), and to study the operations of the state Department of Consumer Protection (HB 5349);
• The effects of artificial intelligence on the trades industry and of a certified nursing assistant training program (HB 5497);
• Workplace heat safety standards (SB 345); and
• The voluntary surrender of infants (SB 156).

Four other bills would establish working groups to conduct studies, including HB 5269, which would study energy drink consumption by children and require signs alerting consumers to the risks of such drinks to be posted at the point of sale, and HB 5315, which would study consumer fraud and protections against such fraud. The approved bills have been referred to the Legislative Commissioner’s Office and many have been placed on the House or Senate calendars for consideration.