AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REFUNDABLE TAX CREDIT FOR NEWS ORGANIZATIONS THAT COVER LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE.

Plain English Breakdown

While the bill text establishes the credit amounts and limits, it does not specify eligibility criteria beyond 'covering local communities' or define what constitutes a 'new journalist'.

Tax Credit for Local News Organizations

This bill creates a refundable tax credit for news groups that report on local areas within the state.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes a refundable tax credit for qualifying news organizations.
• Provides $15,000 in credits for each journalist employed by these organizations in the state.
• Adds an extra $25,000 in credits for every new journalist hired within the state.
• Sets a maximum limit of $150,000 on the total credit amount any single organization can receive.

Who It Names or Affects

• News organizations that cover local communities in the state
• Journalists employed or newly hired by these news groups within the state

Terms To Know

Refundable tax credit

A reduction in taxes owed where any unused amount is paid back to the organization as cash.

Cap

The maximum dollar limit set on how much money an organization can receive from this program.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill text does not define the specific requirements for what counts as covering a local community.
• The source material does not state when this law would take effect or begin paying out credits.
• No details are provided on how news organizations must apply for or claim these tax credits.

Official Summary Text

To establish a refundable tax credit to news organizations that cover local communities in the state.

Current Bill Text

LCO No. 959 1 of 1

General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 5137
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 959

Referred to Committee on FINANCE, REVENUE AND
BONDING

Introduced by:
REP. FARRAR, 20th Dist.
REP. BROWN, 56th Dist.
REP. FORTIER, 79th Dist.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REFUNDABLE TAX CREDIT FOR NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS THAT COVER LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE
STATE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

That the general statutes be amended to establish a refundable tax 1
credit to news organizations that cover local communities in the state, 2
in the amount of fifteen thousand dollars per journalist employed in the 3
state by such organization and twenty -five thousand dollars per new 4
journalist hired in the state by such organization, with a cap on the 5
amount a news organization is allowed of one hundred fifty thousand 6
dollars. 7
Statement of Purpose:
To establish a refundable tax credit to news organizations that cover
local communities in the state.