AN ACT FUNDING JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS FOR GRADUATES OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary mentions the 'Office of Higher Education,' but the detailed bill text specifies the 'Office of Policy and Management.' The explanation uses the specific office named in the enacted text.

Journalism Fellowship Funding Act

This law requires the Office of Policy and Management to partner with a student journalism group to fund at least twelve fellowships for graduates of public colleges.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Office of Policy and Management to sign an agreement with a student journalism collaborative to run the fellowship program starting July 1, 2026.
• Funds not fewer than twelve fellowships at local news organizations in the state for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, and each year after.
• Sets rules that each fellowship must include mentorship from experienced journalists or editors, direct work experience, and professional networking.
• Requires applicants to have graduated with a journalism degree from a public college or university in the state and be approved by the local news organization hosting them.
• Mandates that program details, funding amounts, eligible fellowships, and application forms be posted online by September 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

• Graduates of journalism programs at public institutions of higher education in the state who are approved by a local news organization.
• Local news organizations located within the state that host the fellows.
• The Office of Policy and Management, which must manage the funding agreement.

Terms To Know

Local news organization

A news group defined in general statutes section 54-33i that is located in this state.

Student journalism collaborative

The partner group the Office of Policy and Management will work with to set up and manage the fellowship program.

Limits and Unknowns

• The exact dollar amount for each fellowship is not listed in this text; it must be decided later by the agreement.
• This law does not specify which local news organizations will receive fellowships, only that they must be located in the state.

Official Summary Text

To require the Office of Higher Education to establish a journalism fellowship program to fund not fewer than twelve journalism fellowship positions at local news organizations.

Current Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5159
February Session, 2026

AN ACT FUNDING JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS FOR GRADUATES
OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) As used in this section, 1
"local news organization" means a news organization, as defined in 2
section 54-33i of the general statutes, that is located in the state. 3
(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, and each fiscal year 4
thereafter, the Office of Policy and Management shall enter into a 5
memorandum of understanding with a student journalism collaborative 6
for such collaborative to establish a journalism fellowship program to 7
fund not fewer than twelve journalism fellowships at one or more local 8
news organizations. The memorandum of understanding shall specify 9
the (1) minimum requirements for a fellowship funded under such 10
program, including, but not limited to, opportunities for (A) a 11
mentorship from experienced journalists and editors, (B) direct work 12
experience, and (C) professional networking, (2) eligibility requirements 13
for individuals to qualify for such journalism fellowships, including, but 14
not limited to, (A) graduating from a journalism degree program at a 15
public institution of higher education in the state, and (B) interviewing 16
with and being approved by the local news organization providing such 17
fellowship, (3) amount at which such fellowships shall be funded, and 18
(4) requirement for the collaborative to post, not later than September 1, 19
Substitute Bill No. 5159

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2026, in a conspicuous location on its Internet web site (A) a description 20
of the journalism fellowship program, including, but not limited to, the 21
amount of funding available for each fellowship under such program, 22
(B) the minimum requirements and eligibility requirements specified 23
pursuant to subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, (C) the list of 24
fellowships with funding available under such program, and (D) the 25
application form for such program. 26
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section

HED Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP