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SB00154 • 2026

AN ACT REQUIRING CERTAIN AGENCIES TO REPORT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROGRAMS SERVING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

AN ACT REQUIRING CERTAIN AGENCIES TO REPORT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROGRAMS SERVING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

Children
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Committee on Children
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify who receives the reports or what actions should follow them.

Act Requiring Reports on Costs for Children's Programs

This act requires the Department of Social Services and the Department of Developmental Services to report costs related to programs serving children and families, including estimates if eligibility criteria were expanded.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Social Services to submit a report on current and potential future costs for programs that help children or families based on income levels compared to the federal poverty level and ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival.
  • Requires the Department of Developmental Services to do the same as the Department of Social Services, focusing on their specific programs.
  • Both departments must estimate how many more people would qualify if eligibility was expanded to include those with higher incomes but still below a certain financial threshold (ALICE Threshold).
  • The reports should discuss whether it's practical to use this new income level for deciding who can join these programs.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Department of Social Services
  • Department of Developmental Services

Terms To Know

ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival
A measure set by the United Way of Connecticut that shows the income level needed for basic living expenses in Connecticut.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what actions should be taken based on these reports.
  • It is unclear how much funding will be provided to cover the costs of preparing and submitting these detailed reports.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  2. 2026-04-14 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  3. 2026-04-14 Connecticut General Assembly

    No New File by Committee on Appropriations

  4. 2026-04-14 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate

  5. 2026-04-13 APP

    Joint Favorable

  6. 2026-04-08 Connecticut General Assembly

    Immediate Transmittal to Committee on Appropriations

  7. 2026-03-10 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  8. 2026-03-10 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate

  9. 2026-03-10 Connecticut General Assembly

    Senate Calendar Number 42

  10. 2026-03-10 LCO

    File Number 8

  11. 2026-03-04 LCO

    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/09/26 5:00 PM

  12. 2026-02-25 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  13. 2026-02-24 KID

    Joint Favorable

  14. 2026-02-13 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 02/17

  15. 2026-02-11 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Children

Official Summary Text

To require the Department of Social Services and the Department of Developmental Services to submit reports describing current costs associated with programs serving children and families and anticipated costs associated with utilizing different eligibility criteria for participation in such programs.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
LCO 1 of 2

General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 154
February Session, 2026

AN ACT REQUIRING CERTAIN AGENCIES TO REPORT COSTS
ASSOCIATED WITH PROGRAMS SERVING CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. ( Effective from passage ) Not later than January 1, 2027, the 1
Department of Social Services shall submit a report, in accordance with 2
the provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes, to the joint 3
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 4
matters relating to children, human services and appropriations. Such 5
report shall (1) describe each program administered by the department 6
that serves children or families, where eligibility for participation in 7
such program or the sliding fee for participation in such program is 8
based on a comparison between annual family income and the federal 9
poverty level, (2) estimate the total cost associated with the 10
administration of each such program, (3) estimate the anticipated total 11
cost associated with the administration of each such program if 12
eligibility for participation was expanded to include children and 13
families with an annual family income above the federal poverty level 14
and below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival for the state, as 15
determined by the United Way of Connecticut, (4) estimate how many 16
additional children or families would be eligible for participation in 17
each such program if participation was expanded in the manner 18
described in subdivision (3) of this section, and (5) discuss the feasibility 19
Substitute Bill No. 154

LCO 2 of 2

of adopting the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in making 20
eligibility determinations for each such program. 21
Sec. 2. ( Effective from passage ) Not later than January 1, 2027, the 22
Department of Developmental Services shall submit a report, in 23
accordance with the provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes, 24
to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 25
cognizance of matters relating to children, public health and 26
appropriations. Such report shall (1) describe each program 27
administered by the department that serves children or families, where 28
eligibility for participation in such program or the sliding fee for 29
participation in such program is based on a comparison between annual 30
family income and the federal poverty level, (2) estimate the total cost 31
associated with the administration of each such program, (3) estimate 32
the anticipated total cost associated with the administration of each such 33
program if eligibility for participation was expanded to include children 34
and families with an annual family income above the federal poverty 35
level and below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival for the state, 36
as determined by the United Way of Connecticut, (4) estimate how 37
many additional children or families would be eligible for participation 38
in each such program if participation was expanded in the manner 39
described in subdivision (3) of this section, and (5) discuss the feasibility 40
of adopting the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in making 41
eligibility determinations for each such program. 42
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section

KID Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
APP Joint Favorable