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SB00388 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT AND MOHEGAN FUND.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT AND MOHEGAN FUND.

Budget
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Appropriations Committee
Last action
2026-04-15
Official status
File Number 647
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and analysis do not provide specific details on how funds will be distributed among towns beyond FY 27.

Restoring the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund

This act restores the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund to distribute funds to all towns as intended originally, increasing its total amount starting in fiscal year 2028.

What This Bill Does

  • Restores the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund to distribute funds to all towns as intended originally.
  • Increases the fund's total amount by approximately $99.8 million, reaching a new total of about $152.4 million starting in fiscal year 2028.
  • Prevents any reduction in the grant amount except when declared an emergency by the Governor and approved by the General Assembly.

Who It Names or Affects

  • All towns that receive grants from the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund.
  • The Office of Policy and Management, which distributes funds to municipalities.

Terms To Know

Nonlapsing fund
A fund where money is not lost if it is not spent in a given year; the balance carries over to future years.
General Assembly
The legislative body of Connecticut, consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how funds will be distributed among towns beyond fiscal year 2027.
  • It is unclear what happens if an emergency reduction in funding is declared by the Governor.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-15 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  2. 2026-04-15 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate

  3. 2026-04-15 Connecticut General Assembly

    Senate Calendar Number 410

  4. 2026-04-15 LCO

    File Number 647

  5. 2026-04-09 LCO

    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/14/26 5:00 PM

  6. 2026-04-02 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  7. 2026-04-01 APP

    Joint Favorable Substitute

  8. 2026-03-06 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/12

  9. 2026-02-27 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Appropriations

Official Summary Text

To restore the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund to its original intent of funding all towns.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate
sSB388 / File No. 647 1

General Assembly File No. 647
February Session, 2026 Substitute Senate Bill No. 388

Senate, April 15, 2026

The Committee on Appropriations reported through SEN.
OSTEN of the 19th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the
part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT AND
MOHEGAN FUND.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 3 -55i of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 2
(a) (1) There is established the "Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan 3
Fund" which shall be a separate nonlapsing fund. All funds received by 4
the state of Connecticut from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe pursuant 5
to the joint memorandum of understanding entered into by and 6
between the state and the [tribe] Mashantucket Pequot Tribe on January 7
13, 1993, as amended on April 30, 1993, and any successor thereto, or 8
from the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut pursuant to the 9
memorandum of understanding entered into by and between the state 10
and the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut on May 17, 1994, as 11
amended from time to time, shall be deposited in the General Fund. 12
[During the fiscal year] 13
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sSB388 / File No. 647 2

(2) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and each fiscal year 14
thereafter] to June 30, 2027, inclusive , from the funds received by the 15
state from the tribe pursuant to said joint memorandum of 16
understanding, as amended, and any successor thereto, an amount 17
equal to the appropriation to the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan 18
Fund for Grants to Towns shall be transferred to the Mashantucket 19
Pequot and Mohegan Fund and shall be distributed by the Office of 20
Policy and Management, during said fiscal [year] years, in accordance 21
with the provisions of section 3 -55j. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 22
2028, and each fiscal year thereafter, one hundred fifty-two million three 23
hundred seventy-eight thousand six hundred seventy-six dollars of the 24
funds deposited in the General Fund pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 25
subsection shall be transferred from the General Fund to the 26
Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund. During each fiscal year, the 27
Office of Policy and Management shall make distributions of any funds 28
transferred to the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund pursuant 29
to this section in accordance with the provisions of section 3 -55j. The 30
amount of the grant payable to each municipality during any fiscal year, 31
in accordance with [said] section 3-55j, shall be reduced proportionately 32
if the total of such grants exceeds the amount of funds available for such 33
year. The grant shall be paid in three installments as follows: The 34
Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall, annually, not 35
later than the fifteenth day of December, the fifteenth day of March and 36
the fifteenth day of June certify to the Comptroller the amount due each 37
municipality under the provisions of section 3 -55j and the Comptroller 38
shall draw an order on the Treasurer on or before the fifth business day 39
following the fifteenth day of December, the fifth business day 40
following the fifteenth day of March and the fifth business day 41
following the fifteenth day of June and the Treasurer shall pay the 42
amount thereof to such municipality on or before the first day of 43
January, the first day of April and the thirtieth day of June. 44
(b) The transfers from the General Fund to the Mashantucket Pequot 45
and Mohegan Fund required by subsection (a) of this section shall not 46
be reduced except upon submission to the General Assembly by the 47
Governor of a certification of an emergency requiring such reduction. 48
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sSB388 / File No. 647 3

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 3-55i

APP Joint Favorable Subst.

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sSB388 / File No. 647 4

The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Policy & Mgmt., Off. GF - Cost None 99.8 million
Note: GF=General Fund

Municipal Impact:
Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Various Municipalities Revenue
Gain
None 99.8 million

Explanation
The bill results in an annual revenue gain to various municipalities
beginning in FY 28 as the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Grants to
Towns will increase by approximately $99.8 million, to a total of $152.38
million (in FY 28 and annually thereafter). 1 There will be a
corresponding cost to the General Fund beginning in FY 28 to provide
the funds necessary for this grant increase. 2 Currently, 124 towns
receive such grants.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.

1 In FY 27, this grant is estimated to be $52.5 million.
2 Current law requires the amount equal to the grant total to be transferred from the
General Fund to the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund. The funds are then
distributed by the Office of Policy and Management to towns.
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sSB388 / File No. 647 5

OFA Bill Analysis
SB 388

AN ACT CONCERNING THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT AND
MOHEGAN FUND.

SUMMARY:
The bill makes the following changes regarding the Mashantucket
Pequot and Mohegan grant.
• Maintains current funding levels through FY 27.
• Increases the grant total by approximately $99.8 million for a new
total of $152.4 million beginning in FY 28.
• Prevents this grant amount from being reduced except by
submission to the General Assembly by the Governor of an
emergency certification.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2026
Background
Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Grant
PA 93-388 established the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund.
This fund is a separate, nonlapsing fund containing revenue from casino
gaming. Casino gaming revenue is deposited into the General Fund and
then transferred to the fund, in an amount equal to the grants to be
distributed. Money in this fund is distributed to m unicipalities
according to various factors, including the value of state -owned
property, private college and general hospitals, population, equalized
net grand list, and per capita income. Host towns receive additional
payments, and three tribes also receive grants.
Currently, towns receive the same Pequot grant they received in FY
20. Since FY 16, the total grant amount has ranged from $49.9 million to
sSB388 File No. 647

sSB388 / File No. 647 6

$61.7 million. In FY 26, the appropriation for this grant is approximately
$52.5 million.
Under the current distribution, 45 towns do not receive any funds
from this grant.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Appropriations Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 51 Nay 0 (04/01/2026)