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Did Not Advance

Connecticut requires legislative committee review for Department of Social Services federal grant applications

Original title: AN ACT CONCERNING OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL FUND APPLICATIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.

Last action · April 7, 2026: File Number 480

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

The bill requires the Department of Social Services to submit grant applications for the and to the Human Services Committee at least thirty days before federal submission. The committee is authorized to hold a public hearing and vote to approve, deny, or modify the application. If the committee fails to act within thirty days, the application is automatically approved.

Why it matters

The measure establishes legislative control over multi-million dollar federal health grants, allowing lawmakers to block or alter state applications for federal funding related to Medicaid and rural health care.

Background
  • The Rural Health Transformation Program was created under 2025 federal legislation to provide states with grants to expand rural health care access and quality. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Department of Social Services

Must submit federal grant applications for committee review and comply with committee votes to deny or modify applications.

Directly affected

Human Services Committee

Gains the authority to review, hold public hearings on, approve, deny, or modify Department of Social Services federal grant applications.

Key Facts

  • The Department of Social Services must forward applications for Rural Health Transformation Program grants or technical assistance funding to the Human Services Committee at least thirty days before submitting them to the federal government.
  • The Human Services Committee may schedule a public hearing and vote to approve, deny, or modify any such grant application.
  • If the committee does not vote within thirty days of receiving an application, the application is deemed approved.
  • If the committee votes to deny an application, the Department of Social Services is prohibited from submitting it to the federal government.
Show all 6 facts
  • If the committee votes to modify an application, the department must update the application in accordance with the vote before federal submission.
  • Technical assistance funding is defined as federal grants to implement system modifications for eligibility changes in public assistance programs including Medicaid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the Human Services Committee does not act on a grant application within thirty days?
If the committee does not vote to approve, deny, or modify the application within thirty days of receipt, the application is deemed approved.
Can the Department of Social Services submit an application if the committee votes to deny it?
No. If the committee votes to deny the application, the commissioner is prohibited from submitting it to the federal government.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · on the Senate floor.

Procedural history

9 actions
  1. Apr 7, 2026Connecticut General Assembly
    File Number 480
  2. Apr 7, 2026Senate
    Senate Calendar Number 292
  3. Apr 7, 2026Senate
    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
  4. Apr 7, 2026Connecticut General Assembly
    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
  5. Mar 30, 2026Connecticut General Assembly
    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26 12:00 PM
  6. Mar 20, 2026Connecticut General Assembly
    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office
Show 3 earlier actions
  1. Mar 19, 2026Connecticut General Assembly
    Joint Favorable
  2. Mar 13, 2026Connecticut General Assembly
    Public Hearing 03/17
  3. Mar 11, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyCommittee
    Referred to Joint Committee on Human Services

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Legislative Oversight Expansion

The bill introduces a mandatory pre-submission review window for executive branch grant applications involving federal health transformation and technical assistance funds.

Connected Entities

Department of Social Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Human Services Committee and 1 more
OrganizationDepartment of Social Services“state agency required to submit grant applications for legislative review”Map →
OrganizationCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services“federal agency administering the Rural Health Transformation Program”Map →
OrganizationHuman Services Committee“legislative committee authorized to review, approve, deny, or modify grant appli”Map →
OrganizationRural Health Transformation Program“federal program providing grants to states to improve rural health”Map →

Sources

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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