Last week’s ice storm prompted a reminder of Connecticut's law which requires drivers to clear snow and ice from the roofs of their vehicles. Connecticut is one of a handful of Northeast states with a law regarding snow and ice removal from vehicles.
Although this law has been on the books for over 10 years, news outlets and police departments note that it bears repeating. Public Act 13-102 states that failure to remove accumulated ice/snow from a vehicle may result in fines that range from $75 to $1,250. This should be deterrent enough to allocate the necessary time deicing and removing snow from cars.
Speaking of....there are a number of laws that became active January 1st, 2024. Law are passed throughout the year at the state capital, but only a handful of the bills signed went into effect immediately. Many kicked in Oct. 1, and more still become active on the first day of 2024. This year, new state statutes affect a wide variety of issues including early voting, minimum wage, online dating and healthcare records.
Here are just a few summaries, and if you are interested in what happened before these were passed, check out our research guide which provides step-by-step guide on how to locate legislative history in Connecticut (nifty result, legislative history for PA 13-102 – see how it came to be!).
Minimum Wage
Connecticut's minimum wage will increase effective January 1 from $15.00 to $15.69. Made possible through legislation passed in 2019, which implemented five incremental increases in the minimum wage followed by future adjustments that are tied to the percentage change in the federal employment cost index.
Artificial Intelligence (PA-23-16)
This act concerning AI, automated decision-making and personal data privacy requires creation of an Office of Artificial Intelligence, and establishment of an AI task force and bill of rights. The law also requires Connecticut to examine the technology’s role and impact on state agencies.
Under the same measure, the state will also work to protect the data privacy of individuals, including the case of targeted advertising.
EARLY VOTING (PA 23-5)
Public Act 23-5 creates a framework for early, in-person voting requiring a 14-day early voting period for general elections, a seven-day period for most primaries, and a four-day early voting period for special elections and presidential preference primaries. Check out this Issue Brief from the Office of Legislative Research which explains Connecticut's Early Voting Law.
ONLINE PRIVACY, DATA AND SAFETY PROTECTIONS (PA 23-56)
Makes various changes to laws on data privacy and related issues, including provisions on consumer health data, minors’ social media accounts and online services, online dating operators, and a task force on internet crimes against children.
RESOURCES FOR PERSONS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY (PA 23-137)
This act contains many supportive measures, including the creation of a plan to establish a Transitional Life Skills College program to support certain people with IDD who are transitioning out of high school or to independent living.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURIES (PA 23-35)
Expands eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits for post-traumatic stress injuries to all employees covered by the workers’ compensation law.
The Connecticut General Assembly site list all Acts effective January 1, 2024 with a nifty tool for filtering by date. Check them out and don’t forget to remove ice from your vehicle! Drive safely!