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EDITOR’S NOTE: Based on a later amendment to the bill in question, voters who wish to be permanently added to a list for automatic absentee ballot applications can do so as of July 1, 2027, not July 1, 2026, according to the Secretary of the State’s office.
More than 80 new Connecticut laws will take effect in whole or in part on July 1, 2026.
Laws passed by the legislature have effective dates of July 1, Oct. 1 and Jan. 1 each year, and certain parts of a law can have effective dates at different times.
From absentee ballot rules to tax-free school supplies, here is a summary of some of the new laws taking effect July 1:
Absentee Ballot & Voting Changes
An updated voting law allows for a person turning 18 on or before the day of an election to vote by absentee ballot or participate in early voting for that election.
Also under a new elections law, any municipal official or election worker receiving a subpoena or warrant or request to inspect any record or recording at any tabulator or ballot box is required to notify the Secretary of the State’s office and the attorney general within 36 hours. The state offices will then provide legal guidance on next steps.
Providing tabulator access to any third party not authorized by the Secretary of the State is now a Class D felony. Tampering with ballot boxes in any way is also a Class D felony.
The new law also bans people from wearing a face mask within 250 feet of an election site, unless it’s medically necessary, for religious reasons or due to extreme weather, in which case the person must comply with the moderator’s request to remove the mask.
Under the same law, voters who wish to receive an absentee ballot can, as of July 1, 2027, request that their name be added to a list of those who are automatically mailed absentee ballot applications for each election, primary or referendum. A voter can be removed from the list upon request, if submitting a change of address form with the USPS to move out of state, or if the ballot application is returned as undeliverable.
As of July 1, the state will no longer charge its 6.35% sales tax on school supplies like notebooks, binders, markers, erasers, and glue as long as they are not bought for business use.
Click here for a full list of exempt items.
Additionally, Connecticut will expand its tax-free week offered each August to include clothing and shoes up to $300. Previously, the tax-free exemption only applied to items below $100.
Lawmakers had also discussed tax rebates for families, but instead approved aid for municipalities, with the goal of bringing down property taxes.
Breast Cancer Screenings For Incarcerated
Starting July 1, the state Department of Correction must provide women in its custody access to breast cancer screenings at licensed health care institutions closer to the correctional
facility than the UConn Health Center in Farmington. The state’s only facility for women offenders is York Correctional Institution in Niantic, more than 50 miles away.
The facility houses more than 800 women – some who have been convicted and are serving their sentences and others awaiting trial.
Screening guidelines for women with average risk of breast cancer include annual mammograms starting at age 40, but earlier if the person has a personal or family history of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Armed School Guards
Another new law that takes effect July 1 closes a loophole when it comes to armed guards in Connecticut schools. The new law specifies that a sworn or retired officer who will possess a firearm in a school as part of their duties must have separated from their police department in good standing and cannot be someone who is prohibited from working in another police department.
The law comes as a result of a CT Insider investigation earlier this year that highlighted four cases where police officers previously dismissed for sustained misconduct were hired to work in schools. The investigation showed inconsistent hiring standards and vetting practices.
Mushroom & MDMA Therapy
A new law expands on a psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program run by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The program – previously only for veterans, retired first responders and direct health care workers – now allows anyone 18 years or older with trauma deemed eligible to receive MDMA- or psilocybin-assisted therapy as part of a research program approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
MDMA, a synthetic psychoactive drug, is also known as ecstasy or “Molly.” Silocybin is a substance naturally occurring in some mushrooms. Both can be serotonin receptor agonists, which can help regulate mood, anxiety, sleep and appetite.
Financial Oversight Of Nonprofits
Another new law will add further scrutiny of General Assembly appropriations to nonprofit organizations in response to a federal investigation related to a state senator and a Hartford-area youth employment agency. Grants, loans or or financial assistance programs will require additional reporting by the nonprofits, as well as written agreements for amounts under $150,000. Grants over that amount will require documentation of eligible expenditures by the recipient and a review by state officials, but partial payments can be made.
Gov. Ned Lamont said residents have asked for greater transparency and accountability in how legislatively directed funds — commonly referred to as earmarks – are proposed, reviewed and distributed.
“The public deserves to know exactly how and why those decisions are made, what standards apply, and what oversight mechanisms are in place,” the governor has said.
Seizure Of Virtual Currencies
A new law establishes a process for how the state can seize virtual currency, when said currency has been possessed, controlled, designed or used to commit larceny or are the proceeds of a larceny. First, the state must prove facts authorizing the forfeiture with clear and convincing evidence, just like when seizing other properties related to criminal activity.
The state must begin the proceeding within 90 days of seizing the items, and then hold a hearing at least two weeks after notice has been sent out about a proceeding. The forfeited assets should be used to compensate victims of the involved crime, the law says.
Students Get Free Bus Passes
Starting July 1, public school students in grades 9-12 will be offered free public bus passes bought by their local or regional school boards. The state Department of Education will provide the local districts with grant funding to help pay for the passes. The local boards must provide reports and financial statements to the state, and if the state finds that the grant money was used elsewhere, the local districts will be required to reimburse the state.
A similar program will be offered for veterans through the state Department of Veterans Affairs, also starting July 1.
DDS Abuse Reports
A new law requires the state Department of Developmental Services to provide copies of original or investigation reports of alleged abuse and neglect to an alleged victim’s parent, guardian, or other legal representative, when it is requested. However, these people cannot access the reports if they are, or live with, the alleged or substantiated perpetrator, under the law.
The act also requires the agency to give people with intellectual disabilities and their
legal representatives a guide on the DDS abuse and neglect reporting process and requires the commissioner of the department to ensure all staff are trained in legal requirements for information sharing for abuse and neglect complaints.
Housing & Zoning Changes
Local officials must treat manufactured homes, regardless of size, the same as any other dwellings under a new law effective July 1. Local zoning officials also cannot reject proposed developments of 16 or fewer units over off-street parking issues “unless the lack of parking will have a specific adverse impact on public health and safety,” the law specifies.
The law also says that a municipality must allow “transit community middle housing developments” – residential buildings with two to nine units – as well as mixed-use developments with only a summary review on parcels zoned for commercial or mixed-use development. Under this process, a project that complies with local zoning regulations is approvable without a public hearing, variance, special permit or exception, the summary of the law details.
Viktoria Sundqvist is a veteran Connecticut journalist, a CTSPJ board member, and a former newsroom data analyst. She also runs the CT Missing People & Cold Cases Substack. Sign up here!
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