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SB 1506

AN ACT CONCERNING RACIAL AND ETHNIC IMPACT STATEMENTS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Paul Cicarella and 3 co-sponsors

Connecticut requires racial and ethnic impact statements for bills with potential disproportionate effects on minorities before legislative votes, making equity analysis mandatory in lawmaking.

SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
#ethnicity #generalassembly #impactstatements #race #stateagencies
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Bill Summary · SB 1506

Legislative bill overview

SB 1506 requires Connecticut lawmakers to prepare racial and ethnic impact statements for all bills that may have a disproportionate effect on racial or ethnic minorities. These statements must analyze potential disparities in the bill's implementation and outcomes, and be made publicly available before legislative votes occur.

Why is this important

This bill institutionalizes consideration of racial equity in the legislative process by making disparate impacts visible and part of official legislative records. It aims to prevent unintended discriminatory consequences while allowing lawmakers and the public to evaluate bills through a racial equity lens before enactment.

Potential points of contention

  • Resource and timeline burden: Requiring impact statements for potentially all bills may strain legislative staff and slow down the legislative process, particularly for bills introduced with limited advance notice
  • Subjective determinations: Deciding which bills have potential racial/ethnic impacts involves judgment calls that could be politically contested or inconsistently applied across different bill types
  • Enforceability and compliance: Without clear penalties or oversight mechanisms, compliance may be uneven; statements could become perfunctory documents rather than genuine analytical tools

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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