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HB 6045

AN ACT PROHIBITING THE DISCLOSURE OF THE NAME AND RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS OF LOTTERY WINNERS UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Cara Pavalock-D'Amato

Connecticut bill exempts lottery winners' names and addresses from public records disclosure to protect privacy and safety, balancing transparency against personal security concerns.

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON General Law
#connecticutlotterycorporation #disclosure #freedomofinformation
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Bill Summary · HB 6045

Legislative bill overview

HB 6045 would amend Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act to exempt lottery winners' names and residential addresses from public disclosure requirements. Currently, this information is considered public record accessible through FOIA requests. The bill would create a privacy exception specifically for individuals who win lottery prizes.

Why is this important

Lottery winner information disclosure raises genuine security and privacy concerns—winners can face harassment, solicitation, fraud attempts, and physical safety risks once their identities and locations become public. However, transparency advocates argue that public funding of lotteries creates a legitimate public interest in knowing how state resources are distributed, and that anonymity could enable corruption or fraud claims.

Potential points of contention

  • Public accountability vs. privacy: State lotteries are taxpayer-funded; some argue the public has a right to know where prize money goes, while others prioritize personal safety for winners
  • Selective exemptions: Creating FOIA exceptions for lottery winners could establish precedent for exempting other government-distributed benefits or grant recipients from disclosure
  • Fraud prevention: Transparency can help detect suspicious patterns or improper claims; anonymity removes this oversight mechanism
  • Inconsistent application: Other states handle this differently (some allow anonymity, others require disclosure), raising questions about what Connecticut's standard should be

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

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