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HB 5656

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- GAMBLING AND LOTTERIES

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Bill O'Brien

HB 5656 ties Connecticut legislators' pay to timely budget passage, authorizing withholds or penalties if the budget isn’t enacted by deadline, affecting lawmakers' compensation.

03/25/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · HB 5656

Summary — HB 5656

Title: AN ACT CONCERNING LEGISLATORS' SALARIES AND TIMELY PASSAGE OF THE STATE BUDGET
Bill Number: HB 5656
Subject: General Assembly members' salaries and expenses; State budget

Overview / Purpose

HB 5656 addresses two related subjects: compensation for members of the General Assembly and incentives or penalties tied to the timely enactment of the State budget. The bill’s title indicates its intent is to change how legislators are paid and/or to condition some portion of compensation on meeting statutory or constitutional budget deadlines, with the aim of encouraging on-time passage of the budget.

Note: The full bill text was not provided. The summary below describes the bill’s status and outlines the kinds of provisions the bill title indicates, together with objective notes on likely effects. For precise statutory changes and exact language, consult the enrolled bill text (see “Where to find the text”).

Key provisions (based on bill title and typical provisions)

Because the bill text is not included here, the following list identifies the types of provisions that HB 5656 is likely to contain. The actual bill may include one or more of these mechanisms:

  • Adjust or reset legislators’ base salary, expense allowances, or statutory compensation levels.
  • Create an automatic withholding, reduction, or suspension of part or all of legislators’ pay if the General Assembly fails to enact a balanced state budget by the statutory/constitutional deadline.
  • Provide a prorated pay formula tied to the number of days the budget is late.
  • Define an appeals or review process, or exceptions (e.g., declared emergencies) that exempt pay penalties.
  • Require periodic reporting to the Appropriations Committee or an independent office on compliance with budget deadlines and any salary adjustments.
  • Specify effective dates and transitional rules for any new salary or penalty scheme.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Members of the Connecticut General Assembly (state senators and representatives) — their compensation and expense rules.
  • Secondary: Legislature’s staff and legislative operations (administrative adjustments), and indirectly taxpayers and state agencies if the measure alters incentives around on-time budgeting.
  • Potential political/administrative impacts: May change bargaining dynamics in budget negotiations; could raise constitutional or administrative questions about separation of powers depending on enforcement mechanisms.

Procedural history and status

  • Filed: March 27, 2025; referred to the Joint Committee on Appropriations (original referral recorded Jan 21, 2025).
  • Committee activity: Considered and reported favorably without amendment; recommended for Local & Consent/Uncontested calendar.
  • House passage: Passed in the House (May 7, 2025); received in Senate (May 8, 2025).
  • Senate passage and enrollment: Passed the Senate (May 28, 2025); enrolled and sent to Governor (May 31, 2025).
  • Final status: Filed without the Governor’s signature and became effective immediately on June 20, 2025. (“Filed without the Governor’s signature” indicates the bill became law without the Governor’s signature per applicable procedures.)

Impact considerations

  • If the bill ties pay to budget passage, it creates a financial incentive to meet deadlines but could also politicize compensation or raise legal questions (constitutional limits on altering legislator compensation).
  • Administrative implementation will be needed to calculate and withhold pay and to interpret exceptions/exemptions.
  • The magnitude of effect depends entirely on the bill’s specific salary changes, penalty formulas, and enforcement rules.

Where to find the full bill text

To review exact statutory changes, penalty formulas, dollar amounts, or exceptions, consult the enrolled bill text and legislative records for HB 5656 (Connecticut General Assembly): bill file/enrolled act dated June 20, 2025.

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

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