As reported by CCM on Friday - House Bill 6456, one of the largest unfunded mandates on municipalities in decades, died in accordance with the General Assembly rules - as Appropriations

Committee members failed to complete the vote on it by the committee's 5:00 p.m. deadline (see vote tally sheet below).

CCM has now learned that Democratic leadership has "emergency certified" the mandate - thus, resurrecting the bill and bringing it directly to the House floor.

Minutes before the cormmittee's 5:00 p.m. deadline, an amendment by Sen. Dan Debicella (R-Shelton) that creates "a police and firefighters occupational exposure account" within the General Fund, for purposes of reimbursing municipalities for the costs associated with the mandate, was adopted. The language of the emergency certified bill should reflect the way the bill would have come out of the committee, as amended, but we have not yet been able to confirm it

Legislative leaders have resurrected FIB 6956 despite its impact on local taxpayers. This mandate would cost towns and cities tens of millions of dollars annually by granting special workers' compensation presump tions for police officers and firefighters who contract certain types of cancer or infectious diseases. The bill would also extend the already costly heart and hypertension mandate.

Many state legislators, as well as the public, are as yet unaware of this decision by leadership.

Local officials need to contact their state legislators NOW!

Tell them to oppose this costly mandate in whatever form it will reappear, and that bills that die in committee should not be resuscitated using the emergency certification process, a process designed to deal with a true emergency situation that requires an end-run around the legislative rules. A benefits give-away to a narrow group of employees should not qualify for this treatment.

For more information regarding this bulletin, please contact Bob Labanara or Ron Thomas of CCM al 203-498-3000. Enclosure