Signed by Governor Ned Lamont

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the state budget for fiscal years 2019-2021.

Highlights:

• Amends previous appropriations made to state employee and retiree allotments in order to reduce pension and healthcare expenditures by $18.3 million for fiscal years 2020 and $19.7 for fiscal year 2021 (Sec. 15).

• Repeals the Connecticut Teachers’ Retirement Fund Bonds Special Capital Reserve Fund and transfers any remaining money to the Budget Reserve Fund after meeting certain conditions (Sec. 82).

• Increases the state trade-in vehicle fee from $35 to $100 (Sec. 92).

• Authorizes an increase in facility rates for wage and benefit enhancements for nursing home and residential facility employees (Sec. 302).

• Requires the sale of meals sold by an eating establishment, caterer or grocery store, and spirituous liquors, soft drinks, sodas or beverages ordinarily served at bars and soda fountains be taxed at 1 percent (Sec. 324).

• Specifies “services” to include dry cleaning services, laundry services (excluding coin-operated services) and interior design services (Sec. 325).

• Specifies “tangible personal property” to include digital goods (Sec. 330).

• Reduces a tax credit for people affected by a tax imposed on certain business entities from 93 and one-hundredth percent to 87 and one-half percent (Sec. 333).

• Repeals the $250 state business entity tax beginning January 1, 2020 (Sec. 338-339).

• Requires taxes on electronic cigarette products, including (Sec. 351):

• 40 cents per milliliter of the electronic cigarette liquid contained in a prefilled, sealed, and not intended to be refillable e-cigarette product; and

• 10 percent of the wholesale sales price for any other e-cigarette product if sold at wholesale, or if not sold, then at the same rate upon use by the wholesaler.

• Increases the excise tax on alcoholic beverages by an average of 10 percent as follows, including, but not limited to(Sec. 352):

• Beer sold on or off a manufacturers premise:

• $3.60 for each barrel;

• $1.80 for each half barrel;

• $0.90 for each quarter barrel; and

• $0.12 per wine gallon or fractions less than a quarter barrel.

• Liquor, $5.40 per gallon;

• Still wine with not more than 21 percent alcohol content, $79 cents per wine gallon; and

• Cider containing not more than 7 percent alcohol content $7.92 for each barrel.

• Requires stores to charge a 10 cent fee for each single-use checkout bag provided to a customer and indicate the total amount provided and total amount charged on any transaction receipt provided to customers (Sec. 355).

• Requires the Board of Regents for Higher Education to establish a debt-free community college program to make awards to qualifying students each semester by January 1st, 2020 (Sec. 362).

• Requires varying tax rates for real estate meeting certain conditions, including (Sec. 337):

• 1 and one-quarter percent on the value of real estate in excess of $800,000 dollars up to and including $2,500,000 dollars; and

• 2 and one-quarter percent on the value of real estate in excess of $2,500,000 dollars

Full Bill Text