Legislation From State Rep. Diana Urban

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Rep. Diana Urban serves the Assembly’s 43rd district, which includes the community of Stonington. Urban is sponsoring and co-sponsoring a total of 31 bills, including an act to create at Connecticut Beer Trail, a bill to establish consistent speed limits for boats on the Mystic River and legislation concerning leash laws.  Here is the full list of bills Urban is sponsoring and co-sponsoring, along with their current status:

1. H.B. No. 5048: an act requiring certificate of need approval for the termination of inpatient and outpatient services. "To ensure that the oversight role of the Office of Health Care Access is maintained by requiring a hospital seeking to terminate inpatient or outpatient services offered by such hospital to pursue and obtain certificate of need approval from the office prior to terminating such services and require the office to hold a public hearing on such requests to ensure transparency in the process prior to the office taking any action of the request."
   Status: Jan. 19 Vote to draft.
2. H.B. No. 5300: an act concerning the speed limits of boats on the Mystic River. “To create statutory consistency in establishing the speed limits for boats along the Mystic River.”
   Status: Jan. 18, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
   Also sponsored by state and .
3. H.B. No. 5315: an act concerning liability for the recreational use of lands. “To include municipalities, quasi-public agencies and special districts that provide water or sewer services as owners of land entitled to immunity under the Recreational Land Use Act.”
   Status: Jan. 18, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary.
4. H.B. No. 5365: an act prohibiting the use of the deca-mixture of polybrominated diphenylethers in certain electronics. “To phase out the use of polybrominated diphenylethers.”
   Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
5. H.B. No. 5393: an act concerning the confinement and tethering of dogs. “To strengthen current law, improve enforcement and assure public and canine welfare.”
   Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
6. H.B. No. 5394: an act concerning the use of certain drugs in pulling horses. “To protect the health of pulling horses.”
   Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
7. H.B. No. 5395: an act concerning the size of battery cages for egg-laying hens. “To ensure the humane treatment of egg-laying hens.”
   Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
8. H.B. No. 5396: an act establishing a registry of animal cruelty offenders. “To recognize the connection between animal cruelty and the tendency for future violent behavior.”
   Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
9. H.B. No. 5397: an act enabling farmers to seek review of ordinances and regulations that restrict normal agricultural operations. “To help farmers carry on with their normal agricultural operations.”
   Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
10. H.B. No. 5398: an act establishing maximum leash lengths and a registry of dogs that have attacked persons. “To establish the length of leashes for dogs and a registry of dogs that have bitten persons.”
    Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
11. H.B. No. 5399: an act concerning the euthanizing of animals by the Connecticut Humane Society. “To ensure humane methods of euthanization by the Connecticut Humane Society.”
    Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Environment.
12. H.B. No. 5442: an act concerning homeowners insurance coverage based on breed of dog. “To prohibit insurers from underwriting personal lines insurance based on the breed of dog owned by the insured.”
    Status: Jan. 19, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Insurance and Real Estate.
13. H.B. No. 5530: an act concerning dissection choice. “To allow students to conscientiously object to performing dissections in the classroom.”
    Status: Jan. 20, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Education.
14. H.B. No. 5531: an act concerning humane education. “To promote and positively enforce the way children treat animals, the planet and each other.”
    Status: Jan. 20, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Education.
15. H.B. No. 5535: an act concerning school bullying laws. “To strengthen the state's school bullying laws.”
    Status: Jan. 20, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Education.
16. H.B. No. 5566: an act exempting nonprofit volunteer ambulance services from state insurance requirements. “To allow a nonprofit volunteer ambulance service to provide services in the state on a subscription basis while remaining exempt from the statutory requirements of title 38a of the general statutes.”
    Status: Jan. 20, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Insurance and Real Estate.
    Also sponsored by state .
17. H.B. No. 5576: an act requiring that a mechanic's lien be based on a written contract. “To eliminate mechanic's liens based on verbal agreements.”
    Status: Jan. 20, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary.
18. H.B. No. 5652: an act concerning the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund “To increase the amount of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Fund revenues returning to cities and towns and to assist casino-impacted municipalities in meeting their host community obligations.”
    Status: Jan. 21, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Appropriations.
    Also sponsored by state and .
19. H.B. No. 5814: an act requiring counseling for juveniles and youthful offenders convicted of cruelty to animals. “To make it mandatory that children convicted of cruelty to animals undergo psychiatric or psychological counseling, rather than giving the court the option to order counseling as under existing law.”
    Status: Jan. 24, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Children.
20. H.B. No. 5867: an act requiring the labeling of cellular phones. “To require the labeling of cellular phones to indicate the amount of radiation that each model emits.”
    Status: Jan. 24, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on General Law.
21. H.B. No. 5868: an act requiring the labeling of genetically modified food. “To require the labeling of genetically modified food.”
    Status: Jan. 24, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on General Law.
22. H.B. No. 5937: an act concerning veterinary technicians. “To create minimum professional standards and licensing or certification procedures for veterinary technicians. “
    Status: Jan. 24, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Public Health.
23. H.J. No. 1: resolution proposing an amendment to the state constitution to provide for no excuse absentee voting. “To eliminate the requirement that a voter give a reason for voting absentee.”
    Status: Jan. 6, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections.
24. S.B. No. 46: an act enabling muncipalities to establish a community green fund. "To promote conservation initiatives and to create jobs."         
    Status: Jan. 25, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Planning and Development.
25. S.B. No. 420: an act concerning the date when parents may register their children for kindergarten. “To raise Connecticut's kindergarten enrollment age so that it is more in line with other states, and to help address the state's achievement gap by reducing the number of four year olds struggling with curriculum set for older children.”
    Status: Jan. 21, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Education
26. S.B. No. 464: an act establishing a Connecticut Beer Trail. “To promote the manufacturing and sale of Connecticut made beer.”
    Status: Jan. 21, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on General Law.
    Also sponsored by state .
27. S.B. No. 532: an act concerning authorization of bonds of the state for purposes of construction of a hospice residential facility in Norwich. “To expand access to and enhance the quality of end of life care southeastern Connecticut.”
    Status: Jan. 21, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Public Health.
    Also sponsored by state and .
28. S.B. No. 622: an act appropriating funds for the Connecticut Cruise Ship Task Force. “To enhance tourism and economic development in southeastern Connecticut.”
    Status: Jan. 24, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Commerce.
    Also sponsored by state S.
29. S.B. No. 760: an act prohibiting the sale or possession of salvia divinorum. "To prevent the purchase and use of the psychoactive plant salvia divinorum."       
    Status: Jan. 25, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary.
    Also sponsored by state Senator Andrew Maynard and .
30. S.B. 761: an act prohibiting the sale or possession of synthetic cannabinoids. "To prohibit the sale or possession of herbal blends, with such brand or street names as K2, Spice and Liquid Gold, that provide a marijuana-like high due to coatings with chemicals that mimic THC, the psychoactive substance found in the cannabis plant."    
    Status: Jan. 25, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary.
    Also sponsored by state .
31. S.B. No. 790:  an act concerning unauthorized transmission of crime or accident scene photographs. "To enact "Joshua's Law" to protect the privacy rights of the families of deceased victims of crimes or accidents."         
    Status: Jan. 25, 2011: Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary
    Also sponsored by state and .

Additional Legislation To Watch For:

S.B. No. 303: an act returning a portion of the hotel sales tax to municipalities. First Selectman Edward Haberek Jr. sent a letter to Maynard and Urban on Jan. 10, 2011, requesting the act be advanced. The bill was introduced in 2010 and referred to the Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding.

":" Haberek sent a letter to Maynard and Urban on Jan. 10, 2011, requesting a hotel occupancy surcharge bill be considered. If Stonington was allowed to charge a $1 local surcharge on all hotel and lodging rooms the town could receive over $307,000 in additional revenue each year.