Accomplishments – maroneyforus.com

Accomplishments

Senator Maroney worked to pass comprehensive data privacy protections for Connecticut residents, making Connecticut just the 5th state in the country to do so.

Senator Maroney spearheaded legislation over three years to establish robust data privacy protections for Connecticut residents.
The legislation grants Connecticut consumers five key rights related to their data privacy.
It imposes significant responsibilities on corporations regarding data handling and privacy practices.
The bill has received widespread acclaim for providing some of the strongest privacy protections in the United States.
International Association for Privacy Professionals, CT Mirror Connecticut Public Radio New Haven Register

Providing Tax Relief

property tax

Increased the property tax credit and the number of people eligible for the property tax credit.

Child Tax Rebate

Created a child tax rebate. The rebate will equal $250 per child for up to three children. the maximum credit will be $750.

Eliminated Income Tax

Eliminated income tax on pension and annuity income for qualifying individuals as of 2022.

Student Mental Health

The budget also made historic investments in Student Mental Health, Early Childhood Education, protecting the environment, and more.

Strengthening Connecticut’s economy and reduce unemployment

The Workforce Pipeline & Apprenticeship initiative was expanded. The program’s goal was expanded to train and place up to 10,000 workers into well paying jobs. In addition, Senator Maroney worked on a pilot program for a Pay it Forward Success Program that will help train Connecticut Residents to get their Commercial Drivers License and he is working to further expand that program.

Senator Maroney’s bill helps provide student loan payment relief

Senator Maroney is proud to have co-sponsored and developed Senate Bill No. 72. It provides a tax credit to employers who make payments on any of their employees’ student loans from the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority. The bill was passed against the backdrop of Connecticut’s student loan debt ballooning from $8 billion to $17 billion between 2008 and 2017. This legislation encourages people to take advantage of Connecticut’s outstanding colleges and universities and then remain part of the Connecticut economy and workforce. Governor Lamont expanded upon this bill in the 2021 budget, increasing the number of students who are eligible for this Student Loan relief.

Senator Maroney supports our veterans

Senator Maroney is dedicated to using his position as chair of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee to support the brave Americans who served in our military. He authored the bill establishing the Military to Machinist Program, which he ensured passed both the Connecticut House and Senate with unanimous approval, before Gov. Lamont signed it into law last August. The bill helps veterans gain the skills needed to secure employment in advanced manufacturing and similar jobs, not only helping veterans in making the transition out of the military but also bolstering Connecticut’s manufacturing industry.

Help for small businesses

When Senator Maroney returned to Hartford as a Senator in 2019, he brought with him nearly two decades of experience as a business owner. His first-hand knowledge of Connecticut’s economic landscape made his authoring of “An Act Concerning Opportunity Zones” a legislative priority. The bill, which Senator Maroney introduced just two weeks into term, worked to increase long-term economic investment across the state and expedite the permitting process for new projects within the state’s opportunity zones. It passed the Senate with unanimous support and was signed into law in June of 2019.

Senator Maroney’s impact on education

Senator Maroney once again shepherded legislation garnering unanimous approval into law when he led debate on Senate Bill No. 957, “An Act Concerning Computer Science Instruction in Public Schools.” This forward thinking law established computer science education as a required subject for all Connecticut schools. It made Connecticut the first state in the country to require that teacher preparation programs offer instruction in how to teach programming and coding while also establishing a specific certification program for computer science teachers.

Senator Maroney Supports Seniors

Senator Maroney was proud to support the 2022 budget, that eliminated the state income tax on pensions for individual senior citizens making less than $75,000 a year, or married couples making less than $100,000 a year as of 2022. In the past, Senator Maroney oversaw the development of Senate Bill No. 832, which created an elder abuse registry for Connecticut. The registry—which established a public database of known offenders who have been convicted of assault or any form of abuse—will help ensure that the elderly population and disabled adults are cared for and adequately protected from harm.

Senator Maroney Takes Action Against Sexual Harassment

One of Senator Maroney’s proudest actions since being elected was voting to pass the “Time’s Up” bill, which increased certain sexual harassment penalties, extended the time limits for filing sexual assault lawsuits, allowed more time for the criminal prosecution of sexual assault, and required more employer-sponsored sexual harassment training. In particular, it fully eliminated any statute of limitations in all cases of sexual assault against a minor, giving such victims of assault a chance to secure the justice and healing to which they are entitled.