SB 401

General Assembly  Raised Bill No. 401
  February Session, 2026  LCO No. 2582
 Referred to Committee on APPROPRIATIONS
 Introduced by:
   (APP)
 AN ACT CONCERNING A BRIDGE PROGRAM TO ALLOW ACCESS
 TO FOOD, HOUSING AND HEALTH CARE BENEFITS.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
1Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section,
2     "vulnerable persons" means veterans, homeless persons or persons at
3     risk of homelessness, adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder,
4     young adults aging out of the foster care system and persons age fifty-
5     five to sixty-four who are at risk of losing benefits under the Medicaid
6     and supplemental nutrition assistance programs and permanent
7     supportive housing assistance due to changes in work requirements
8     pursuant to P.L. 119-21 and proposed changes to United States
9     Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations.
10(b) Not later than October 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Social
11    Services, in collaboration with the Commissioners of Aging and
12    Disability Services, Children and Families, Housing and Mental Health
13    and Addiction Services and the Labor Commissioner, shall develop a
14    plan for a bridge program to provide state-funded medical assistance,
15    nutrition assistance, supportive housing and employment assistance
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16 programs to vulnerable persons. The program shall:
17    (1) Supplement (A) current job support programs administered by
18 the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Aging
19 and Disability Services, (B) the Jobs First Employment Services program
20 for recipients of temporary family assistance, and (C) other employment
21 services offered by the state Labor Department for veterans and other
22 vulnerable persons to help such persons meet federal work
23 requirements and transition from permanent supportive housing
24 programs;
25    (2) Provide transitional state-funded medical assistance, nutrition
26 assistance and housing assistance equivalent to such assistance
27 vulnerable persons would have received until changes in federal law
28 and proposed changes in federal regulations;
29    (3) Recommend long-term housing solutions for vulnerable persons,
30 including, but not limited to, an inventory of state-owned property that
31 may be suitable for renovation and repurposing to provide housing
32 assistance; and
33   (4) Require uniform documentation of employability of vulnerable
34 persons after they receive employment assistance for purposes of
35 submission to the federal government for potential federal waivers of
36 work requirements.
37    (c) Not later than January 1, 2027, the Commissioner of Social Services
38 shall submit the plan for the bridge program, together with a calculation
39 of the amount of state appropriations needed to implement the bridge
40 program and a timeline for implementation, to the joint standing
41 committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
42 relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, human
43 services, housing and labor.
  This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
  sections:
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Section 1      from passage   New section
APP  Joint Favorable
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