Graduate Student Funding Bill Passes Committee

SB 8, AN ACT SUPPORTING GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE STATE, which creates state funding for a loan program to help graduate students who are threatened with losing resources as a result of proposals currently before the Federal Department of Education, passed the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee unanimously this week.

APTA CT President Maryclaire Capetta, pictured, testified at the Committee’s February 17th public hearing along with a number of other provider organizations. APTA CT has been working hand in hand with the Connecticut Healthcare Professionals Coalition in opposition to the federal changes and, now, in support of this bill. Other organizations include the CT Nurses Association, Connecticut Advanced Practice Registered Nurses Society, Connecticut Academy of Physician Associates, Connecticut Chiropractic Physicians Association, Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association, Connecticut Speech and Hearing Association, Connecticut Academy of Audiology, Connecticut Athletic Trainers’ Association, Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and others.

Maryclaire was quoted in the Hartford Courant on the bill. It was also heartening to see Governor Lamont’s statement include the following, “I’m particularly concerned that these new federal changes are going to make it even harder for students to seek graduate degrees in areas such as nursing, social work, and physical therapy, when we actually should be doing more to encourage people to enter these fields”

The bill will likely head to the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee in the coming weeks. Be on the lookout for an action alert from APTA CT if your state Representative or state Senator is on that committee.

In the meantime, the Federal Department of Education is accepting comments on their funding cuts until this coming Monday, March 2nd.  Click here to submit comments.

2025 State Legislative Updates

Highlights from Hartford 

• The Governor’s Budget includes a proposal to eliminate professional health care licensing fees for a number of professions, including physical therapists. The proposal is included in Senate Bill 1246, which is under consideration in the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee.  APTA CT is supporting the Governor’s proposal.
• APTA CT testified in favor HB 7157, AA Concerning Various Revisions to Public Health Statutes, which among other things requires each PT to take two hours of ethics and jurisprudence CE every two years, which is modeled after similar laws in at least 17 states.  The proposal does not add to the overall CE requirement for Connecticut PTs.  From our testimony, “we know many therapists and other health care professionals are facing mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, and professional burnout.  Societal and institutional pressures can contribute to one’s ability to make solid ethical choices.  This proposal is a common-sense approach to using the current regulatory system to reinforce the importance of ethical decision-making regularly in both creating a healthy practice environment and maximizing public trust.”