Connecticut 2026 Session Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 9 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 132 — AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE CONNECTICUT-GERMANY AND CONNECTICUT-INDIA TRADE COMMISSIONS.

Last action — SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 11, 2026. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Ned Lamont (Democratic) on May 27, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 78% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    10 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (9 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill establishes trade commissions for Connecticut with Germany and India.

This legislation creates trade commissions to foster and facilitate trade relationships between Connecticut and Germany and India. These commissions aim to enhance economic opportunities and collaboration.

What this means for you
  • Small Business: This means small businesses in Connecticut could gain access to international markets and partnerships through the trade commissions.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

253 added · 236 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Bill SB 132 establishes not only a Connecticut-Germany Trade Commission but also adds a Connecticut-India Trade Commission, broadening Connecticut's international trade relationships. The composition of the commission remains largely the same, with specific appointments outlined for various legislative leaders. This expansion is significant as it opens new avenues for trade and economic partnership with India, which could lead to increased investment and business opportunities for Connecticut.

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Senate General Assembly File No.
Substitute Senate Bill No.
70 February Session, 2026 Substitute Senate Bill No.
132 Public Act No.
132 Senate, March 19, 2026 The Committee on Commerce reported through SEN.
26-78 AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE CONNECTICUT-GERMANY AND CONNECTICUT-INDIA TRADE COMMISSIONS.
HARTLEY of the 15th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE CONNECTICUT-GERMANY TRADE COMMISSION.
(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House of sSB132 / File No.
(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;
70 1 sSB132 File No.
70 Representatives;
(7) Two members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, one of whom shall be appointed by the Senate chairperson of such committee and one of whom shall be appointed by the House chairperson of such committee;
(7) Two members of the joint standing committee of the General Substitute Senate Bill No.
132 Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, one of whom shall be appointed by the Senate chairperson of such committee and one of whom shall be appointed by the House chairperson of such committee;
and (13) Any additional members, as deemed necessary by the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce.
(13) A diplomatic representative of Germany in an honorary consular capacity if such diplomatic representative is willing to fulfill the duties of the trade commission, who shall be appointed by the Governor;
and (14) Any additional members, as deemed necessary by the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce.
(d) Any member of the commission appointed under subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, and subdivision (13) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.
(d) Any member of the commission appointed under subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, and subdivision (14) of subsection (b) of this section Public Act No.
sSB132 / File No.
26-78 2 of 9 Substitute Senate Bill No.
70 2 sSB132 File No.
132 may be a member of the General Assembly.
70 (e) (1) All initial appointments to the commission shall be made not later than October 1, 2026.
(e) (1) All initial appointments to the commission shall be made not later than October 1, 2026.
(i) A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.
Public Act No.
(j) The members of the commission shall serve without sSB132 / File No.
26-78 3 of 9 Substitute Senate Bill No.
70 3 sSB132 File No.
132 (i) A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.
70 compensation, but shall, within the limits of available funds, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.
(j) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall, within the limits of available funds, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.
(m) Not later than February 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the commission shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Governor, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce on the activities of the commission during the preceding year, which shall include, but need not be limited to, any recommendations for policy changes and amendments to the general statutes necessary to effectuate the purposes of the commission.
(m) Not later than February 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the commission shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Governor, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters Public Act No.
sSB132 / File No.
26-78 4 of 9 Substitute Senate Bill No.
70 4 sSB132 File No.
132 relating to commerce on the activities of the commission during the preceding year, which shall include, but need not be limited to, any recommendations for policy changes and amendments to the general statutes necessary to effectuate the purposes of the commission.
70 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Sec.
Section 1 from passage New section CE Joint Favorable Subst.
sSB132 / File No.
70 5 sSB132 File No.
70 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.
In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.
Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Legislative Mgmt.
GF - Potential Minimal Minimal Cost Note:
GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:
None Explanation The bill establishes a Connecticut-Germany Trade Commission resulting in a potential minimal cost to the Office of Legislative Management.
The bill specifies that commission members serve without compensation but can be reimbursed for necessary expenses resulting in a potential cost to the extent reimbursements occur.
The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to inflation.
sSB132 / File No.
70 6 sSB132 File No.
70 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 132 AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE CONNECTICUT-GERMANY TRADE COMMISSION.
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SUMMARY This bill establishes a Connecticut-Germany Trade Commission within the Legislative Department to, between Connecticut and Germany:
1.
advance bilateral trade and investment, 2.
initiate joint action on policy issues of mutual interest, 3.
promote business and academic exchanges, 4.
encourage mutual economic support and infrastructure investment, and 5.
address other issues the commission determines.
To carry out its duties, the bill also authorizes the commission to (1) obtain necessary assistance and data from any executive department, board, commission, or state agency;
(2) perform necessary and appropriate acts;
and (3) accept gifts, donations, or bequests.
Under the bill, the commission’s membership includes 23 appointed or ex-officio members, as well as any additional members the Commerce Committee chairs determine are necessary.
The bill requires the commission, starting by February 1, 2028, to annually report to the governor, Department of Economic and Community Development, and Commerce Committee on its activities during the prior year, including any recommendations for policy and legislative changes needed to carry out its purposes.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Upon passage sSB132 / File No.
70 7 sSB132 File No.
70 MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS Members Under the bill, the commission includes the following 23 appointed members, as well as any additional members the Commerce Committee chairpersons determine are necessary:
1.
two members each appointed by the six legislative leaders;
two Commerce Committee members, one each appointed by the committee chairpersons;
(NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a Connecticut-India Trade Commission, which shall be part of the Legislative Department.
3.
(b) The commission shall consist of the following members:
the Commerce Committee’s ranking members, or their designees;
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall have expertise in domestic nonprofit affairs or matters relating to the governance of international nonprofit organizations or nongovernmental organizations that may have information concerning opportunities for social and economic collaboration between Connecticut and India;
4.
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall have expertise in domestic legal affairs or international law that may impact legal agreements, trade partnerships or opportunities for institutional collaboration between Connecticut and India;
three members appointed by the governor;
(3) Two appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall have expertise in matters of domestic or global public health, and an ability to explore opportunities for collaboration between Connecticut and India;
5.
(4) Two appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one of whom shall have expertise in local, domestic or global economic development and investment opportunities intended to strengthen the partnership between Connecticut and India;
one representative of a Connecticut public college or university, appointed by the governor;
(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall have expertise in opportunities in Public Act No.
6.
26-78 5 of 9 Substitute Senate Bill No.
oneConnecticut chamber ofcommerce representative, appointed by the governor;
132 the arts intended to foster and enhance cultural exchange between Connecticut and India;
and 7.
(6) Two appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom shall have expertise in domestic or global advanced manufacturing intended to establish opportunities for investment, partnership and collaboration between Connecticut and India;
tworepresentativesof GermanorGerman-American communities in the state from different political parties, appointed by the governor.
(7) Two members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, one of whom shall be appointed by the Senate chairperson of such committee and one of whom shall be appointed by the House chairperson of such committee;
Under the bill, commission members must be (1) currently or formerly involved in organizations promoting German affairs or (2) interested in trade relations between Connecticut and Germany.
(8) The ranking members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, or their designees;
Appointments The bill requires appointing authorities to make their initial appointments by October 1, 2026, and fill any vacancies.
(9) Two members of the bipartisan Asian-American and Pacific Islander Issues Caucus of the General Assembly, both of whom shall have expertise in Asian-American and Pacific Islander cultural and social engagement;
Vacancies occurring other than by term expiration must be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(10) One member of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, who is a member of the subcommission concerning matters relating to the Asian Pacific-American population;
All members, except those appointed by the governor, may be legislators.
(11) Three persons appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall have expertise in matters relating to aerospace, information technology, cybersecurity, renewable energy or clean energy;
Terms sSB132 / File No.
(12) Two representatives of a public institution of higher education in the state, who shall be appointed by the Governor;
70 8 sSB132 File No.
(13)Arepresentativeofachamberofcommerceinthestate,whoshall Public Act No.
70 Under the bill, members generally serve four-year terms, until their successors are appointed, except as follows:
26-78 6 of 9 Substitute Senate Bill No.
1.
132 be appointed by the Governor;
initial gubernatorial and House majority and minority leader appointments end on September 30, 2029;
(14) Two representatives of Indian or Indian-American communities in the state, who shall be appointed by the Governor and shall not be members of the same political party;
2.
and (15) Any additional members, as deemed necessary by the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce.
initial House speaker, Senate president pro tempore, and Senate majorityandminorityleaderappointmentsendonSeptember30, 2030;
(c) The members of the commission shall each have current or past involvement in organizations that promote Indian affairs or are interested in the well-being of trade relations between the state and India.
and 3.
(d) Any member of the commission appointed under subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, and subdivision (15) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.
initial and subsequent Commerce Committee chairperson appointments end when the term of the appointing committee chairperson ends.
(e) (1) All initial appointments to the commission shall be made not later than October 1, 2026.
Under the bill, members serve without compensation but are reimbursed, within available funds, for necessary expenses incurred performing their duties.
Initial appointments made by the Governor, the majority leader of the House of Representatives and the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall terminate on September 30, 2029.
Leadership and Meetings The bill requires the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore to select the commission’s chairpersons from among its members.
Initial appointments made by the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority leader oftheSenateandtheminority leaderoftheSenate shallterminate on September 30, 2030.
The chairpersons must schedule and hold the commission’s first meeting by November 1, 2026.
The initial and subsequent terms of members appointed by the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce shall be coterminous with the terms of the appointing authority for each such member in accordance with the provisions of section 4-1a of the general statutes.
Under the bill, the commission must meet quarterly or as often as the chairpersons or a majority of the members deem necessary.
(2) Appointed members of the commission shall serve for four-year terms which shall commence on the date of appointment, except as Public Act No.
Members who miss three consecutive meetings or 50% of the meetings in a calendar year are deemed to have resigned.
26-78 7 of 9 Substitute Senate Bill No.
A majority of members is a quorum for conducting business.
132 provided in subdivision (1) of this subsection.
The bill requires the General Law Committee’sadministrative staff to serve in this capacity for the commission.
Members shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed.
COMMITTEE ACTION Commerce Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 20 Nay 0 (03/05/2026) sSB132 / File No.
(f) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the commission from among the members of the commission.
70 9
Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the commission, which shall be held not later than November 1, 2026.
(g) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to government oversight shall serve as administrative staff of the commission.
(h) Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
Any vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term.
(i) A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.
(j) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall, within the limits of available funds, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.
(k) The commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) To advance bilateral trade and investment between the state and India;
(2) to initiate joint action on policy issues of mutual interest to the state and India;
(3) to promote business and academic exchanges between the state and India;
(4) to encourage mutual economic support between the state and India;
(5) to encourage mutual investment in theinfrastructure of the state and India;
(6) to explore new opportunities for collaboration in the arts and technology between the state and India;
(7) to address such other issues as determined by the commission;
(8) to obtain from any executive department, board, commission or other agency of the Public Act No.
26-78 8 of 9 Substitute Senate Bill No.
132 state such assistance and data as are necessary and available to carry out the purposes of this section;
(9) to accept any gift, donation or bequest for the purpose of performing the duties described in this section;
and (10) to perform such other acts as may be necessary and appropriate to carry out the duties described in this section.
(l) The commission shall meet quarterly, or as often as deemed necessary by the chairpersons or a majority of the commission.
Any appointed member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the commission.
(m) Not later than February 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the commission shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Governor, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce on the activities of the commission during the preceding year, which shall include, but need not be limited to, any recommendations for policy changes and amendments to the general statutes necessary to effectuate the purposes of the commission.
Governor's Action:
Approved May 27, 2026 Public Act No.
26-78 9 of 9
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Action History

  1. SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

  2. TRANSMITTED BY SECRETARY OF THE STATE TO GOVERNOR

  3. TRANSMITTED TO SECRETARY OF THE STATE

  4. PUBLIC ACT 26-78

  5. IN CONCURRENCE

  6. HOUSE PASSED, SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

  7. HOUSE ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

  8. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 457

  9. FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  10. SEN. PASSED, SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

  11. SEN. ADOPTED SEN. AMEND. SCH. A

  12. FILE NO. 70

  13. SENATE CALENDAR NUMBER 70

  14. FAV. RPT., TAB. FOR CAL., SEN.

  15. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  16. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/18/26

  17. FILED WITH LCO

  18. Joint Favorable Substitute

  19. PUBLIC HEARING 0217

  20. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Commerce

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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10 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 177 not signed on

Sponsors (10)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (177)

177 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 132?
SB 132 is sponsored by Patricia A. Dillon (Democratic), Kenneth Gucker (Democratic), Tom Delnicki (Republican), Patricia Billie Miller (Democratic), Jorge Cabrera (Democratic), Hector Arzeno (Democratic), Savet Constantine (Democratic), Michael D. Quinn (Democratic), Kerry S. Wood (Democratic), and Matthew L. Lesser (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 132?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 11, 2026. Enacted.
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