Sen. Sampson Advances Two Government Accountability and Transparency Bills

Hartford — State Sen. Rob Sampson (R–16) today announced the bipartisan passage of two bills he sponsored, following their advancement out of committee earlier in the legislative process. The measures reflect ongoing efforts to improve accountability, transparency, and efficiency across state government.

The bills: S.B. 247 and S.B. 423 address state auditing practices and higher education reporting requirements.

“These are practical reforms that improve how government operates,” said Sen. Sampson. “Connecticut residents deserve a government that is clear, consistent, and responsible.”

S.B. 247: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AUDITORS OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, implements recommendations from the Auditors of Public Accounts to strengthen oversight of state financial practices. The bill requires additional approval for certain state employee agreements over specified thresholds, improves transparency in arrangements with outside foundations that reimburse state employee expenses, and updates auditing procedures involving state agencies and quasi-public entities to improve consistency and accountability.

S.B. 423: AN ACT CONCERNING OVERSIGHT OVER HIGHER EDUCATION, requires the Board of Regents for Higher Education to include additional data in its annual report on the consolidation of the Connecticut State Community College system. It also requires updates to the higher education strategic plan to be submitted to the legislative committee with cognizance over government oversight, improving legislative visibility into major policy and structural decisions affecting higher education.

Since taking office, Sen. Sampson has sponsored more than 200 bills aimed at improving how state government operates, increasing accountability, and making Connecticut more affordable and effective for residents.

“Connecticut deserve a government that is open, accountable, and effective in every area it operates,” Sen. Sampson added. “These laws move us in that direction.”

Sen. Sampson continues to live up to his ranking as the most effective Republican State Senator in Connecticut according to the latest State Legislative Effectiveness Scores released by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a research initiative of Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

All scores can be found on the Center for Effective Lawmaking’s Find Legislators page: https://thelawmakers.org/find-representatives.