HARTFORD, CT – Republican state senators say many summer camps run by Connecticut municipalities will be forced to close after Democrats, who hold the majority in the Senate, passed legislation Tuesday to require those camps to be licensed like private camps and daycare facilities.
“This is a bill that we have prioritized since the beginning of the session,” said Democratic Majority Leader Bob Duff. “This bill is about making our children safer.”
State Sen. Ceci Maher, D-Wilton, chair of the Committee on Children, spearheaded Senate Bill 6, and spent hours answering questions and defending the bill on the Senate floor Tuesday. The bill eventually passed 22-12 after two amendments, with two senators absent and one Democrat voting against it alongside the Republicans.
State Sen. Ceci Maher, D-Wilton, speaks in favor of SB 6 on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the state Capitol in Hartford. Credit: Screengrab / CT-N
Senate Republicans argued the bill does the opposite of keeping children safe – it will increase costs for attendees and municipalities and will force many to close, they said.
“The facilities and site requirements are going to bankrupt municipalities,” said state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton. “Parks and rec departments from across the state testified that the number of staff they would have to hire to follow this would not be possible; they could not keep camps affordable.”
The bill, which would take effect in May 2026, would require all camps to be licensed by the Office of Early Childhood. To be licensed, the camp would need:
State Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, discusses her opposition to Senate Bill 6, which she said would, among other things, drive up the cost of summer camps during a news conference Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the state Capitol in Hartford. Credit: Doug Hardy / CTNewsJunkie
- to do no-cost background checks of staff;
- offer appropriate staffing ratios;
- collect health and immunization records for each child and staff member;
- submit to regular inspections; provide a set number of bathrooms depending on the number of participants;
- have a director and assistant director who are both age 21 or older, and;
- a person on site certified in first aid and CPR.
“Municipal day camps in many towns are the only affordable option for summer child care,” said state Sen. Jason Perillo, a Shelton Republican and a ranking member of the Committee on Children. “There’s gotta be a better way here.”
Perillo proposed several amendments that were rejected by Democrats. An amendment to remove the requirement that municipal camps have an APRN on site passed in a 22-12 vote.
State Sen. Jason Perillo, R-Shelton, discusses his issues with Senate Bill 6, which he said would, among other things, drive up the cost of summer camps during a news conference Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the state Capitol in Hartford. Credit: Doug Hardy / CTNewsJunkie
The bill has gotten extra attention because of a case in Bethany that came to light last year, where a man working for the town’s park and recreation department, summer camp, and schools was arrested and charged with five counts of sexual assault. Four of the five cases allegedly took place on town property. The man was eventually removed from the school employment, but while police were investigating his conduct, the town kept the man employed in a role where he would have limited or no contact with children.
“Rules and guidelines must be followed by all the people responsible for protecting our children, including program directors, municipal staff, elected officials, seasonal counselors,” said Amy Lestinsky, a mom from Bethany whose daughter was reportedly among the victims. “We cannot let something like this ever happen again.”
Lestinsky spoke at a pre-session news briefing along with state Sen. Jorge Cabrera, D-Hamden, about the “gaping hole in our oversight and regulations.” While her daughter’s assault took place in their home, Lestinsky said she would have never let the man babysit her daughter had the town acted appropriately and removed him from his Parks and Recreation Department job immediately after the initial allegations came to light.
During the Senate session, however, several lawmakers said SB 6 would not have prevented what happened in Bethany, because the suspect in that case had no prior arrests and had submitted to a background check because he was also working at the local school.
State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, said an “isolated incident” like the Bethany case is no reason to create “chaos and uncertainty for hundreds of parents” with a bill that is “unachievable” and “catastrophic.”
The Connecticut Council on Municipalities – which is the state’s largest municipal lobbying organization – called the bill “short-sighted” and said it is a costly, unfunded mandate for towns and cities.
The Connecticut Recreation & Parks Association said the bill would increase costs for municipal camps and decrease access for the low-income families who need it the most.
“We need to have a uniform standard statewide, not one for private camps and one for people who go to municipal camps,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, speaking in support of the bill.
“Ensuring that children are protected in municipal camps is a good thing,” Duff said.
The bill, which also seeks to improve early childhood nutrition through increased access to food and improve the state’s support for disconnected youth, now heads to the House for a vote.