A Two-Year Advocacy Effort in Connecticut: Progress, Gratitude, and the Road Ahead for 2027

The 2026 Connecticut legislative session ended with a result that was both encouraging and disappointing for RIA and our members.

Connecticut HB 5263 - An Act Concerning The Assignment Of Post-loss Homeowners And Commercial Property Insurance Benefits, Consumer Bill Of Rights And Revising Disclosure Requirements For Home Improvement Contractors And Salespersons, advanced further than many bills ever do. It passed out of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee unanimously, passed the House overwhelmingly by a vote of 149–1, and was transmitted to the Senate, where it received a Senate calendar number and was tabled for the Senate calendar. Unfortunately, in the final hours of the last day of session, other bills took precedence, and HB 5263 did not reach the Senate floor for a final vote before the Connecticut General Assembly adjourned.

While that outcome is disappointing, it should not overshadow the significance of what was accomplished.

For nearly two years, RIA has been working to secure something extremely important in Connecticut: formal trade identification specific to restoration. That may sound technical, but it matters. Restoration contractors do not operate like traditional remodelers, roofers, or general home improvement contractors. RIA members respond after fires, floods, storms, water losses, and other property damage events—often under urgent conditions where immediate action is needed to prevent additional damage.

That distinction was recognized in the bill language.

HB 5263 included language defining “emergency restoration services” as services designed to mitigate and restore damage to residential property, including water extraction and drying, fire damage cleanup and soot removal, removal of damaged flooring, drywall and building materials, smoke odor removal, sanitizing, mold prevention and containment activities, and the repair or replacement of damaged materials, with certain limitations.

The bill also revised Connecticut’s home improvement definition to specifically reference “water, fire or storm restoration or mold remediation,” which is an important recognition of the restoration industry within state law.

That is a meaningful step forward.

I want to personally thank Nicole Sargent and our Connecticut lobbying firm, Capitol Consulting, for their leadership, persistence, and work on this issue. They helped drive this effort through a difficult legislative environment and kept the issue moving until the final hours of session. We believed strongly that the language had a real opportunity to pass in the bill where it was included, but the end of any legislative session is unpredictable. Connecticut’s 2026 session was especially compressed, with hundreds of bills competing for limited floor time before adjournment.

The fact that this language advanced as far as it did is not a failure. It is momentum.

For RIA members, the value of getting this approved in 2027 would be significant.

First, it would help create a clearer legal identity for restoration contractors in Connecticut. That matters because our members perform specialized work after a loss. They are not simply performing elective remodeling or routine construction; they are responding to urgent property damage events where timing, documentation, mitigation, safety, and standards-based practices matter.

Second, it would help policymakers better understand the distinction between emergency mitigation and reconstruction. This is one of the most important advocacy themes for RIA nationwide. Emergency restoration services must be allowed to proceed quickly when a property is at risk of additional damage. When laws fail to recognize that distinction, well-intended consumer protection measures can unintentionally delay necessary work.

Third, it would support stronger consumer protection. Recognizing restoration as a distinct trade helps responsible contractors explain who they are, what they do, and why their work is different from unqualified or unethical actors in the marketplace. RIA members are trained, standards-based professionals who help property owners recover during some of the most stressful moments they will ever face.

Fourth, it would strengthen RIA’s broader advocacy strategy. If Connecticut recognizes restoration more clearly in statute, it can become a model for other states. This is how trade associations create durable value for members—not just by reacting to bad legislation, but by shaping how lawmakers understand the industry before the next bill is introduced.

Finally, it would help reinforce RIA’s message that restoration contractors are subject matter experts in disaster recovery. Whether the loss is caused by water, fire, storm, smoke, or mold, RIA members are often among the first professionals on site helping property owners stabilize the situation and begin the recovery process.

We should be proud of the progress made in Connecticut, but we should also be clear-eyed about the work ahead.

The bill did not make it across the finish line in 2026. However, the groundwork has been laid. The language has been tested. The relationships have been built. The issue has been elevated. And the value to RIA members is clear.

In 2027, RIA should continue this effort with focus and urgency. Our objective should be to return to Connecticut with a refined strategy, strong member engagement, and continued support from Nicole Sargent and Capitol Consulting to secure statutory recognition for emergency restoration services.

This is exactly why advocacy matters.

Progress is not always immediate. Sometimes it takes multiple sessions, repeated conversations, and persistence until policymakers fully understand the issue. But every step forward helps position RIA and its members as the trusted voice for professional restoration.

We did not get the final vote this year.

But we did move the issue forward.

And in 2027, we will be ready to finish the job.