Advocacy in Action | April 2, 2026
2026 Legislative Tracker
The Connecticut Restaurant & Hospitality Association actively monitors a wide range of legislation throughout each legislative session. It's important to note that the introduction of a bill does not guarantee its passage.
The CRHA Bill Tracker gives you a sense of the breadth and variety of legislation we track throughout session, as well as an overview on the status of each bill. This tracker will get updated regularly with the latest information coming out of session.
SB 2: Fix the Meals Tax!
The time is NOW to make noise! Take 2 minutes to email your representatives to VOTE YES on SB 2.
Last Friday, the Connecticut Restaurant & Hospitality, municipal leaders, local restaurant and hotel owners, and state elected officials spoke out in support of Senate Bill 2.
Senate Bill 2 fixes the meals tax: it does not raise taxes on consumers or businesses. It simply changes where the money already being collected goes, and helps protect Main Streets across all 169 towns in CT. SB 2 redirects 50% of the 1% meals and beverage tax revenue back to the municipality where it was collected, and dedicates the remaining 50% to the tourism fund, which includes marketing the state as a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. This reinvestment not only supports Connecticut's tourism budget, it funds essential local economic development, strengthening tourism and supporting small businesses.
Special thanks to all CRHA members who attended the press conference, and to Bruce Becker, owner of Hotel Marcel, and Aubrey LaMonica, owner of Eli Cannon's, Tate's and Noah’s at 63 Main for speaking.
- Watch Aubrey LaMonica, owner of Tate’s, Eli Cannon’s and Noah’s, speech at the press conference here.
- Watch Bruce Becker, owner of Hotel Marcel, speech at the press conference here.
Following the press conference, Scott Dolch, alongside Senator Derek Slap, Mayor Sheri Cantor, Aubrey LaMonica of Tate’s, Eli Cannon’s and Noah’s, and Ben Webster of Hotel Marce
l, testified in front of the finance committee in favor of SB 2.
Following the hearing, the Finance Committee subsequently voted SB 2 out of committee, and did so on a bipartisan basis. Now, our job is to make the sure this important initiative passes both legislative chambers. Historically, measures such as this are included in a broader budget bill, so we plan to fight hard in the coming days raising awareness that Fixing the Meals Tax can and should be included in a bill this session. You can help by email your representatives here.
Scott Dolch, president and CEO of the Connecticut Restaurant and Hospitality Association, joins Mark Sudol to talk about a swath of issues, including another proposed ban on Styrofoam containers and limits on single-use plastics.
Latest on Tariffs
Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has confirmed that importers will receive refunds for IEEPA tariffs - with interest - and is building a new system to process claims directly through the agency rather than the courts.
The new claims platform, the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE), will allow importers to file refund requests for each eligible entry. CBP is aiming to have the system operational by April 20, and has been filing weekly progress updates with the U.S. Court of International Trade.
Latest on DHS Shutdown
The National Restaurant Association has joined a broad coalition of travel, hospitality, aviation, and business organizations calling on Congress to immediately fund the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and ensure officers are paid during the ongoing funding lapse.
The letter urges Congress to fully fund TSA immediately to prevent further operational and security impacts, and support permanent solutions that guarantee pay for essential aviation workers during shutdowns, including the Keep America Flying Act (S.3031/H.R.5851), the Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025 (S.1045), and the Aviation Funding Solvency Act (H.R.6086).
A previous 43‑day shutdown cost the U.S. travel industry $6 billion and impacted more than 6 million flyers. With major travel spikes expected around the 2026 FIFA World Cup and America250, the coalition warns that the industry cannot afford further instability.
House and Senate Republican leaders jointly announced a plan Wednesday that they said would end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security that caused major airport delays in a statement.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would soon sign an order to pay all employees of the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down for over 40 days.
