Senators Applaud Senate-House Agreements on Two Major Appropriations Bills

November 9, 2005
WASHINGTON – The Senate and House have reached an agreement on two appropriations bills that will provide $15,945,000 in federal funding for important Connecticut initiatives in fiscal year 2006, Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman announced today. Dodd and Lieberman worked to ensure that resources for a number of Connecticut initiatives were included in both the Commerce, Justice, Science and State and the Energy & Water appropriations bills.

“These critically important investments made today can improve Connecticut’s tomorrow,” said Dodd. “These bills provide vital resources to help make our state safer, stronger, and cleaner.”

"Between these two bills Connecticut will gain significant new resources to boost public safety, protect our natural resources and encourage important work in science and technology,” said Lieberman. "I am gratified to see so many of the worthy projects that Senator Dodd and I fought for have been included in the final version of this legislation."

The Commerce, Justice, Science and State Appropriations Bill included funding for the following Connecticut initiatives:

• $1,700,000 for the city of Hartford to upgrade equipment associated with the proposed public safety complex.
• $870,000 for the town of East Lyme to acquire an additional 127 acres of land as part of the Oswegatchie Hills Conservation Project.
• $500,000 for the Institute for Business and Technology Development in New Britain (IBTD). Operated by Central Connecticut State University, the IBTD offers business expansion and diversification assistance to small manufacturers in central Connecticut.
• $500,000 for the University of New Haven to support further curriculum development at the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science National Cold Case Center.
• $500,000 for the city of Waterbury to upgrade its interoperable communications network.
• $400,000 for the University of Connecticut to continue behavioral health research of youth whose parents are incarcerated.
• $250,000 for the city of Stamford to improve its interoperable communications capability among first responders.
• $100,000 for the city of Bridgeport to support the Lighthouse Program, which offers after school academic and character enhancement activities toserve 3,500 public school children.
• $100,000 for Klingberg Family Centers in New Britain to support juvenile delinquency prevention programs.
• $4,250,000 for the National Undersea Research Program (in which UCONN participates).

The Energy and Water Appropriations Bill included funding for the following Connecticut initiatives:

• $1,800,000 for the dredging of North Cove Harbor in Old Saybrook
• $1,350,000 to develop a dredging plan for Bridgeport Harbor
• $1,000,000 for the Connecticut Demand Response Technology Project. This public-private venture seeks to reduce inefficient consumption of energy by large consumers (e.g. industry) in southwestern Connecticut through the use of wireless monitoring technology
• $900,000 for the Federal Harbor Navigation Project at Norwalk Harbor
• $1,000,000 for the University of Connecticut to purchase a Live Cell Molecular Imaging System for research and medical applications.
• $500,000 for Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Connecticut, for the development of an alternative source of energy for its main campus.
• $225,000 for the dredging of Clinton Harbor

The appropriations measures will now be sent to the House and Senate Floors for a vote before being sent to the President for his signature.