Dear John,

Welcome to The Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work.

Last week marked 10 years since the tragic loss of 26 lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. On Wednesday, Members and staff throughout the Capitol honored their memories with a moment of silence. Also, the House passed my legislation, the Help Find the Missing Act (Billy’s Law). The bill is named after Billy Smolinski of Waterbury.  On Tuesday, I joined the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Governor Lamont to announce Connecticut will receive additional funding to expand access to high-speed internet throughout our state.  Lastly, I am pleased to share New Britain is among a number of municipalities in CT-05 to receive funding through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. These grants support the growing needs of law enforcement. 

For the full recap, please read below.

Honoring With Action

Newtown is a small community with a big heart, a community that changed forever 10 years ago, bonded by a shared grief.

On December 14, 2012, we lost 26 beautiful souls at Sandy Hook Elementary School. While this community continues to mourn the loss of their loved ones, they have also honored their memories through service. Every single family who lost a loved one at Sandy Hook has found a way to be of service with everything from violence prevention programs like Sandy Hook Promise, to Embrace Hope which is an equine therapy program. There is also the Anna Grace Project and Ben's Lighthouse, Charlotte's Litter Dog Therapy Program, the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, Emily's Art Connection, and the Vicky Soto Project, to promote a love of teaching.

On Wednesday, Members and staff throughout the Capitol gathered for a moment of silence to honor their memories. Additionally, the 10th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence was held in Washington D.C.

I remain committed to ensuring our schools and communities are safe and will continue to support gun violence prevention measures to put an end to this epidemic.

Help Find the Missing Act

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans go missing. Many will never be seen by their loved ones again. At the same time, there are an estimated 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains across the country that are either held at coroners’ offices or disposed of after going unclaimed. Sadly, because of gaps in our databases, these missing persons and unidentified remains are rarely matched.

On Wednesday, the House voted 422-4 to pass my Help Find the Missing Act (Billy’s Law). This legislation will help solve missing persons cases and bring closure to their loved ones by fixing these gaps.

Specifically, the legislation:

• Directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue to operate the National Missing Persons and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), providing a missing persons/unidentified remains database to which the public can contribute and access; 
• Connects NamUs with the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in order to create more comprehensive missing persons and unidentified remains databases and streamlining the reporting process for local law enforcement;
• Expands current law by requiring missing children be reported to NamUs (they already must be reported to NCIC); and
• Requires DOJ to issue guidelines and best practices on handling missing persons and unidentified remains cases in order to empower law enforcement, medical examiners and coroners to help find the missing.

I am pleased to be the lead sponsor of this legislation in the House, which is inspired by Janice and Bill Smolinski of Cheshire, Connecticut, after their 31-year-old son, Billy, went missing in Waterbury.  For years, I drove past billboards with Billy’s picture and read about him in local newspapers. Getting Billy’s Law passed is a hometown win and will help families bring home the missing and offer closure to the families of those who will never return home. This bill was originally introduced and championed by Senator Chris Murphy over 13 years ago.

Additional information on Billy's Law is available here.

Expanding Access to High-Speed Internet

Access to reliable high-speed internet is not a luxury. For many of my constituents, particularly in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut, it is a matter of health and safety. As evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, broadband internet is necessary for work, school, to stay connected, and receive health care.

On Tuesday, I joined the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Governor Ned Lamont to announce Connecticut will receive additional funding to expand access to high-speed internet. Funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Digital Equity Program will help ensure communities across Connecticut have access to the tools necessary to participate in our growing digital economy.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also provides Connecticut with a minimum allocation of $100 million to improve coverage across the state, ensuring an additional 27,000 Connecticut residents will have broadband access. I am pleased to have voted in support of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and to direct federal funding to Connecticut, which continues to be of incredible benefit to our state.

Grant Funding for New Britain

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program allows units of local government, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions.

I am happy to share the City of New Britain will receive over $200,000 of federal funding to better support the growing needs of law enforcement agencies, advance justice, and keep communities safe. 

To learn more about the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, please click here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me.

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress