Cybersecurity Data Breach – Mandatory Reporting

Cybercrime is prevalent and escalating per a recent Forbes article that questions whether a national standard for data breach reporting would help in the fight against this type of crime.

The article, citing a recent study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and McAfee, indicates that the global cost of cybercrime could range from $375 billion to $575 billion annually, and attributes the wide range in the estimated cost to security breach underreporting. According to the article, the lack of security breach data makes it difficult for (1) analysts to accurately quantify the costs and risks of cybercrime, (2) businesses to engage in risk management, and (3) customers to understand the safety of their information.

Data breach disclosure is regulated at the state level. According to a National Conference of State Legislatures report cited in the article, 47 states (including Connecticut) and the District of Columbia have laws requiring private and government entities to notify individuals of security breaches of personally identifiable information.  Standards differ between states but these laws typically have provisions addressing:

1. who must provide notice of data breaches and how they must do so,
2. what qualifies as “personal information,” and
3. what constitutes a breach, including any exemptions.

The article states that “companies often fear the economic impact of disclosing data breaches” and suggests that mandated reporting on the national level could result in more complete data and a better understanding of the scope of cybercrime.

Consumers Confused by Bank Overdraft Fees

According to a survey by the Pew Charitable Trusts, many consumers are confused by banks’ overdraft practices and federal rules governing them.  Overdraft coverage allows checking account holders to use more money than they have in their account, either through an advance from the bank or a transfer from another account held by the individual. 

Federal regulations require consumers to agree to overdraft coverage on their debit cards for the coverage to apply, but Pew’s survey finds that 52% of those charged an overdraft fee do not recall agreeing to the coverage.  Pew research finds that banks typically charge a $35 penalty fee for an advance or a $10 fee to transfer funds from another account.  If consumers do not agree to overdraft coverage, banks decline a transaction when the account holder does not have enough money in his or her account, and the bank does not charge a fee.  Pew’s survey finds that 68% of overdrafters would prefer to have their transactions declined than pay an overdraft fee.

Reading the Economy’s Tea Leaves

photo: http://andthatswhyyouresingle.com/wp-content/
uploads/2012/05/tealeaves.jpg

Since taxes are tied to economic activity, it makes sense to look at tax revenue as a way to gauge that activity. The challenge, though, is to look beyond the revenue numbers to figure out what’s really going on in the economy.

Here’s what we mean.

Consider this a good news, bad news story. Collectively, the states have recovered the tax revenue they lost since the last recession. But, when the focus shifts to individual states, 26 states (excluding Connecticut) are still struggling to make up the lost ground, the Pew Charitable Trust reports. Okay, that’s bad news for the other states, but Connecticut made the cut, right? Yes, as of 2013’s last quarter, Connecticut was about 3.5% above its 2007 pre-recession level.

But here comes the qualifier:

“…recovery to peak levels does not necessarily signal an economic comeback, because growth can result from tax or policy changes. More than half of the states taking in more tax dollars than at their inflation-adjusted peak increased taxes since the recession,” Pew found.

This observation suggests that tax revenue can grow in several ways. Clearly, it can grow when states increase tax rates, which is what Illinois did in 2011. But revenue can also grow when economic activity increases, which is what happened in North Dakota, thanks to an oil boom.

Economic activity usually spikes when businesses invest in cost-cutting technology. But, “business investment fell almost 25 per cent during the recession and hasn’t come back the way many economists had expected, especially given that low interest rates make borrowing less expense,” Bloomberg Businessweek’s Matthew Phillips and Peter Coy reported.
 
Well, maybe businesses are strapped for cash, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. “Cash on corporate balance sheets has increased almost 70 percent over the past four years to more than $2 trillion, the size of Russia’s economy. Profits are high, and employee compensation as a percentage of GDP fell to a 65-year low last year.”

If businesses have the cash, then why aren’t they buying new machines? Phillips and Coy gave two reasons: (1) repeal of a maximum $500,000 federal tax break for new machinery and equipment purchases and (2) Wall Street’s recent practice of rewarding businesses that forgo capital investments.

Citing Morgan Stanley research, the authors found, “companies that haven’t spent on new equipment have outperformed those that have spent for most of the recovery.” But that could be changing. Citing Bank of America research, they noted that, “for the last four months, companies with high levels of capital spending have outperformed those with low levels.” It seems the economy’s tea leaves keep changing.

Low-Income Families Experience Delayed Autism Diagnosis and Treatment

According to a recent CT Mirror article, autistic children living in low-income areas face challenges in getting a diagnosis or treatment.

A panel of autism spectrum disorder experts met in June at the University of Saint Joseph to discuss inequities in autism awareness, diagnosis, and treatment in low-income communities.

Panelists noted that many children experience delayed diagnosis of the disorder, particularly African-American and Latino children living in low-income communities. According to Autism Speaks’ Jamitha Fields, autism can be reliably diagnosed at age two. However, the average age of diagnosis is four and a half years old, rising to six years old for Latinos. Panelists attribute these disparities to several factors, including access to medical care, lack of education, cultural differences, and financial issues.

Illinois Determines Microbeads are More Than a Micro Problem

Illinois recently became the first state to pass a law banning products containing microbeads - the tiny pieces of plastic found in such things as skin exfoliants and soap. The new law bans their manufacture by the end of 2018 and sale by the end of 2019, phasing in the ban in stages for different product types. Violators of the ban will be subject to civil penalties of up to (1) $1,000 for a first violation and (2) $2,500 for second or subsequent violations.

According to National Public Radio articles on the legislation, environmentalists are concerned that when microbeads wash down the drain, they are not captured by filtration systems and can become part of the food chain. The microbeads, often made of polyethylene or polypropylene, are roughly the same size as fish eggs and may look like food to some fish. And if fish eat the microbeads, they may absorb toxins, which scientists believe could be passed on to humans and wildlife that then eat the fish.

The articles reported that some manufacturers are in the process of (1) phasing out microbeads and (2) testing alternatives.  

Hot Report: Conversion of Nonprofit Hospital

OLR Report 2014-R-0185 answers the question: What is the law regarding the process for a nonprofit hospital to convert to forprofit?

The report updates OLR Report 2012-R-0031.

By law, a nonprofit hospital needs approval of the attorney general and public health (DPH) commissioner to sell or otherwise transfer a material amount of its assets or operations or to change the control of its operations to a for-profit entity (CGS §§ 19a-486 to 486h). Any agreement without such approval is void.

Before the transaction, the hospital and purchaser must concurrently submit a certificate of need (CON) determination letter to DPH and the attorney general. The attorney general must determine if the agreement involves a material amount of the nonprofit hospital’s assets or operations or a change in control of its operations. If he determines that it does, the DPH commissioner and attorney general then give the hospital and purchaser a more detailed application to complete.

The commissioner and attorney general must each review the proposed agreement. They can approve the agreement, approve it with modifications, or disapprove it. The law sets the criteria and time periods for review. The attorney general and commissioner may subpoena individuals, issue written interrogatories, and contract with experts or consultants when conducting their reviews. In addition, DPH must determine whether to approve the request for CON authorization that is part of the application.
For more information, read the full report.

NERC Predicts Adequate Summer Electricity Supply

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) recently issued 2014 Summer Reliability Assessment predicts that New England should be able to meet its peak summer electricity demands this year.  NERC expects the region to have 30,769 MW of existing-certain generation on hand to meet a peak demand of 25,958 MW during the week of July 13, 2014.  NERC believes that electric grids throughout the continent should be able to meet their peak summer demands this year, although parts of Texas have just enough extra generating capacity to meet NERC’s recommended reserve levels.

NERC is an international regulatory authority established to evaluate and improve the reliability of North America’s bulk power system. Among other things, it develops and enforces reliability standards and annually assesses seasonal and long-term reliability.

Salty Molasses Can Keep Roads Clear

After a long and snowy winter, town and state officials are comparing notes regarding what worked to help keep roads clear of ice and snow.

New Canaan used a mixture of salt and molasses to help keep its roads clear. An article in the New Canaan Advertiser explains how the town used a product that is 80% magnesium chloride and 20% food-grade molasses, a combination that melts ice in temperatures down to -15°F and helps the salt adhere to the road while reducing vehicle corrosion.

As mentioned in OLR Report 2014-R-0001, the state Department of Transportation uses magnesium chloride to wet salt before applying it to roads so that it will stick to the road. It also has the advantage of lowering the freezing point of ice.

Study Finds Decline in Children’s Exposure to Violence

A study recently published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children’s exposure to violence, crime, and abuse declined from 2003 to 2011. The results were based on telephone surveys with children and caregivers during which researchers used a standard questionnaire to gather information on incidences of 50 types of child victimization in the following categories: assault, sexual victimization, maltreatment, property victimization, and witnessing or indirect victimization.

The researchers compared results from surveys conducted in 2003, 2008, and 2011 and observed that, from 2003 to 2011, there were (1) significant declines in 27 types of child victimization and (2) no significant increases. They also found that, during the period, rates of:

• assaults against children within the past year dropped 33%,
• sexual victimization dropped 25%,
• emotional abuse dropped 27%,
• property victimization dropped 34%, and
• indirect victimization (witnessing abuse, murder of someone close, etc.) dropped 28%.

The researchers were unable to attribute the decline to any specific factors, but speculated that it may partly be due to the growing use of computers, iPads, and other types of electronic technology and communication. The researchers opined, “as youth socialize and communicate electronically, they may be spending less time in face-to-face contact situations where assaults and violence can occur." 

Connecticut Ranks High in Hiring and Training, Low in Regulatory Environment in Small Business Friendliness Survey

The consumer service website Thumbtack.com, in partnership with the Kauffman Foundation, recently released the results of its third annual survey of its website users on the extent to which their states are friendly to small businesses. Thumbtack analyzed the survey responses from over 12,000 mostly independent small business professionals in 38 states and 82 metropolitan areas and ranked the states on such factors as ease of starting a business and overall regulations. (As Thumbtack noted, the survey is “under-representative of the agricultural, retail, and manufacturing sectors.”)

The survey’s findings are a mixed bag for Connecticut. Connecticut ranked relatively high on providing training and networking opportunities (16th) and making it easier for businesses to hire new employees (17th), but relatively low on the other measures, which included overall regulation (38th). Consequently, Thumbtack ranked 35th among the 38 states on overall small business friendliness.

The survey’s other significant findings included:

1. the friendliness of professional licensing requirements was the most important regulatory issue in determining a state’s overall friendliness;
2. tax rates were a less important factor than the ease of regulatory compliance in determining the overall friendliness score;
3. two-thirds of respondents say they paid their “fair share” of taxes; and
4. small business owners who were aware of training programs offered by the government were significantly more likely to say their government was friendly to small business than those who were not aware of the programs.

Automated Essay Scoring Not Yet Ready for Standardized Testing or the Classroom, but Getting Closer

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently profiled a writing instructor, Les Perelman, and his team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University students who have created their own electronic essay generator named “Babel.”  As a critic of automated grading software, Perelman and his team designed Babel to prove that grading software currently used by testing companies cannot “tell gibberish from lucid writing” by checking facts or reading for meaning. 

Babel generates original essays using as little as three key words, producing sentences that are grammatically correct yet meaningless.  They consistently earn high marks when graded by software such as “MY Access!,” the same program the Graduate Management Admission Test uses as a second reader.  Despite these alarming results, Perelman remains cautiously open-minded about the potential for new software. 

A nonprofit cofounder of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) known as edX has developed its own system with MIT called the Enhanced AI Scoring Engine (EASE).  EASE attempts to mimic professors’ grading styles when scoring essays.  A professor grades several essays using his or her own criteria and scans them into EASE.  The program then reviews the professor’s marks for patterns and assimilates them.

Some professors who instruct MOOCs have experimented with EASE and received satisfactory results.  At times, they found the software overly generous or stingy with grades, but many agreed that it could potentially be a useful grading tool for MOOCs as a supplement to peer grading.

OLR Blog Survey: We Want to Hear From You!

We’re asking you, our readers, to let us know what you think of the blog and how we can improve your reading experience. Here is a link to our (brief, we promise) reader survey.

Thanks in advance for your participation!

Pool Safety Tips

The Department of Consumer Protection’s (DCP) website provides some tips on how to prevent pool accidents, including children drowning.  Among other things, DCP recommends that:

1. a responsible adult (who knows CPR) watch young children at all times,
2. owners secure and lock the backyard pool area,
3. children always swim with someone else, and
4. parents provide the child with swimming lessons.

As DCP points out, these recommendations reflect research on the causes of pool accidents, which include (1) lack of swimming ability, (2) lack of barriers around the pool, (3) lack of supervision, and (4) failing to wear life jackets when boating.

New Tool Measures Economic Security for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

An article in the Summer 2014 issue of Communities and Banking identifies a new tool to measure the economic security of grandparents raising grandchildren.

According to the article, in 2011, over 3 million grandparents were primary caregivers for their grandchildren. Typically, grandparents over age 65 must support their grandchildren on a retirement income without financial help from the child’s parents. The resulting financial hardships often negatively affect both grandparents’ and grandchildren’s emotional, mental, and physical health.

Historically, federal poverty levels (FPL) have been used to set eligibility and benefits for public assistance programs. However, many studies have deemed the FPL as outdated and inaccurate. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) was created to address issues with the FPL, but because SPM is based on a person’s current spending, it does not measure actual need.

To address these shortcomings, Wilder Opportunities for Women and the University of Massachusetts developed the “Elder Economic Security Standard Index.” The index measures the current actual cost of the basic needs of retirees age 65 and older who are not receiving public assistance. The authors cite the index as an accurate measure of economic security and the income grandparents need to meet unexpected basic living expenses.

California adapted the index, and now requires its Area Agencies on Aging to use it to plan and implement aging programs.

NCAA Trial Winds Down

Should college athletes be compensated for the use of their names, images, and likenesses? That question is at the heart of a five-year old antitrust lawsuit filed by a group of current and former collegiate athletes against the NCAA. The names, images, and likenesses are currently controlled by the NCAA and its member institutions, which the plaintiffs argue violates federal antitrust law. The NCAA counters that the practice is essential to amateurism and competitive balance, and the integration of athletics and academics.

After years of procedural maneuvering, the trial commenced on June 9 in federal district court in Oakland and is expected to conclude this week, with a decision expected in August. To date, the trial has featured testimony from former players, the NCAA president, conference commissioners, and economists, among others. The losing side will likely appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Hot Report: Special License Plates in Connecticut

OLR Report 2014-R-0140 answers several questions: What special interest license plates does Connecticut offer? How many have been sold in the past three years? How much revenue has been generated in that time?

Connecticut’s special interest license plates (those formatted differently than standard plates) generally fall into three categories: (1) those created by legislative mandate, with most of the fee revenue designated for a specified purpose (e.g., preserving Long Island Sound); (2) college, university, and organization logo plates, which use the standard format but include a logo or legend; and (3) special status plates (e.g., Prisoner of War plates).

The report does not consider such other non-standard license plates as (1) low number plates (those numbered 1 to 10000), (2) vanity plates, or (3) Early American (antique) plates.

For FY 2014 (through March 31) the top three revenue producing special interest license plates were:

• Long Island Sound ($87,025),
• UConn ($27,000), and
• United We Stand ($10,920).

For more information, including tables showing revenue collected and all of the available plates, read the full report.

Lower Level of Brain Chemical Might Contribute to PTSD

Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have lower levels of a chemical in their brains that helps the brain reset itself after a stressful incident, according to a new study. The study found those vets, as compared to vets not suffering from PTSD, have less neuropeptide Y (NPY), which helps regulate the brain’s reaction to stress and anxiety.

Dr. Renu Sah, a University of Cincinnati assistant professor, explained NPY’s function this way: “Imagine a lion is chasing you. While you're running, your body is in a hyper state of function. After you get away, though, you need your body to return to normal.”  That’s where NPY plays a role.

In an earlier study, Dr. Sah compared the NPY levels of vets suffering from PTSD to healthy civilians who were not suffering from PTSD. Because this most recent study used veterans who weren’t suffering from PTSD as a comparison, Dr. Sah believes that combat can be ruled out as the reason for lowering the levels of NPY.

Additionally, the study confirms earlier studies performed on Vietnam veterans with PTSD which showed reduced NPY levels.

Read more about the study at:
http://www.research.va.gov/currents/spring2014/spring2014-42.cfm

Exercise May Reduce Dementia Risk in Older Women

A new study on women between the ages of 70 and 80 suggests that physical exercise can reduce one of the risk factors for dementia. The study involved 86 women and focused on the size of each participant’s hippocampus (the part of the brain associated with memory). A decrease in the size of the hippocampus is associated with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. At the end of the six-month study, the women who engaged in active exercise had larger hippocampuses than those who did not.

The study, which appeared in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (a subscription may be required),  was just a start, and more research is needed according to the study's authors.

Yale Reseachers Report on New Tick-Borne Infection

According to the Yale News website, researchers have reported the first data on the frequency of a new tick-borne infection, caused by the bacterium Borrelia miyamotoi (also referred to as B. miyamotoi).  Using an antibody test, the researchers found that about 4% of 639 healthy people in southern New England showed evidence of previous B. miyamotoi infection.  This compares to about 10% showing evidence of previous Lyme infection.

B. miyamotoi, found in black-legged ticks, causes an infection with many similar symptoms to Lyme disease. The researchers concluded that the antibody test for the agent that causes Lyme disease is not effective for detecting the new infection.

The researchers were from the Yale Schools of Public Health and Medicine as well as New York Medical College and the University of California-Irvine.

Health Insurance as a Life Saver?

An article in Business Week summarizes a recent Harvard University study that found that expanding health insurance coverage in Massachusetts helped reduce deaths. The study found that:

1. Massachusetts had 3% fewer deaths per 100,000 residents when comparing the four years after the state mandated insurance coverage to the four previous years and
2. states without health reforms did not have similar death rate declines.

The researchers looked at mortality changes for adults ages 20 to 64.  They also compared counties in Massachusetts to similar ones in states without health care reforms.  The changes were larger in counties with lower household incomes and lower shares of the population insured before passage of the reforms.

The researchers note that Massachusetts’s experience may not be generalizable to other states.

Hot Report: Uber's On-Demand Car Service

OLR Report 2014-R-0173 answers several questions: How are states regulating Uber and similar companies? What is Uber’s liability coverage? What are Uber’s licensing requirements for its drivers? What are the background checks for Uber drivers?

Uber, a California-based company, is an on-demand car service whose free smartphone application (app) allows customers to obtain rides from drivers who sign up with Uber. The drivers, who use their personal vehicles to provide the rides, pay to be listed on the app. They are not Uber employees, but must have insurance and pass certain background checks Uber conducts.

Customers seeking a ride choose a vehicle type and mark their location on a map. The app notifies them of available drivers and estimated arrival times. Fares differ by location. Customers pay for the service by credit card through an Uber account.

Uber differs from many taxi services because its vehicles are personally owned and its drivers are not company employees. Taxi and livery companies view Uber and similar services as a threat to their operations because the on-demand firms don’t incur the same overhead, salary, and regulatory costs they do. Uber believes that the taxi companies are trying to stifle legitimate competition.

Several states have decided to regulate these new companies. Colorado became the first state to regulate these companies by statute in June 2014. California has addressed the issue through administrative regulation. Both states have created a new car service category of “transportation network company” to regulate Uber and its ilk. Virginia recently ordered Uber and Lyft to stop operating in that state. (In Connecticut, PA 14-199, § 19, requires the Department of Transportation (DOT), in consultation with the motor vehicle and consumer protection departments, to study on-demand car services and submit recommendations on their regulation to the Transportation Committee by February 1, 2015.)

According to Uber’s website as of March 14, 2014, it offers the following insurance for its “UberX” program (basic service).

1. Commercial insurance policy of $1 million of liability coverage per incident.
2. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of $1 million per incident.
3. Contingent comprehensive and collision insurance of $50,000.
4. Contingent coverage between trips of $50,000, $100,000, and $25,000.

Uber’s website states that, to drive with Uber, a driver must have his or her own car and proper insurance. The driver also must have a valid driver's license and “pass a DMV and background check.”

Uber’s blog states that Uber drivers “must go through a rigorous background check … which includes county, federal and multi-state checks. These checks go back seven years, the maximum allowable by California law.” Uber says it also regularly checks driver histories.
For more information, read the full report.

State Experiments Aimed At Reaching SNAP-Eligible Elderly

According to a recent Governing article, in 2009, approximately one-third of eligible elderly individuals participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps.)  The article notes that states and the federal government are seeking to close the gap between the number of elderly who are eligible for the program and those who actually participate.

A report sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture discusses pilot projects in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to increase the percentage of elderly people enrolled in SNAP. According to the report, the Michigan and Pennsylvania pilots were successful, while the Ohio project did not have a significant effect on participation rates.

The Michigan and Pennsylvania programs (1) simplified their SNAP application processes and (2) worked with state agencies to get lists of potentially SNAP eligible seniors (i.e., seniors who were already receiving Medicaid or other state assistance.) Ohio, by comparison, focused its efforts on community outreach, but struggled to find sites where they could reach significant numbers of eligible seniors.

 

The report cited several factors that inhibit elderly individuals from enrolling in SNAP, including:

1. lack of information (or misinformation) about program applications and eligibility;
2. application burdens, either real or perceived, and low benefits relative to the burden of applying;
3. low benefits relative to the time and effort needed to apply for benefits; and
4. stigma associated with receiving government assistance.

Credit Card Reform – Five Years Later

The federal Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (CARD act) was signed into law in 2009 (15 USCA § 1601).  Often called the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights, it has two main requirements - fairness and transparency. 

On the fifth anniversary of the passage of the CARD act, the Center for American Progress released a report assessing the progress that has since been made. According to the report, the act’s provisions resulted in improvement in a number of areas, including:

1. stopping arbitrary interest rate increases;
2. prohibiting abusive practices (e.g., fees can no longer exceed ¼ of the card’s credit limit);
3. giving consumers new transparency to better manage their accounts (e.g., consumers are now notified on each statement how long it would take to pay off the card if only the minimum payments are made);
4. providing consistency to store gift cards (e.g., cards cannot expire in less than five years); and 
5. restricting credit card eligibility for those under age 21 and removing excessive promotional credit card marketing on college campuses.

The report points to the following areas in which the authors believe regulators and policymakers can take steps to further protect consumers:

1. mandating greater transparency and regulation of prepaid cards,
2. addressing fees associated with the use of college debit cards,
3. ensuring that online and mobile tools have the same disclosures required on printed statements,
4. providing free access to credit scores on credit reports, and
5. limiting the use of credit checks for employment purposes.

Hot Report: 2014 Veto Package

OLR Report 2014-R-0179 briefly summarizes the eight vetoed public acts and the governor’s veto messages.

The vetoed public acts are:

• PA 14-58, An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee Concerning the Reporting of Certain Data by Managed Care Organizations and Health Insurance Companies to the Insurance Department
• PA 14-96,  An Act Concerning the Consideration of Property Values when Determining Eligibility for a Certain Property Tax Relief Program
• PA 14-125,  An Act Concerning a Property Owner’s Liability for the Expenses of Removing a Fallen Tree or Limb
• PA 14-171,  An Act Increasing the Cap on the Neighborhood Assistance Act Tax Credit Program
• PA 14-190,  An Act Establishing a Season for the Taking of Glass Eels
• PA 14-209,  An Act Concerning Administrative Hearings Conducted by the Department of Social Services
• PA 14-218,  An Act Concerning Payment of the Costs of Certification for a Police Officer
• PA 14-230,  An Act Concerning Minor Revisions to the Education Statutes

The Costs and Benefits of Renewable Portfolio Standards

Connecticut’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires electric companies and competitive suppliers to procure part of their power from renewable and other clean energy resources. The companies and suppliers can meet the RPS by buying renewable energy credits on the regional wholesale market.

Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have attempted to quantify the costs and benefits of such policies in 29 states, including Connecticut, where RPS policies have been in place for more than five years.

Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The above graph shows some of their findings on RPS cost. The red circles represent RPS targets, and are measured as a percentage of retail sales on the right side of the graph. The green bars represent estimated incremental RPS costs as a percentage of retail rates. For example, in Connecticut, RPS costs are estimated to be just over 2% of the average retail rate, with a recent RPS target of just under 10% of retail sales and a final RPS target of 20% of retail sales.

The researchers note that comparing across states is difficult, as states take different approaches to implementing each RPS and utilities and regulators use different techniques for measurement. And, if costs are complicated, benefits are even more so, since the benefits of RPS policies include factors that are traditionally difficult to calculate monetarily, such as public health benefits and decreased carbon emissions.

Norwalk Police Use New Technology on Motorcycles

The Norwalk police recently installed two mobile data terminals (MDT) and E-printers on two of the department’s motorcycles used to enforce traffic.

These MDTs are the same equipment found in other police vehicles.  During traffic stops, the devices allow officers to quickly access information instead of relying on dispatchers.  Additionally, officers no longer need to write out tickets and can type and print them instead.

An anonymous city resident provided the nearly $15,000 needed to purchase and install the equipment. 

Hot Report: Municipal Boards of Finance

OLR Report 2014-R-0158 answer the questions Which municipalities have a board of finance and what is their form of government?  How do municipalities with boards of finance elect members and fill vacancies?

Of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities, 120 (71%) have a board of finance.  These municipalities vary according to their form of government, but generally follow the same distribution as Connecticut municipalities as a whole: 95 (80%) have a selectmen-town meeting, six (5%) have a representative town meeting, 11 (9%) have a mayor-council, and eight (7%) have a manager-council form of government. 

The methods for selecting and filling vacancies on boards of finance depend on whether a town operates under the state statutes (i.e., statutory town) or under a charter (i.e., charter town). For statutory towns, state law establishes the selection and vacancy-filling methods. For charter towns, the charter establishes the methods. Regardless of whether a municipality operates under the statutes or a charter, it must comply with state law’s minority representation requirements, which prohibit members from the same political party from comprising more than a specified percentage (generally two-thirds) of a board’s membership.

For more information, read the full report.

Connecticut’s Recidivism Rate Falls

Connecticut’s three-year recidivism rate fell 3.9%, from 43.9% for those released in 2007 to 40.0% for those released in 2010, according to a report issued by the Council of State Governments’ Justice Center and the National Re-entry Resource Center.  For Connecticut, this report measures recidivism as the percentage of inmates released from prison who return to custody because of a new conviction or violating a supervision condition (such as a probation violation) within three years.

The study’s authors examined the recidivism rates in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Recidivism rates dropped in all eight states while crime rates and overall incarceration rates also dropped in all but one state. Connecticut experienced a 8.9% drop in the recidivism rate when comparing inmates released in 2007 and 2010, a 12.6% decline in crime rate from 2007 to 2012, and a 19.4% decline in incarceration rate from 2007 to 2012.

The study’s authors attribute Connecticut’s success to legislation passed in 2004 and 2008 that:

• focused on reentry planning for inmates leaving prison and intensive supervision in the community;
• improved the response to people who violate probation, which reduced the number of people returning to prison for probation violations;
• provided continuity of care to people with mental health needs released from prison; and
• improved data collection and performance measurement.

Sustainable Sidewalks

Although the ubiquitous concrete sidewalk is strong and cheap, some organizations are exploring alternative pavement materials that double as sustainable energy producers.  For example, Pavegen's recycled rubber paving tiles convert the pressure of footsteps (i.e., kinetic energy) into electricity.  The electricity can be used to power, among other things, pedestrian lighting and USB-charging stations.

Pavegen tiles installed in France
Source: http://www.pavegen.com/saint-omer-train-station-northern-france

And last spring, George Washington’s Ashburn campus installed the world’s first walkable solar panel sidewalk.  The nonslip, 100-square foot array generates enough power for 450 LED pathway lights.

“Solar Walk” at Ashburn campus
 Source: http://www.thevoltreport.com/sidewalk-solar-panels-you-can-walk-on/

CityLab from The Atlantic has more on the future sidewalk technology.

One in Four Teens Aren’t Buckling Up

One in four teens say they don’t always buckle their seatbelt when in a car without an adult, according to a survey of teenagers age 13 to 19 conducted by the General Motors Foundation and Safe Kids Worldwide.

Teens surveyed gave a variety of reasons for not wearing a seatbelt, include forgetting to use it, stating that the seatbelt is uncomfortable, and saying they didn’t buckle up for a short trip.
The report accompanying the survey results compiles a number of statistics related to teens.  Motor vehicle accidents are the top killer of teenagers in the country — 2,439 died in crashes in 2012. In half of those crashes, the teenager had not buckled his or her seatbelt.  That statistic hasn’t changed much in the last decade, according to the report. But the report cites some good news:  the number of teenage fatalities has fallen 56% since its peak in 2002.

The report includes strategies for parents to encourage their teenagers to wear a seatbelt every time they get in a car including making sure parents themselves always buckle up.

The report contains a helpful inforgraphic.