Advocacy in Action | March 20, 2025

S.B. No. 1460: An Act Concerning Interchange Fees on Electronic Payment Transactions 

Scott Dolch, CRA President & CEO, testified before the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee Committee, in support of SB 1460, An Act Concerning Interchange Fees on Electronic Payment Transactions.

Scott was joined by State Senator Derek Slap, and Grecia Ludena, co-owner of Coracora in West Hartford, to deliver a powerful testimony to the committee last Friday. In addition, Jacob Rodriguez of Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Grouptestified on his own about the impact this legislation would have on his restaurants.

The testimony showed the committee the impact of these credit card fees on small businesses, and explained that thousands of dollars could be saved by restaurants and invested back into their businesses.

Watch Grecia’s Testimony Here

Watch Jacob’s Testimony Here

The Connecticut Restaurant Association was supported by the National Restaurant Association’s Director of Technology and Innovation Policy, Brennan Duckett, who also virtually testified on behalf of National regarding SB 1460. 

Brennan stated: “This legislation would help curb some of the anticompetitive practices pervasive throughout the U.S. payments ecosystem, perpetrated by the duopoly [the two biggest credit card companies]. Most notably, the bill would provide small business owners and consumers in Connecticut with much-needed relief from exorbitant swipe fees on sales and use taxes and ultimately promote greater competition and transparency within the credit card market.”

Watch Brennan’s Testimony Here

Scott was also able to speak to the positive impact of reinvesting the 1% meals and beverage tax. You can read the CRA’s submitted testimony here. 

H.B.No 6229: An Act Concerning a Reduction of Single-Use Plastics and Polystyrene Waste

Connecticut lawmakers are revisiting a proposal to ban single-use plastics and polystyrene containers in restaurants, schools, and other public spaces by 2026, citing environmental concerns and shifting consumer preferences. 

While supporters argue that many businesses have already moved toward biodegradable alternatives, opponents, including industry representatives, warn that affordable and widely available substitutes are still lacking, potentially raising costs for consumers. 

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection supports reducing plastic waste but expressed concerns about enforcement capacity, as similar bans in other states have faced logistical challenges and mixed public reception.

Read More Here

Latest on Tariffs

The National Restaurant Association has submitted comments on reciprocal tariffs. The U.S. Trade Representative requested comments from organizations detailing what reciprocal tariffs could mean for their industry. 

National outlined how these tariffs could upset markets for commodities like beef and chicken, where international trade helps balance supply and demand to maintain affordable prices for U.S. consumers. National also explained how global trade is essential to ensure that restaurants have a stable supply of fresh ingredients year-round. If new tariffs are applied, this could significantly affect the availability of food products and increase costs.

Webinar: Talking Taxes - Making Your Story Matter on Tax Policy

Talking Taxes - Making Your Story Matter on Tax Policy
🗓️ Wednesday, March 26, 2025
📍 Online
🕛 2pm ET
👉 Registration Required
💸 Free

Favorable tax policy is important for the vitality of the restaurant industry, but it can also be hard to advocate for complex tax issues. This webinar from the National Restaurant Association will help by making talking about taxes easier.

This year, Congress will be considering a major tax bill that will include several policies that would support restaurant operators. This webinar will give you tools to share your story with lawmakers to help them understand how their decision on tax policy will impact you.

The discussion will include: 

• Tax policy 101 – What is a deduction? What is a credit? And why do they matter to me?
• Tools to figure out how tax policy impacts my business and how to easily talk about why it’s important.
• Where is Congress in the policy process and how you can get involved.

Register Here

Bill Tracker

The Connecticut Restaurant 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 CRA 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 webpage is updated weekly, and we will keep you informed on any movement through our Advocacy in Action emails and text alerts. 

Click Here