Senate Bill No. 1226 proposes an amendment to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that establishes an exemption from disclosure for specific records maintained by faculty or staff of public higher education institutions. The bill adds a new subdivision (29) to subsection (b) of section 1-210 of the general statutes, which will take effect on July 1, 2025. This exemption covers records related to teaching or research on various scholarly issues, including medical, artistic, scientific, and legal topics, as well as records from legal clinics or centers. However, it explicitly excludes financial records of the institutions from this exemption.

The bill aims to protect sensitive academic and research-related information while ensuring that financial transparency is maintained. The fiscal impact of this legislation is assessed to be negligible, with no expected costs to the state or municipalities. The bill was favorably reported by the Government Administration and Elections Committee, indicating support for the proposed changes to FOIA regarding higher education records.