The proposed legislation, General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1459, aims to establish a minimum salary for certified teachers in Connecticut, effective July 1, 2025. Under this bill, any collective bargaining agreement between local or regional boards of education and the exclusive bargaining unit for certified employees must set a minimum salary that is at least three hundred percent of the federal poverty level for a family of two. Additionally, the bill allows for the reopening of contracts to negotiate the allocation of teacher retention grant funds, which can include salaries and other employment conditions, but these negotiations will not be subject to binding arbitration.

To support the implementation of this minimum salary, the bill introduces a teacher retention grant program, which the Comptroller is required to establish by August 1, 2025. This program will provide grants to municipalities to help increase teacher salaries to the mandated minimum. The grants will be distributed based on each municipality's share of state-wide equalization aid and will total at least six hundred million dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, and a percentage of the General Fund surplus for the following year. The bill also stipulates that a significant portion of the grant must be used to raise the salaries of teachers who are not at the maximum salary level, ensuring that the funds directly benefit certified employees.