Senate Bill No. 259, also known as File No. 249, is a legislative proposal that aims to extend the existing state ethics codes concerning contracting with the state to also include quasi-public agencies. The bill stipulates that no public official, state employee, or their immediate family members, or any business they are associated with, can enter into any contract with the state or a quasi-public agency valued at $100 or more, unless the contract is awarded through an open and public process or is pursuant to a court appointment. This open and public process must include a prior public offer and subsequent public disclosure of all proposals considered and the contract awarded. The bill also specifies that the superintendent of the Technical Education and Career System must establish an open and transparent process to review any contract entered into under certain educational exceptions.

The bill includes insertions that specifically mention "quasi-public agency" alongside the state, thereby expanding the scope of the ethics codes to cover these entities. The bill is set to become effective on October 1, 2024, and amends subsection (i) of section 1-84 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes. The bill has been reported favorably by the Committee on Government Administration and Elections and has no fiscal impact on the state or municipalities, as noted in the accompanying Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis.