Lawmakers discuss bill to expand CT’s Hero Pay program

(WFSB) - A bill to expand Connecticut’s Hero Pay program and pay more workers will now head to the Senate and House floor.

The program was created to give bonuses to essential workers during the pandemic.

If passed, the bill would require the state to pay out workers designated “1C” by the federal government, including bank tellers and transportation workers.

Connecticut State Comptroller Sean Scanlon said he will support the legislature with whatever decision they make but added they would need to approve hundreds of millions of dollars as well to fund an expansion.

“Anything that we can do to thank those workers for all that they did for us is a good thing and if the legislature decides they want to include the 1C workers, my office will certainly do whatever we can to get those checks out to those people as soon as possible,” Scanlon said.

Scanlon said final payments to the 150,000 workers already approved are on their way.

He said the current program has cost the state more than $100 million so far.

A date has not yet been set to discuss the expansion bill.

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