Please support community nonprofits in special session. Community nonprofits are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, delivering mental health services and substance abuse treatment, feeding and sheltering the hungry and unemployed, supporting people with disabilities. Government support during the pandemic has been helpful, but it is not enough for community nonprofits serving some of the most vulnerable people in Connecticut. Without more funding, supplies and guidance, vital programs could close permanently, leaving thousands of people without the services they need. Please: - Increase funding for community nonprofits. Dedicate federal Coronavirus Relief Funding for community nonprofits and add additional state resources. Underfunded to begin with, nonprofit costs have increased substantially due to COVID-19. - Allow nonprofit providers to retain revenue at the end of the fiscal year by passing the language in HB 5233 from the 2020 session. Without it, state agencies can take back money that would otherwise be used to provide additional services. This provision would help nonprofit providers address increased demand for services caused by the pandemic. - Pass legislation to codify telehealth flexibility. Nonprofits are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the continuity of community services to children, families and communities and access to care has continued in part due to Governor Lamont’s Executive Orders that allow for the temporarily expanded use of telehealth. - Include community nonprofits in police reform legislation. Many health and human service providers are social workers who work with people who have interacted with police and the criminal justice system. - Provide a several-month supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). - Ensure nonprofit provider staff and clients receive priority testing for COVID-19. Thank you for your consideration. Please let me know if you would like to talk further about these proposals!