Connecticut Public Act 26-50 is a mandatory training law for homemaker-companion agency employees. Governor Lamont signed it on May 20, 2026, and the obligations start on January 1, 2027. If you run a Connecticut homemaker companion agency, this guide walks through what the law actually says, in plain English, with links to the primary sources.
This article summarizes public sources. It is not legal advice.
The short version
Starting January 1, 2027, every Connecticut homemaker-companion agency must:
- Provide at least 8 paid hours of initial training to each new employee, within 90 days of the employee's start date
- Provide annual continuing education to every employee, drawn from the state's approved program list
- Complete a signed completion form with the employee after each training
- Keep training records on file: the signed forms, plus a list of the training programs the agency uses with content summaries
- Submit an attestation to the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) by January 1, 2027, and every year after that
Registries that supply or refer caregivers are covered by a separate rule, described below.
Initial training: 8 paid hours within 90 days
Under section 1(a)(1)(A) of the act, initial training must be at least eight paid hours, completed within 90 days of a new employee's start of employment. The training must cover, at minimum:
- Maintenance of a clean and safe environment, including best practices for dressing, bathing and toileting assistance
- Identification and reporting of abuse and neglect
- Identification and reporting of changes in a client's condition and service needs
If the new employee will provide services to a person with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, the initial training must also cover providing nonmedical services to people with Alzheimer's or dementia.
"Paid" is in the statute. The training hours are work hours, so the law is also a wage commitment. For what that costs in practice, see our companion article on the real cost of 8 paid hours.
The approved program list
By October 1, 2026, DCP was required to develop a list of approved training programs and publish it on its website. DCP published its approved initial and annual course lists on September 30, 2026, along with two completion forms. Some topics on the lists are still marked "course materials are coming soon," and DCP says it reviews training programs on a rolling basis.
The statute limits the approved list to programs concerning six topics - communication; clean and safe environment; abuse and neglect reporting; identifying and reporting changes in condition; differentiating medical from nonmedical care; and nonmedical services for people with Alzheimer's or dementia - plus any other topic the DCP commissioner deems appropriate in consultation with four other commissioners.
One line in section 1(b) deserves attention: each agency must ensure every employee completes every program on the approved list at least once every two calendar years. DCP's own page phrases the annual education duty differently than the statute text does. We put both readings side by side in our article on the two-calendar-year rule.
The completion form
After any training, the agency and the employee complete a form prescribed by the DCP commissioner attesting that the employee completed it. The form must include the agency and employee names, the training programs completed and their dates, and signatures from both an agency representative and the employee.
DCP published the initial and annual completion forms on September 30, 2026. The form matters more than it looks: it is the document that makes training portable between agencies, and it is the core of what your agency must retain. We wrote a full explainer on the completion form.
Portability: the three-year rule
If an employee received initial training while employed by a different homemaker-companion agency within the three years before their hire date, that training satisfies your initial training requirement - as long as the employee furnishes the completion form as proof. Your agency must retain a copy of that form in the employee's personnel file. Details in our portability article.
The January 1 attestation is an agreement, not a certificate
By January 1, 2027, and annually after that, each agency must submit an attestation to DCP in which the agency agrees to adhere to the training requirements. Read that again: the attestation is your agency's agreement to follow the training law going forward. It is not proof that training is already complete, and the statute does not ask you to submit your signed completion forms with it. The forms stay in your files.
Alongside the attestation, each agency must maintain a list of the training programs it uses, with content summaries, and paper or electronic copies of all completion forms for current employees. Our attestation explainer goes deeper.
Registries are covered too
Section 1(d) applies to registries: before a registry supplies, refers, or places an individual with a consumer for companion or homemaker services, it must ensure that individual complies with the training requirements. Registries are often missed in coverage of this law. We cover their obligation in a separate article.
Who is exempt
The training requirements do not apply to registered nurse's aides, home health aides, personal care attendants as defined in section 17b-706, or agency employees who do not provide homemaker or companion services. Boundary cases are worth care; see our exemptions article.
What advertising your agency can make after January 1, 2027
The act also changes what agencies may claim in advertising, including claims about memory-care training and statements that an agency complies with state training requirements. Violations count as untruthful or misleading advertising. See our advertising rules article.
Where Companza fits
Companza is the records layer for this law: one record per caregiver, signed completion forms prepared for signature, due dates tracked, and your agency's training file in one place. Companza is a records platform, not a training provider, and not a state agency. Whatever training your agency uses, the records are still yours.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
When does PA 26-50 take effect?
The act was effective from passage on May 20, 2026, but the training, recordkeeping, and attestation obligations operate starting January 1, 2027.
How many training hours does PA 26-50 require?
At least 8 paid hours of initial training within 90 days of hire, plus annual continuing education from DCP's approved program list.
Do agencies submit training certificates to the state?
No. The statute requires the agency to retain signed completion forms in its own records. What the agency submits to DCP each year is an attestation agreeing to adhere to the training requirements.
Does PA 26-50 apply to registries?
Yes. Section 1(d) requires registries to ensure that individuals they supply, refer, or place with consumers comply with the training requirements before placement.
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