Maureen Magnan, deputy commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection, summarized the agency’s recent activity and budget requests at the Appropriations subcommittee on Feb. 14, telling lawmakers the governor’s proposal provides resources to support several new and expanded programs.

Magnan described three items with immediate impact: a proposed prescription‑drug importation program, moving cannabis regulatory positions from the cannabis fund into the general fund to match where revenues are deposited, and added oversight for homemaker/companion agencies.

“The governor's proposed budget does provide DCP with the resources necessary to continue our work,” Magnan said, and she specifically highlighted funding to “support the establishment of a prescription drug importation program” that will require vendor and consultant work. Magnan told the panel the executive budget includes $100,000 for a consultant in the first year to help plan the importation program.

On cannabis oversight, Magnan said the administration wants to move about 62 positions tied to cannabis regulation from the cannabis fund into the general fund to align positions with where revenues are collected. She said the agency tracks both adult‑use and medical sales; Magnan said total adult‑use and medical sales since the program began in January 2023 were reported to the committee as about $591 million, and she said January sales were roughly $23 million (figures cited as adult‑use and medical combined).

Magnan said the agency will use added resources to expand enforcement of the Connecticut Junk Fee Prevention Act (Senate Bill 1248) and to add a third special investigator for oversight of the expanding homemaker/companion agency sector. “The number of agencies has just ballooned over the last few years,” she told the committee, adding the extra investigator will allow more audits and responses to consumer complaints.

Other items in the agency’s testimony included digital licensing upgrades, an initiative to issue mobile QR‑enabled trade licenses, support for iLottery and sports‑wagering launch oversight, and a software contract for the prescription drug monitoring program that will be administered by the Department of Administrative Services. Magnan said the governor’s budget proposes $694,000 related to that PDMP contract.

The agency said its general‑fund personnel services lapse was roughly $1.3 million, and Magnan said the department can absorb a proposed reduction in the personal‑services line in the current proposal. She told the committee the cannabis inspector positions are still adequate for now but noted they continually fill vacancies because the market is new and employees move on or are promoted.

Ending: Lawmakers asked for further detail on cannabis revenues and which other agencies receive cannabis fund money. The Department of Consumer Protection said it will provide fuller breakdowns to the committee and to the Office of Fiscal Analysis.