federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [^ Pub.L. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119, to be codified as amended at scattered sections of 42 U.S.C.] contains provisions related to health care workforce, long term care, slowing cost growth, prevention and wellness. The SustiNet framework provides many opportunities for capturing and coordinating these new resources and the committee will have the chance to consider targeting resources at areas that could benefit from cost and quality improvements. For example, there are many grants opportunities for workforce development and community health promotion. Connecticut Healthcare Partnership The Connecticut Healthcare Partnership legislation (last considered in 2009 as PA 09-147) would allow municipalities, small businesses, and non-profits to voluntarily join the state employee health insurance plan, creating a large pool of insured lives yielding significantly lower costs. The governor vetoed this measure twice, but finally signed a less sweeping form of the legislation, which permitted municipalities to purchase prescription coverage through the state, in 2010. This legislation will be considered again in 2011. Donovan has been recognized for his efforts by numerous groups. On July 13, 2010, House Speaker Donovan came out in favor of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decision in Green Party of Connecticut v. Garfield on campaign finance ("pay to play"), in solidarity with Governor Rell. Labor, minimum wage, state budget In 1998, 2000 and again in 2002, as chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, Donovan successfully brought out of committee bills that raised the state's minimum wage (HB 5160). In 2000 he set the first standard wage for service workers across the state. PA 99-142 Other bills he helped pass include; balancing the state budget and eliminating a $10 billion deficit (HB 6802); stem cell research (SB 934); creating green technology jobs (SB 494); addressing the education achievement gap (HB 5491); campaign finance reform; allowing civil unions; paid family medical leave; and fully funding the Teacher's Retirement Fund at $235 million (HB 5845). Speaker task force initiatives Donovan has convened a bipartisan legislative task force to formulate Connecticut's response to domestic violence and the legislature approved its most sweeping reforms to domestic violence laws in over 25 years when it approved a package of bills addressing criminal justice, housing and human services, and education issues related to this crime. The changes include GPS monitoring for high risk domestic violence offenders, improvement of enforcing protective orders, the