Connecticut HB 5566: AN ACT CONCERNING ACCELERATED REHABILITATION IN THE CASE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY.

Bill Text

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General Assembly  
Substitute Bill No. 5566  
February Session, 2026 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING ACCELERATED REHABILITATION IN THE 
CASE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY.  
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section  1.  Subsection  (c)  of  section  54-56e  of  the  general  statutes  is 1 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2 
1, 2026): 3 
(c) This  section  shall  not  be  applicable:  (1)  To  any  person  charged 4 
with  (A)  a  class  A  felony,  (B)  a  class  B  felony,  except  a  violation  of 5 
subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of section 53a-122 that does not 6 
involve  the  use,  attempted  use  or  threatened  use  of  physical  force 7 
against another person, or a violation of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) 8 
of  section  53a-122  that  does  not  involve  the  use,  attempted  use  or 9 
threatened  use  of  physical  force  against  another  person  and  does  not 10 
involve  a  violation  by  a  person  who  is  a  public  official,  as  defined  in 11 
section 1-110, or a state or municipal employee, as defined in section 1-12 
110, or (C) a violation of section 53a-70b of the general statutes, revision 13 
of  1958,  revised  to  January  1,  2019,  or  section  14-227a  or  14-227m, 14 
subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of section 14-227n, subdivision (2) 15 
of subsection (a) of section 53-21 or section 53a-56b, 53a-60d, 53a-70, 53a-16 
70a, 53a-71, except as provided in subdivision (5) of this subsection, 53a-17 
72a,  53a-72b,  53a-90a,  53a-196e  or  53a-196f,  (2)  to  any  person  charged 18 
with  a  crime  or  motor  vehicle  violation  who,  as  a  result  of  the 19 
commission of such crime or motor vehicle violation, causes the death 20 

Substitute Bill No. 5566 
 
 
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of another person, (3) to any person accused of a family violence crime 21 
as defined in section 46b-38a who (A) is eligible for the pretrial family 22 
violence  education  program  established  under  section  46b-38c,  or  (B) 23 
has  previously  had  the  pretrial  family  violence  education  program 24 
invoked  in  such  person's  behalf,  (4)  to  any  person  charged  with  a 25 
violation of section 21a-267, 21a-279 or 21a-279a, who (A) is eligible for 26 
the pretrial drug education and community service program established 27 
under  section  54-56i  or  the  pretrial  drug  intervention  and  community 28 
service program established under section 54-56q, or (B) has previously 29 
had  (i)  the  pretrial  drug  education  program,  (ii)  the  pretrial  drug 30 
education  and  community  service  program  established   under  the 31 
provisions  of  section  54-56i,  or  (iii)  the  pretrial  drug  intervention  and 32 
community service program established under section 54-56q, invoked 33 
on  such  person's  behalf,  (5)  unless  good  cause  is  shown,  to  (A)  any 34 
person  charged  with  a  class  C  felony,  or  (B)  any  person  charged  with 35 
committing a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 53a-36 
71  while  such  person  was  less  than  four  years  older  than  the  other 37 
person, (6) to any person charged with a violation of section 9-359 or 9-38 
359a, (7) to any person charged with a motor vehicle violation (A) while 39 
operating a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in section 14-1, or (B) 40 
who holds a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit 41 
at the time of the violation, (8) to any person charged with a violation of 42 
subdivision  (6)  of  subsection  (a)  of  section  53a-60,  (9)  to  a  health  care 43 
provider  or  vendor  participating  in  the  state's  Medicaid  program 44 
charged  with  a  violation  of  section  53a-122  or  subdivision  (3)  of 45 
subsection (a) of section 53a-123, [or] (10) to any person charged with a 46 
violation  of  section  15-132a,  15-133  or  15-140n,  or  (11)  to  any  person 47 
charged with a violation of section 22-329 or 53-247 who has previously 48 
participated  in  the  program  pursuant  to  this  section,  unless  fifteen  or 49 
more years have passed since the date of dismissal by the court of any 50 
charge   or   charges   for   which   the   program   was   invoked   on   the 51 
defendant's behalf. 52 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 

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Section 1 
October 1, 2026 
54-56e(c) 
 
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:   
In Subsec. (c), a reference to the date of dismissal was added for internal 
consistency. 
 
JUD Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO