Connecticut HB 5426: AN ACT REQUIRING THE AVAILABILITY OF AN ADVISOR DURING DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

Bill Text

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General Assembly  
Substitute Bill No. 5426  
February Session, 2026 
 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT REQUIRING THE AVAILABILITY OF AN ADVISOR DURING 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION.  
Be  it enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) Not later than August 1, 2026, 1 
each  institution  of  higher  education  in  the  state  shall  adopt  a  policy 2 
allowing each student to designate an advisor or support person of such 3 
student's choice to assist and support such student during a disciplinary 4 
proceeding that may result in such student being suspended from such 5 
institution,  placed  on  probation,  expelled  from  such  institution  or 6 
prohibited  from  participating  in  an  intercollegiate  athletic  program  at 7 
such institution. Such advisor or support person shall receive copies of 8 
any   communication   relating   to   such   disciplinary   proceeding   and 9 
accompany  such  student  to  any  meeting  relating  to  such  disciplinary 10 
proceeding,  provided  (1)  the  involvement  of  such  advisor  or  support 11 
person does not result in the postponement or delay of such meeting as 12 
scheduled,  and  (2)  for  disciplinary  proceedings  concerning  sexual 13 
assault,  stalking  and  intimate  partner  violence,  the  policies  adopted 14 
pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  section  10a-55m  of  the  general  statutes 15 
concerning a student's entitlement to be accompanied by an advisor or 16 
support  person  shall  take  precedence  over  the  implementation  of  the 17 
policy adopted under this section to the extent such policies differ. Each 18 

Substitute Bill No. 5426 
 
 
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institution  shall  notify  every  student  at  the  commencement  of  each 19 
academic  year  and  prior  to  the  commencement  of  such  disciplinary 20 
proceeding of such policy and the manner in which such student may 21 
designate  or  redesignate  such  student's  choice  of  advisor  or  support 22 
person.  Nothing  in  this  section  shall  be   construed  to  require  an 23 
institution to provide an advisor or support person to a student. 24 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 
July 1, 2026 
New section 
 
HED Joint Favorable Subst.