Connecticut HB 5253: AN ACT CONCERNING VOTING PROCEDURES FOR AND STATE ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION OVERSIGHT OF FIRE DISTRICTS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5253
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING VOTING PROCEDURES FOR AND STATE
ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION OVERSIGHT OF FIRE
DISTRICTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2027) (a) The provisions of this 1
section shall apply to each fire district within the state, whether 2
operating under a special act or under sections 7-324 to 7-329, inclusive, 3
of the general statutes, and shall be in addition to the provisions of any 4
such special act or of said sections, as applicable. Where there is any 5
conflict between a provision of any such special act or of said sections 6
and this section, the provisions of this section shall apply. 7
(b) At each annual or special meeting of a fire district, for the election 8
of fire district officers or the transaction of such other business as may 9
properly come before such meeting, each item on the call of such 10
meeting shall be submitted to the persons qualified to vote in such 11
meeting for a vote by paper ballots. Only those such persons present at 12
such meeting shall be permitted to cast a vote, and no person shall be 13
permitted to cast a vote by absentee ballot. 14
(c) Any person qualified to vote in a meeting of a fire district 15
described in subsection (b) of this section who claims to be aggrieved by 16
a violation of the provisions of this section, or of section 7-327 of the 17

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general statutes, as amended by this act, applicable to such fire district, 18
may file a written complaint under oath with the State Elections 19
Enforcement Commission alleging such violation. Upon receipt of such 20
complaint, the commission may exercise with respect to such fire district 21
the duties and powers set forth in section 9-7b of the general statutes, as 22
amended by this act, and render a decision on such complaint. Any 23
party aggrieved by the decision of the commission may appeal such 24
decision to the Superior Court in accordance with the provisions of 25
section 4-183 of the general statutes. In any such appeal to the Superior 26
Court or any subsequent judicial proceeding related to such violation, 27
the court may (1) award reasonable attorneys' fees, litigation costs and 28
punitive damages, in addition to any civil penalties levied by the 29
commission, (2) hold any fire district officer personally liable for such 30
fees, costs and penalties whenever the court finds such fire district 31
officer to have knowingly and wilfully engaged in such violation or any 32
other similar malfeasance related to voting procedures at such meeting, 33
and (3) grant such other relief as the court deems appropriate, including, 34
but not limited to, ordering that a new vote be taken for the election of 35
fire district officers or the transaction of such other business as may 36
properly come before such meeting. 37
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 9-7b of the 2026 supplement to the 38
general statutes, as amended by section 97 of public act 26-1, is repealed 39
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2027): 40
(a) The State Elections Enforcement Commission shall have the 41
following duties and powers: 42
(1) (A) To make investigations on its own initiative or with respect to 43
statements filed with the commission by the Secretary of the State, any 44
town clerk or any registrar of voters or upon written complaint under 45
oath by any individual, with respect to alleged violations of any 46
provision of the general statutes relating to any election or referendum, 47
any primary held pursuant to section 9-423, 9-425 or 9-464 or any 48
primary held pursuant to a special act, [and to] or upon written 49
complaint under oath by any eligible voter of a fire district, with respect 50

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to alleged violations of any provision of section 1 of this act or section 7-51
327, as amended by this act, that is applicable to fire districts and 52
relating to a vote at a meeting of such fire district; 53
(B) To hold hearings when the commission deems necessary to 54
investigate violations of any provisions of the general statutes relating 55
to any such election, primary, [or] referendum or vote at a meeting of a 56
fire district, and for the purpose of such hearings the commission may 57
administer oaths, examine witnesses and receive oral and documentary 58
evidence, and shall have the power to subpoena witnesses under 59
procedural rules the commission shall adopt, to compel their attendance 60
and to require the production for examination of any books and papers 61
which the commission deems relevant to any matter under investigation 62
or in question. Until the commission determines that it is necessary to 63
investigate a violation, commission members and staff shall keep 64
confidential any information concerning a complaint or prel