Connecticut HB 5219: AN ACT CONCERNING THE ORDER OF GUBERNATORIAL SUCCESSION UNDER CERTAIN PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5219
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE ORDER OF GUBERNATORIAL
SUCCESSION UNDER CERTAIN PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY
CIRCUMSTANCES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) In case of the death, 1
resignation, refusal to serve or removal from the office of Governor and: 2
(1) There is a vacancy in the office of Lieutenant Governor such that 3
no person is able to succeed to the office of Governor in accordance with 4
subsection a. of article twenty-second of the amendments to the 5
Constitution of the state, and there is a vacancy in the office of president 6
pro tempore of the Senate due to the Senate not electing one of its 7
members president pro tempore in accordance with section 19 or 20 of 8
article fourth of the Constitution of the state such that no person is able 9
to succeed to the office of Lieutenant Governor in accordance with 10
section 19 of article fourth of the Constitution of the state, the speaker of 11
the House of Representatives shall, upon taking the oath of office of 12
Governor, be Governor of the state until another is chosen at the next 13
regular election for Governor and is duly qualified; 14
(2) In addition to the vacancies set forth in subdivision (1) of this 15
subsection, (A) there is a vacancy in the office of speaker of the House 16
of Representatives, (B) the speaker of the House of Representatives 17
refuses to take the oath of office of Governor or is unable to take such 18

Substitute Bill No. 5219

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oath due to absence from the state, or (C) the speaker of the House of 19
Representatives is ineligible for the office of Governor or otherwise 20
unable to serve in such capacity, the Treasurer shall, upon taking the 21
oath of office of Governor, be Governor of the state until another is 22
chosen at the next regular election for Governor and is duly qualified; 23
(3) In addition to the vacancies set forth in subdivisions (1) and (2) of 24
this subsection and any refusal or absence described in subdivision (2) 25
of this subsection, (A) there is a vacancy in the office of Treasurer, (B) 26
the Treasurer refuses to take the oath of office of Governor or is unable 27
to take such oath due to absence from the state, or (C) the Treasurer is 28
ineligible for the office of Governor or otherwise unable to serve in such 29
capacity, the Secretary of the State shall, upon taking the oath of office 30
of Governor, be Governor of the state until another is chosen at the next 31
regular election for Governor and is duly qualified; 32
(4) In addition to the vacancies set forth in subdivisions (1) to (3), 33
inclusive, of this subsection and any refusals or absences described in 34
subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection, (A) there is a vacancy in the 35
office of Secretary of the State, (B) the Secretary of the State refuses to 36
take the oath of office of Governor or is unable to take such oath due to 37
absence from the state, or (C) the Secretary of the State is ineligible for 38
the office of Governor or otherwise unable to serve in such capacity, the 39
Comptroller shall, upon taking the oath of office of Governor, be 40
Governor of the state until another is chosen at the next regular election 41
for Governor and is duly qualified; 42
(5) In addition to the vacancies set forth in subdivisions (1) to (4), 43
inclusive, of this subsection and any refusals or absences described in 44
subdivisions (2) to (4), inclusive, of this subsection, (A) there is a vacancy 45
in the office of Comptroller, (B) the Comptroller refuses to take the oath 46
of office of Governor or is unable to take such oath due to absence from 47
the state, or (C) the Comptroller is ineligible for the office of Governor 48
or otherwise unable to serve in such capacity, the Attorney General 49
shall, upon taking the oath of office of Governor, be Governor of the 50
state until another is chosen at the next regular election for Governor 51

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and is duly qualified; 52
(6) In addition to the vacancies set forth in subdivisions (1) to (5), 53
inclusive, of this subsection and any refusals or absences described in 54
subdivisions (2) to (5), inclusive, of this subsection, (A) there is a vacancy 55
in the office of Attorney General, (B) the Attorney General refuses to 56
take the oath of office of Governor or is unable to take such oath due to 57
absence from the state, or (C) the Attorney General is ineligible for the 58
office of Governor or otherwise unable to serve in such capacity, the 59
majority leader of the Senate shall, upon taking the oath of office of 60
Governor, be Governor of the state until another is chosen at the next 61
regular election for Governor and is duly qualified; and 62
(7) In addition to the vacancies set forth in subdivisions (1) to (6), 63
inclusive, of this subsection and any refusals o