Connecticut SB 91: AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR VETERANS PARK IN STAMFORD.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 91
February Session, 2026

AN ACT ENHANCING THE INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITY OF THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL AND ESTABLISHING PROTECTED AREAS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 51-277a of the 2026 supplement to the general 1
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
(Effective from passage): 3
(a) (1) As used in this section: 4
(A) "Peace officer" means a member of the Division of State Police 5
within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or 6
an organized local police department, a chief inspector or inspector in 7
the Division of Criminal Justice, a state marshal while exercising 8
authority granted under any provision of the general statutes, a judicial 9
marshal in the performance of the duties of a judicial marshal, a 10
conservation officer or special conservation officer, as defined in section 11
26-5, a constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties, a 12
special policeman appointed under section 29-18, 29-18a, 29-18b or 29-13
19, an adult probation officer, an official of the Department of Correction 14
authorized by the Commissioner of Correction to make arrests in a 15
correctional institution or facility, any investigator in the investigations 16
unit of the office of the State Treasurer, an inspector of motor vehicles in 17
the Department of Motor Vehicles, who is certified under the provisions 18

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of sections 7-294a to 7-294e, inclusive, any federal law enforcement 19
officer as defined under 18 USC 115(c)(1) and 34 USC 50301(5), or a 20
member of a law enforcement unit of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe or 21
the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut created and governed by 22
a memorandum of agreement under section 47-65c who is certified as a 23
police officer by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council 24
pursuant to sections 7-294a to 7-294e, inclusive; 25
(B) "Deadly physical force" has the same meaning as provided in 26
section 53a-3; and 27
(C) "Electronic defense weapon" has the same meaning as provided 28
in section 53a-3. 29
[(a) (1)] (2) Whenever a peace officer, in the performance of such 30
officer's duties, uses physical force upon another person and such 31
person dies as a result thereof or uses deadly physical force [, as defined 32
in section 53a-3,] upon another person, the Division of Criminal Justice 33
shall cause an investigation to be made and the Inspector General shall 34
have the responsibility of determining whether the use of physical force 35
by the peace officer was justifiable under section 53a-22, as amended by 36
this act. The use of an electronic defense weapon [, as defined in section 37
53a-3,] by a peace officer shall not be considered deadly physical force 38
for purposes of this section. 39
[(2)] (3) (A) Except as provided under subdivision [(1)] (2) of this 40
subsection, whenever a person dies in the custody of a peace officer or 41
law enforcement agency, the Inspector General shall investigate and 42
determine whether physical force was used by a peace officer upon the 43
deceased person, and if so, whether the use of physical force by the 44
peace officer was justifiable under section 53a-22, as amended by this 45
act. If the Inspector General determines the deceased person may have 46
died as a result of criminal action not involving the use of force by a 47
peace officer, the Inspector General shall refer such case to the Chief 48
State's Attorney or a state's attorney for potential prosecution. 49
(B) Except as provided under subdivision [(1)] (2) of this subsection 50

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or subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, [(2) of this subsection,] 51
whenever a person dies in the custody of the Commissioner of 52
Correction, the Inspector General shall investigate and determine 53
whether the deceased person may have died as a result of criminal 54
action, and, if so, refer such case to the Chief State's Attorney or a state's 55
attorney for potential prosecution. 56
[(3)] (4) Whenever a person who (A) is a next of kin of a deceased 57
person, (B) is not notified of such deceased person's death as required 58
pursuant to section 7-294mm and no other person who is a next of kin 59
of the deceased person was so notified, and (C) requests of the Office of 60
the Inspector General an investigation of the lack of notification or 61
timely notification of such death, the Inspector General shall investigate 62
and determine whether there was any malfeasance on the part of a peace 63
officer, except for a federal law enforcement officer, or a supervisor of 64
the peace officer, except for a federal law enforcement officer, in the 65
failure to provide such notification or timely notification, and if so, may 66
make recommendations to the Police Officer Standards and Training 67
Council established under section 7-29