General Assembly Raised Bill No. 170 February Session, 2010 LCO No. 905 *00905_______LAB* Referred to Committee on Labor and Public Employees Introduced by: (LAB) General Assembly Raised Bill No. 170 February Session, 2010 LCO No. 905 *00905_______LAB* Referred to Committee on Labor and Public Employees Introduced by: (LAB) AN ACT CONCERNING TERMINATION WITHOUT CAUSE FOR THE SECOND IN COMMAND OF MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: Section 1. Section 7-278 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2010): No active head of any police department and no officer of any department not subject to a collective bargaining agreement of any town, city or borough shall be dismissed unless there is a showing of just cause by the authority having the power of dismissal and such person has been given notice in writing of the specific grounds for such dismissal and an opportunity to be heard in his own defense, personally or by counsel, at a public hearing before such authority. Such public hearing, unless otherwise specified by charter, shall be held not less than five nor more than ten days after such notice. Any person so dismissed may appeal within thirty days following such dismissal to the superior court for the judicial district in which such town, city or borough is located. Service shall be made as in civil process. Said court shall review the record of such hearing, and, if it appears upon the hearing upon the appeal that testimony is necessary for an equitable disposition of the appeal, it may take evidence or appoint a referee or a committee to take such evidence as it directs and report the same to the court with his or its findings of fact, which report shall constitute a part of the proceedings upon which the determination of the court shall be made. The court, upon such appeal, and after a hearing thereon, may affirm the action of such authority, or may set the same aside if it finds that such authority acted illegally or arbitrarily, or in the abuse of its discretion, with bad faith, malice, or without just cause. This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: Section 1 October 1, 2010 7-278 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: Section 1 October 1, 2010 7-278 Statement of Purpose: To provide employment protection for the executive officers of a municipal police department not subject to a collective bargaining agreement. [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]