Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06648

Introduced
3/17/21  
Introduced
3/17/21  
Refer
3/17/21  

Caption

An Act Concerning Sexual Assault And The Absence Of Consent.

Impact

If passed, HB 6648 would significantly alter statutes related to sexual assault in the state. It proposes a clearer legal framework that delineates the lines of consent, particularly emphasizing conditions such as mental incapacity and authority dynamics, which are crucial for protecting vulnerable populations. This legislative change aims to provide victims with greater agency and clarity in the legal process following an assault, ensuring that cases are handled with a standard that reflects contemporary understanding of consent.

Summary

House Bill 6648 addresses issues pertaining to sexual assault by clarifying definitions around consent and the circumstances under which sexual assault occurs. The bill focuses on updating existing language in state law to emphasize the absence of consent in various situations and provides greater protection for victims. This includes recognizing specific scenarios involving mental incapacitation, authority figures, and the definitions of sexual intercourse and sexual contact.

Contention

The bill has sparked discussions regarding the implications of defining consent more strictly and how it applies to professionals in positions of authority, such as school employees and psychotherapists. Critics may argue that the definitions could lead to complications in prosecution and the interpretation of consent in nuanced situations. Proponents, however, argue that this clarity is necessary to protect victims and hold offenders accountable, which is an essential shift in the law towards prioritizing victim rights and safety.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

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In authorized disposition of offenders, further providing for Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition prohibited; in criminal homicide, further providing for the offense of murder; in assault, further providing for the offense of stalking and for the offense of unauthorized administration of intoxicant; in sexual offenses, further providing for definitions and for the offense of rape, repealing provisions relating to the offense of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and further providing for the offense of sexual assault, for the offense of institutional sexual assault, for the offense of sexual assault by sports official, volunteer or employee of nonprofit association, for the offense of aggravated indecent assault and for general rule relating to loss of property rights; in wiretapping and electronic surveillance, further providing for definitions and for order authorizing interception of wire, electronic or oral communications; in public indecency, further providing for the offense of prostitution and related offenses; in firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms; in minors, further providing for transmission of sexually explicit images by minor; in criminal history record information, further providing for expungement and for juvenile records; in child custody, further providing for consideration of criminal conviction; in protection from abuse, further providing for definitions; in child protective services, further providing for definitions, for exclusions from child abuse and for employees having contact with children and adoptive and foster parents; in domestic and sexual violence victim address confidentiality, further providing for penalties; in limitation of time, further providing for infancy, insanity or imprisonment, for no limitation applicable and for other offenses; in depositions and witnesses, further providing for spouses as witnesses against each other and for hearsay; in juvenile matters, further providing for definitions, for inspection of court files and records, for law enforcement records, for conduct of hearings, for transfer to criminal proceedings and for assessment of delinquent children by the State Sexual Offenders Assessment Board; in court-ordered involuntary treatment of certain sexually violent persons, further providing for definitions and for court-ordered involuntary treatment; in sentencing, further providing for sentences for second or subsequent offenses, for sentences for offenses against elderly persons, for sentences for offenses against infant persons, for sentences for offenses committed while impersonating a law enforcement officer, for sentencing for trafficking of persons, for definitions, for sexual offenses and tier system, for termination of period of registration for juvenile offenders, for assessments, for registration and for assessments; in judicial change of name, further providing for change by order of court; in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, further providing for parole procedure; and, in interstate compacts, further providing for supervision of persons paroled by other states.