LCO \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00122-R02-
SB.docx
1 of 4
General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 122
January Session, 2021
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A UNIT WITHIN THE DIVISION OF STATE
POLICE TO INVESTIGATE HATE CRIMES AND CRIMINAL ACTS
COMMITTED BY EXTREMI ST GROUPS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (d) of section 29-4 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
2021): 3
(d) The commissioner shall establish such divisions as the 4
commissioner deems necessary for effective operation of the state police 5
force and consistent with budgetary allotments, a Criminal Intelligence 6
Division, a Hate Crimes and Extremist Group Investigative Unit and a 7
state-wide organized crime investigative task force to be engaged 8
throughout the state for the purpose of preventing and detecting any 9
violation of the criminal law. The head of the Criminal Intelligence 10
Division shall be of the rank of sergeant or above. The head of the Hate 11
Crimes and Extremist Group Investigative Unit shall be the rank of 12
sergeant or above and shall serve, or appoint a designee to serve, as a 13
liaison to the State-Wide Hate Crimes Advisory Council, established 14
under section 51-279f. The head of the state-wide organized crime 15
investigative task force shall be a police officer. 16
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) For the purposes of this 17 Substitute Bill No. 122
LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00122-
R02-SB.docx }
2 of 4
section, (1) "extremist" means an individual encouraging, condoning, 18
justifying or supporting the commission or attempted commission of a 19
violent crime, or a crime that is intended to cause physical harm to 20
another person or property damage, to achieve a political, ideological, 21
religious, social or economic goal, (2) "extremist group" means a group 22
of extremists associated in fact but not a legal entity, and (3) "law 23
enforcement unit" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-294a 24
of the general statutes. 25
(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 26
shall assign to the Hate Crimes and Extremist Group Investigative Unit, 27
established under subsection (d) of section 29-4 of the general statutes, 28
as amended by this act, such personnel as may be required to fulfill the 29
duties of this section. The unit shall: 30
(1) Prevent, investigate, detect and assist any law enforcement unit 31
with the investigation of (A) any alleged crime that is a violation of 32
section 53a-181j, 53a-181k or 53a-181l of the general statutes, (B) any 33
other alleged crime that may be motivated by bigotry or bias as a result 34
of the actual or perceived race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual 35
orientation or gender identity or expression of another person, and (C) 36
any criminal activity or suspected criminal activity by an extremist or 37
extremist group; and 38
(2) Compile, maintain and analyze data regarding (A) crimes that are 39
violations of section 53a-181j, 53a-181k or 53a-181l of the general 40
statutes, (B) any other crime that may be motivated by bigotry or bias as 41
a result of the actual or perceived race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sex, 42
sexual orientation or gender identity or expression of another person, 43
and (C) any criminal activity by an extremist or extremist group. 44
(c) Not later than October 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the unit 45
shall publish a report on the department's Internet web site regarding 46
the data compiled pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subdivision 47
(2) of subsection (b) of this section. 48 Substitute Bill No. 122
LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00122-
R02-SB.docx }
3 of 4
Sec. 3. Section 29-7m of the general statutes is repealed and the 49
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 50
(a) [On and after July 1, 1988, the] The Hate Crimes and Extremist 51
Group Investigative Unit of the Division of State Police within the 52
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall monitor, 53
record and classify all crimes committed in the state which are 54
motivated by bigotry or bias. 55
[(b) The police department, resident state trooper or constable who 56
performs law enforcement duties for each town shall monitor, record 57
and classify all crimes committed within such town which are violations 58
of section 53a-181j, 53a-181k or 53a-181l and report such information to 59
the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency 60
Services and Public Protection.] 61
(b) Any law enforcement unit, as defined in section 7-294a, shall submit 62
a report to the Hate Crimes and Extremist Group Investigative Unit, not 63
later than fourteen days after receiving notification, information or a 64
complaint of (1) any alleged crime that is a violation of section 53a-181j, 65
53a-181k or 53a-181l, (2) any other alleged crime that may be motivated 66
by bigotry or bias as a result of the actual or perceived race, religion, 67
ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity or 68
expression of another person, and (3) any suspected criminal activity by 69
an extremist or extremist group, as such terms are defined in subsection 70
(a) of section 2 of this act. 71
(c) Not later than January 1, 2022, and biannually thereafter, the 72
Police Officer Standards and Training Council, in consultation with the 73
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, shall (1) 74
develop and promulgate a standardized form to be used by a law 75
enforcement unit to submit a report pursuant to subsection (b) of this 76
section, (2) develop best practices to facilitate the sharing of information 77
among and between the Hate Crimes and Extremist Group Investigative 78
Unit and law enforcements units, and (3) take such actions, as the 79
council and commissioner deem appropriate, to inform the public of its 80 Substitute Bill No. 122
LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00122-
R02-SB.docx }
4 of 4
right to report any alleged crime or suspected criminal activity as 81
described in subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of subsection (b) of this 82
section and how to make such reports.83
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 29-4(d)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 29-7m
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 2(b), "fulfill the duties of this section. The unit shall" was
added for clarity.
PS Joint Favorable Subst.