O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 22-62—sHB 5368
Veterans' Affairs Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING THE GOVERNOR'S GUARDS, CERTAIN
MILITARY DEPARTMENT MONEYS AND A MILITARY FUNERAL
HONORS RIBBON
SUMMARY: This act makes changes in several laws on the state military
department. Specifically, it does the following:
1. authorizes the governor to order the Governor’s Foot and Horse Guards
(“Governor’s Guards”) to state military duty at any time, rather than only
during certain emergency situations or in anticipation of them (§ 3);
2. removes provisions setting the number, rank, and structure of personnel
allowed in the companies of the Governor’s Guards, and instead generally
allows company composition to be set by the governor’s orders and
regulations (§§ 1 & 2);
3. allows gifts, grants, and donations to be deposited into the Army National
Guard morale, welfare and recreation account and renames the account (§
4); and
4. authorizes the adjutant general to issue military funeral honor ribbons to
military personnel, including Connecticut National Guard and organized
militia members, who perform honor guard details (§ 5).
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2022
§§ 1-3 — GOVERNOR’S GUARDS
State Military Duty
The Governor’s Guards are a part of the state’s organized militia (CGS § 27-2)
and often perform ceremonial military duties (e.g., at parades and other civic
functions).
Prior law authorized the governor to order the Governor’s Guards out for duty
(i.e., to state military duty) in times of war, invasion, rebellion, or riot, or when he
had a reasonable apprehension any of these would occur. The act instead allows
him to order the Governor’s Guards to state military duty at any time.
The act also deletes obsolete references to charter provisions specifying the
guards’ organization, training, and discipline. (PA 21-158 required the governor to
configure and administer the state’s militia units.)
Composition and Structure
Prior law specified the number, rank, and structure of the personnel in each of
the four companies that compose the Governor’s Guard. The act retains certain of O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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each company’s senior leadership positions (e.g., one major commandant and one
sergeant major of specified ranks) but allows other personnel of any number or rank
that comply with the commander-in-chief’s (i.e., governor’s) orders and regulations
about the companies’ organization and structure.
§ 4 — MORALE, WELFARE AND RECREATION ACCOUNT
The act renames the “Army National Guard state morale, welfare and recreation
account,” a nonlapsing account within the General Fund, as the “Military
Department state morale, welfare and recreation account.” The act also allows
public and private gifts, grants, and donations to be deposited into the account,
rather than only money that the law requires.
The act requires the adjutant general to annually report, beginning by August 1,
2022, to the Office of Policy and Management on deposits to and expenditures from
the account.
BACKGROUND
Related Act
PA 22-118, § 117, is identical to the act’s provision on military funeral honor
ribbons (§ 5).