Substitute House Bill No. 6840
Public Act No. 23-86
AN ACT EXPANDING MEMBERSHIP OF THE POLICE OFFICER
STANDARDS AND TRAINING COUNCIL.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 7-294b of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2024):
(a) There shall be a Police Officer Standards and Training Council
which shall be within the Department of Emergency Services and Public
Protection. [Until December 31, 2020, the council shall consist of the
following members appointed by the Governor: (1) A chief
administrative officer of a town or city in Connecticut; (2) the chief
elected official or chief executive officer of a town or city in Connecticut
with a population under twelve thousand which does not have an
organized police department; (3) a member of the faculty of The
University of Connecticut; (4) eight members of the Connecticut Police
Chiefs Association who are holding office or employed as chief of police
or the highest ranking professional police officer of an organized police
department of a municipality within the state; (5) the Chief State's
Attorney; (6) a sworn municipal police officer whose rank is sergeant or
lower; and (7) five public members.]
(b) [On and after January 1, 2021, the] The council shall consist of the Substitute House Bill No. 6840
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following members:
(1) The chief elected official or chief executive officer of a town or city
within the state with a population in excess of fifty thousand, appointed
by the Governor;
(2) The chief elected official or chief executive officer of a town or city
within the state with a population of fifty thousand or less, appointed
by the Governor;
(3) A member of the faculty of an institution of higher education in
the state who has a background in criminal justice studies, appointed by
the Governor;
(4) A member of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association who is
holding office or employed as the chief of police, the deputy chief of
police or a senior ranking professional police officer of an organized
police department of a municipality within the state with a population
in excess of one hundred thousand, appointed by the Governor;
(5) A member of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association who is
holding office or employed as chief of police or the highest ranking
professional police officer of an organized police department of a
municipality within the state with a population in excess of sixty
thousand but not exceeding one hundred thousand, appointed by the
Governor;
(6) A member of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association who is
holding office or employed as chief of police or the highest ranking
professional police officer of an organized police department of a
municipality within the state with a population in excess of thirty-five
thousand but not exceeding sixty thousand, appointed by the Governor;
(7) A sworn municipal police officer from a municipality within the
state with a population exceeding fifty thousand, appointed by the Substitute House Bill No. 6840
Public Act No. 23-86 3 of 5
Governor;
(8) A sworn municipal police officer from a municipality within the
state with a population not exceeding fifty thousand, appointed by the
Governor;
(9) The commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police Academy;
(10) A member of the public, who is a person with a physical
disability or an advocate on behalf of persons with physical disabilities,
appointed by the Governor;
(11) A victim of crime or the immediate family member of a deceased
victim of crime, appointed by the Governor;
(12) A medical professional, appointed by the Governor;
(13) The Chief State's Attorney;
(14) A member of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association or the
person holding office or employed as chief of police or the highest
ranking professional police officer of an organized police department
within the state, appointed by the speaker of the House of
Representatives;
(15) A member of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association or the
person holding office or employed as chief of police or the highest
ranking professional police officer of an organized police department
within the state, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;
(16) A member of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association who is
holding office or employed as chief of police or the highest ranking
professional police officer of an organized police department of a
municipality within the state with a population not exceeding thirty-five
thousand, appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; Substitute House Bill No. 6840
Public Act No. 23-86 4 of 5
(17) A member of the public who is a justice-impacted person,
appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives;
(18) A member of the public who is a justice-impacted person,
appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; [and]
(19) A member of the public who is a person with a mental disability
or an advocate on behalf of persons with mental disabilities, appointed
by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;
(20) A sworn police officer who is not in a command position within
such officer's law enforcement unit, who is appointed by the
chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly
having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security; and
(21) A sworn police officer who is not in a command position within
such officer's law enforcement unit, who is appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate and the minority leader of the House of
Representatives.
(c) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent-in-charge in
Connecticut or their designees shall be voting ex-officio members of the
council. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or
who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any
calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the council. Any
nonpublic member of the council shall immediately, upon the
termination of such member's holding the office or employment that
qualified such member for appointment, cease to be a member of the
council. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. A
member appointed to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired
term of the member whom such member is to succeed in the same
manner as the original appointment. The Governor shall appoint a
chairperson and the council shall appoint a vice-chairperson and a Substitute House Bill No. 6840
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secretary from among the members.
(d) Membership on the council shall not constitute holding a public
office. No member of the council shall be disqualified from holding any
public office or employment by reason of his appointment to or
membership on the council nor shall any member forfeit any such office
or employment by reason of his appointment to the council,
notwithstanding the provisions of any general statute, special act or
local law, ordinance or charter.