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 23-86—sHB 6840
Public Safety and Security Committee
AN ACT EXPANDING MEM BERSHIP OF THE POLIC E OFFICER
STANDARDS AND TRAINI NG COUNCIL
SUMMARY: Beginning January 1, 2024, this act increases the membership of the
Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) from 21 members to 23 by
adding two new members, one appointed by the Public Safety and Security
Committee chairs and one by the Senate and House minority leaders. The
appointees must be sworn police officers who are not in command positions within
their law enforcement units.
Police officers under the act are sworn members of an organized local police
department or the State Police; appointed constables who perform criminal law
enforcement duties; special police officers appointed under law (e.g., public
assistance fraud investigators); or any members of a law enforcement unit who
perform police duties (CGS § 7-294a(9)). A “law enforcement unit” is any state or
municipal agency or department (or tribal agency or department created and
governed under a memorandum of agreement) whose primary functions include
enforcing criminal or traffic laws; preserving public order; protecting life and
property; or preventing, detecting, or investigating crime (CGS § 7-294a(8)).
Under prior law, the council consisted of 21 members: 11 gubernatorial
appointments, six legislative appointments, and four serving ex-officio (the
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection commissioner and FBI
special agent-in-charge for Connecticut, or their designees, and the chief state’s
attorney and Connecticut State Police Academy’s commanding officer).
As under existing law, appointed members serve at the pleasure of their
appointing authority for a term coterminous with their appointing authority (CGS
§ 4-1a). The law additionally deems a member to have resigned from POST if he
or she misses three consecutive meetings or 50% of the meetings held during any
calendar year.
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2024